The Government of the Azores promotes dissemination sessions of "Creative Europe" programme to take place on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Faial between March 7 and 9.
 
The initiative is promoted by the Cabinet of the Regional Secretary Assistant Secretary for External Relations and the Regional Secretary for Education and Culture in conjunction with Creative Europe Information Centre. It aims to disseminate the programme of the European Union that supports cultural and creative industries as well as the support available under European policies for these areas.
 
The sessions, with free admission, are primarily directed to collective entities, including public or local administration organisations, cultural organisations, artists and professionals working in culture whose activities are developed in the following areas: performing arts, fine, editing, film, television, music, multidisciplinary arts, heritage or industry of video games.
 
"Creative Europe" aims to safeguard and promote cultural diversity and European language, in addition to strengthening the competitiveness of cultural and creative sectors towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
 
The more specific goals of this EU programme include are as follows: support the capacity of European cultural and creative sectors to operate internationally; promote transnational circulation of cultural and creative works; encourage the mobility of artists and the establishment of new audiences; strengthen the financial capacity of these sectors.
 
Supporting transnational cooperation to promote policy development, innovation and use of new business models and developing activities to provide agents with skills and know-how to reinforce these sectors are other goals of the programme.
 
It is divided into two funding sub-programmes: MEDIA, aimed at the film and audiovisual sector, and the CULTURA, which comprises the remaining cultural and artistic expressions.
 
Each of these sub-programmes has various lines of financing, focused on different types of projects; they have different eligibility and evaluation criteria.
 
There is also a cross-sectoral area of the "Creative Europe" programme intended to support other European initiatives such as the European prizes of architecture, literature, heritage protection, cinema and music, the European Capitals of Culture, the European Heritage Label, financial support to cross-sectoral projects, guarantee funds for SMEs in the cultural and creative sectors, among others.
 
"Creative Europe" brings together the previous MEDIA, MEDIA Mundus and CULTURA programmes and runs until 2020.
 
Those who are interested may obtain further information on the programme at the address http://www.europacriativa.eu/.