Creative Voices
The part of "-dorf" in Düsseldorf meaning village, is possibly an indication of the way the key players of the cultural and creative industries based here interact with each other. They know each other, support each other and like to exchange ideas - at least that's the theory. We asked a few voices from the creative scene in the state capital how networking in Düsseldorf actually works.
Marc Thiele, Organisator kreativer Veranstaltungen
Marc Thiele. I have been organising my regular event "beyond tellerrand" in Düsseldorf since 2010. For me, the city offers just the right mix of interested people and industries and is easily accessible nationally and internationally. The people who live here and those who visit Düsseldorf make it a creative city. And there are also, of course, many diverse organisers and events that create or promote platforms for creativity. Düsseldorf as a city offers the space for this and institutions, such as the Office for Economic Development or KomKuk, offer assistance in a variety of ways. Networking is an exchange I don't ever want to miss. The pandemic in particular has shown how important networking is - especially in person. Events in any form provide ideal platforms for this. However, apart from planned meetings, what is also really important, is everything that happens unplanned and by chance. It can be that chance encounter, for example when just ordering a coffee that leads to a conversation with the person sitting next to you, and you never know where this might lead to. The next project? The next job? A new collaboration or the next idea? •
ABOUT
www.marcthiele.com
www.beyondtellerrand.com
Tina Husemann and David Holtkamp, Gründer von THE DORF
THE DORF sees itself as an urban magazine for Düsseldorf's creative scene. Due to our long-standing roots, we know the city very well and hence came equipped with a very extensive network as the best prerequisite and foundation for THE DORF. kjhkjhkjhkjhkjhjhkjhkjhkjhkjhkjhkj We think that this city has an insanely high potential of creative people from art and culture, who can make an impact on a national, but also international level. The size of the city offers a fertile ground of networking possibilities within the individual scenes or across the board. From the outset, we have seen ourselves as much more than a magazine - rather as a networking platform that connects and brings together the city's urban and creative scene. This also happens at our own events such as THE DORF THE MARKET design concept or THE DORF x FRIENDS. Of course, we also attend many events ourselves where we meet the exciting people of this city and engage in exchange. Nothing works in isolation, especially with regards to our field. And it is incredibly important to pull together, to exchange ideas, to inspire, to enrich and to benefit from each other's strengths. •
ABOUT
www.thedorf.de
www.letoile-pr.de (Facebook)
Lisa Maria Kunst, Organisatorin von CreativeMornings
Lisa Maria Kunst. I organise a lecture on different topics every month for the CreativeMornings event series, which includes breakfast and coffee. That way different people from the creative industries can get together early in the morning.
Music, art, design and fashion play a big role in Düsseldorf, along with many other sub-sectors. A city of culture and creativity is characterised by being open to new things. For me, this also includes the promotion of young talent. And the willingness to make pragmatic solutions possible. I understand networking as exchange. I find it enriching to learn from other people`s views, stories and experiences. It doesn’t matter when or where this takes place. I have been running the CreativeMornings for over eight years, because I enjoy getting to know people and places. There is nothing wrong with hoping that this work will also have a positive effect on the actual business. But as a sole motive, that wouldn’t be enough. I think that this also applies to networking in general. •
ABOUT
www.studiokunst.de
www.creativemornings.com/cities/dus
Nick Esser, Communication designer, artist and organiser
Nick Esser. For the past three years I have been organising Start Art Week in Düsseldorf, the first start-up event for artists and freelancers in the cultural and creative industries. Our state capital has an active and well-connected art and cultural scene with a potential that is nowhere near being exhausted yet. At the same time, it offers an inspiring environment, especially for young talents and founders at the beginning of their careers. mmmm Düsseldorf can definitely be described as a city of culture and creativity. It is a place where art and culture are part of the city's self-image, but are also actively lived and shaped. Yet Düsseldorf has what it takes to achieve much, much more. Unfortunately, the enormous potential and immaterial value that is driven by the many artists and creative people here is far from being fully exploited. If the public sector paid half as much attention to the arts and culture scene as it does to the real estate industry, for example, Düsseldorf would quickly become the arts hotspot it once was decades ago. For me, networking means making contacts, building relationships and connecting with other people. And last but not least, it's about exchanging experiences and knowledge, initiating joint projects and learning from each other. It is about improving professional opportunities - however, valuable friendships and creative togetherness often do also develop. •
ABOUT
www.startartweek.de
www.linktr.ee/startartweek
Kilian van de Water, Founder of the Trickfilm Festival Düsseldorf
Kilian van de Water. I'm a freelance graphic designer from Düsseldorf with a focus on animation and motion design and have a nice cli-entele, some of whom I've worked with for many years - and I would like to hold on to that. In my view, Düsseldorf has a lively creative scene with many galleries, good museums and moreover provides educational opportunities with the Uni-versity of Applied Sciences (HSD) - for design - and the Kunstakademie - for art. These pillars create a good basis for creative exchange. When you meet at events, it means you share similar interests. This automatical-ly creates pleasant connections. Personally, social motives take priority. But if something business-related develops from it, then that's of course okay. •
ABOUT
www.kilianvandewater.com
www.trickfilmfestival.de
Words: Katja Vaders
Pictures: PR, Andreas Brüggemann, Robin Hartschen, Hanna Witte, Iris Edinger, Kilian van de Water privat