SULA - Sustainability and Love for Arts

MELTING POT OF CREATIVE THINKING!

SULA - Sustainability and Love for Arts is a new event for creative work and business and it is organized for the first time on 11-12th October at the Cable Factory in Helsinki, Finland. The word SULA means ”melt” in Finnish and it describes the event’s goal to melt ideas into new forms of creative thinking and working. SULA professional festival will bring together the makers of art, creative entrepreneurs and their intermediaries and business support experts. 

The theme of SULA are the stories of survival: how can an artist or creative person crystallize his talent into a sustainable way of livelihood?  The speakers in SULA conference will be central names of the global creative economy hub and business innovators and we’ll bring in inspiring case studies.

The organizers of SULA are Cable Factory, AVEK the Promotion Center for Audiovisual Production, City of Helsinki, Creative and Inclusive Finland, the Art and Culture Professionals’ Trade Union TAKU ry and Creative Lenses, funded by Creative Europe program. 

THE IDEA OF SULA

"The idea of SULA is to provide creative talents a space to meet peers and get new influences, but also to present their ideas to potential new partners. This is the first SULA, and we are aiming to continue and expand the event in the coming years”, says Kai Huotari, the managing director of Cable Factory.

SULA melts together a traditional business conference, pitching competition and advisory/financing services during one event, and is targeted to creative talents and businesses.

"Our goal is to create a similar forum for artistic, creative and culture talents as Slush, one of the globally leading startup and technology events, is for the tech-people", states Huotari.

Programme

SULA Clinic 11.10.2017

SULA advisory clinics are meetings with experts in working life support services for entrepreneurs in creative industries. You can sign up for meetings until 4.10.2017 or as long as there are meeting times available. More more info, please see the SULA website.

Clinic day schedule:
9.00 Morning coffee
9.30 Bulletins and introducing the advisory clinics (NB! in finnish)
11.30 Lunch
12.00-16.00 Advisory clinics
10.00-11.30 and 13.00-14.30 Kumous workshops

SULA Conference 12.10.2017

The conference is moderated by Mikko Silvennoinen, Creative Entrepreneur and Media Professional (FI)

9.30 Registration and morning coffee

10.00 Welcome / Opening words
Managing Director Kai Huotari, Cable Factory

10.15 Keynote: Finding One’s Own Art and the Power of Community
Media Artist Kate Johnson and Curator Michael J. Masucci (USA)

11.00 Keynote: The Renovation of the Rijksmuseum and Its Future Challenges
Exhibition Manager Tim Zeedijk, Rijksmuseum (NL)

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Art of Animation, Working with the Likes of Disney
CEO Anttu Harlin, Gigglebug (FI)

13.20 The Sustainable Arts Organisation - from surviving to thriving
Birgitta Persson, Olivearte (SE)

13.40 Confessions of a Curator
CEO & Curator Laura Köönikkä, Finnish Art Agency

14.00 Case: Creative Lenses research presentation    
Lucy Kimbell and Bethany Rex, University of the Arts London
                
Catalyst programme update                      
Sarah Rhodes and Bethany Rex, University of the Arts London

14.20 Panel Discussion: Managing Creative Talents
Birgitta Persson, Kate Johnson, Mariina Hallikainen (FI), Elise Pietarila (FI)

15.00 Award Ceremony and Toasts

16.00 Closing words

SULA Pitch at 10am-3pm

SULA Pitch, formerly known as CD2-competition run by AVEK, will host shortlisted group of participants. The 12 participants will be chosen according to their written applications.  These shortlisted companies are expected to attend the pitch training in 5-6th October in Helsinki. Registration opens in August 2017.

The training will be held by Sibylle Kurz, a seasoned teacher of pitching techniques, who has trained European creative professionals to pitch their ideas already over 20 years. The training will be carried out in English. The final competition will be held in English and the jury is international. The competition is targeted to Finnish creative companies. Participating in training and clinic is free of charge.

SULA pitch registration and more information (AVEK). Registration is open until 8th September 2017.

SULA Fair at 10am-4pm

Partners of SULA profile meeting and info points for participants of the event.

TAKU Producer and Production of the Year

TAKU will give out the awards of Finnish Producer and Production of the year according to the organization’s traditions. Suggestions for nominee candidates with arguments can already be sent to: tuottajapaiva.fi/palkinnot/ehdota-palkintoa (until 28th September 2017). Name of the judge will be released later.

Tickets:

Regular ticket 11.-12.10.2017: 62 € (incl. VAT 24 %)
Student ticket 11.-12.10.2017: 37,20 € (incl. VAT 24 %, prepare to verify your students status at the venue)
TAKU members can purchase tickets at 50 % discount.

The tickets include 11.10. clinic, 12.10. seminar programme, pitch competition programme, coffees and lunch. Tickets are bought online - check out the ticket sales links on the SULA website.

Contact Information:

Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo / Cable Factory: Raine Heikkinen, raine.heikkinen(at)kaapelitehdas.fi
City of Helsinki, Creative and Inclusive Finland project: Taina Seitsara, taina.seitsara(at)hel.fi
TAKU ry: Vilja Byström, vilja.bystrom(at)taku.fi
AVEK & Producer of SULA: Kati Uusi-Rauva, kati.uusirauva(at)gmail.com, puh. 040 865 8738

For more information and an up-to-date version of the programme, please visit the SULA website.