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Donegal’s new Creative Strategy to
focus on business opportunities
15.05.15
Steps towards
establishing the right conditions for creative
entrepreneurship in Donegal will be unveiled next
week with the launch of the county’s first Creative
Strategy.
Details of the plan will be released at the Regional
Cultural Centre, Letterkenny on Monday 18th May,
with hopes already high that the strategy can prove
as successful for the creative sector, as the Food
Coast has for food in Donegal.
“The core purpose is to let people grasp the
creative business opportunities that exist in
Donegal,” Michael Tunney, Head of Enterprise at
Donegal Local Enterprise Office explained. |
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Michael Tunney, Head of Enterprise,
Donegal Local Enterprise Office, putting the
finishing touches to one of the displays for the
launch of the new Donegal Creative Strategy next
week. Also included in the photo are (centre) Grace
Korbel of Donegal Local Enterprise Office and Fiona
Higgins of Donegal Designer Makers. |
The first steps towards
developing this strategy began with a consultative
process involving stakeholders from the creative
sector.
According to Mr Tunney, this allowed stakeholders to
identify key challenges and set priority actions as
they looked towards the long-term development
potential for the creative sector within the county.
“From those gatherings, a sense of common purpose
emerged and the launch of this strategy aims now to
harness the momentum that has been set in motion and
allow for the careful development of a longer-term,
shared ambition for the creative sector.”
The Local Enterprise Office official added that the
new Creative Strategy will outline a number of
action plan themes, identify immediate projects for
the initial phase, as well as outlining aspirations
for longer-term development.
“The creative sector covers a broad church, so it
was clear from the outset that clarity of purpose as
well as co-operation and collaboration would be
critical to the successful implementation of any
plan.
It is evident that there is great energy among
talented people already co-creating and
collaborating in Donegal. There is strong interest
in supporting grassroots activity and enabling the
right conditions for the next wave of talent who
need to be able to identify and maximise new
opportunities within and outside the county. The
focus of the LEO within the strategy will be to work
with the sector to develop viable and sustainable
businesses.”
This, he said, can be realised by “joining the dots”
- between the Local Enterprise Office and other
departments within Donegal County Council,
practitioners, educators, enterprise and tourism
agencies - towards a common purpose of unlocking
opportunity for the creative sectors in the County. |
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