The first public presentation of RSP Italy Creative South (Regional Skills Partnership) took place within the scope of ArtLab: Territories, Culture, Innovation organised in Bari by the Fitzcarraldo Foundation – a traveling platform dedicated to innovating cultural policies, programs, and practices.
Through the Pact for Skills, the European Commission is supporting the development of Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs). These partnerships bring together different stakeholders to help working-age people in a region learn new skills or improve existing ones. This includes local skill partnerships as well as larger ones involving regions from multiple EU countries that share close ties either geographically or economically. Discover more about the Pact’s RSPs through the blurbs and content cards below.
The RSP Italy Creative South is a strategic alliance,coordinated by Materahub, designed to strengthen skills within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) of Southern Italy. Looking ahead to the ESF+ 2028–2035 programming period, the partnership aims to align European policies and regional strategies with the concrete needs of the sector, overcoming fragmentation and the low-skills equilibrium.
The partnership – initially launched in Basilicata and Puglia – aims to expand across Southern Italy within two years, targeting Campania, Calabria, and Sicily.
To drive skills development, strategic alliances have also been established with Piemonte (Fitzcarraldo Foundation) and Emilia-Romagna (ART-ER). These collaborations will foster interregional exchange, share best practices, and co-create innovative solutions.
Insightful Panel Discussion
The event, introduced by Simona Martini (Fitzcarraldo Foundation), featured a comprehensive panel discussion launched by Becky Riches (Materahub), who outlined the European framework and the network’s development goals. Key strategic partners participated to map local challenges:
- Paolo Ponzio (Puglia Culture): Elaborated on the challenges of the Apulian cultural sector and how their participation aligns with Puglia Culture’s trajectories.
- Paolo d’Addabbo (ARTI Puglia): Focused on training as a lever for innovation, economic development, and connectivity with research, businesses, and youth policies.
- Massimo Avantaggiato (Unisco): Shared key takeaways and lessons learned from the Porta Futuro RSP experience – the first RSP to be established in Italy.
- Barbara Busi (ART-ER): Illustrated the path currently being forged in Emilia-Romagna, opening up opportunities for crucial North-South interregional synergies alongside the North-West.
Next Steps: Two Operational Workshops in July 2026
The presentation served as an official call to action for institutions, creative clusters, development agencies, universities, and training providers. To transform this vision into concrete action and build a data-driven governance model (skills intelligence), Materahub is organising two online workshops in July 2026 utilising the CYANOTYPES framework:
- Workshop 1 (July 8, 15:00 – 18:00): Ecosystem diagnosis & systemic mapping – aimed at diagnosing gaps, systemic bottlenecks, and ecosystem fragmentation.
- Workshop 2 (July 15, 15:00 – 18:00): Stakeholder engagement & interregional alliance – focused on co-designing concrete engagement strategies and interregional collaborations.
Get involved and join the network! These interactive sessions are open to both active members and new potential partners who wish to help turn CCIs into a strategic pillar for Southern Italy.
For more details visit RSP Creative South website
