From STEM to STEAM

Fondazione Accademia Teatro alla Scala promotes the international seminar From STEM to STEAM: how cross-sector practices are creating new job opportunities for professionals in the cultural and creative industries. Following the transnational reflection on cross-sectorial innovation, which is part of the Large Scale Partnership for the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), the seminar addresses the topic from an occupational perspective across different sectors, focusing on data and practices to define new job opportunities arising in the labour market for cultural and creative industries’ professionals.

The aim of the seminar is to investigate available and tangible opportunities between different industries, which are providing specific demands for CCI’s professionals, thus emphasizing creative and artistic approaches into STEM fields, enhancing innovation and impacting on training and skills development.

Main focuses of the seminar will be:

• Employability: based on existing experiences and practices, are there emerging job opportunities for CCI professionals in other sectors that we should consider when designing training programmes to improve the employability of younger generations? Is there genuine demand for CCI professionals from other industries?
• Education and training: the shift from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education towards STEAM does integrate artistic elements and skills to foster innovation, creativity, and holistic problem-solving. Are there specific creative approaches that could be fully integrated into other sectoral systems? If so, would it make sense to incorporate these approaches into HE (Higher Education) and VET (Vocational Education and Training) curricula for CCI students?

The Opening Keynote of the Panel is by Umberto Bellodi, Scientific Coordinator of the IartNET project for the Accademia Teatro alla Scala and Coordinator of the Cross-sectorial Innovation Working Group in the frame of the LSP-CCI.

(Panel 1) The Creative Skills Europe experience: state of the art and relevant reflections from both employers’ and employees’ perspectives

Supported by the European Commission, Creative Skills Europe builds on the experience of the social dialogue partners at national and EU levels, and is grounded in regional and local realities thanks to the support and active participation of key employment and skills organisations from different EU countries. Creative Skills Europe is a platform where a wide range of stakeholders from the European audiovisual and live performance sectors meet: trade unions, employers’ organisations, national skills bodies, education and training providers, professional associations, etc. Creative Skills Europe is piloted by a pool of European social partners including UNI Europa (EURO-MEI) and Pearle – Live Performance Europe.

UNI Europa (EURO-MEI) is the European Region of the Media, Entertainment & Arts sector of Union Global Union (UNI MEI). It represents over 70 unions and guilds in the media, entertainment and arts sector in Europe. The membership of its affiliates includes technicians, screenwriters, film directors and other workers in broadcasting, cinema, theatre, as well as in visual arts.

Pearle - Live Performance Europe is the “Performing Arts Employers Associations League Europe”, the European sector federation of performing arts organisations. Pearle represents, through its member associations, more than 13,000 theatres, theatre production companies, orchestras and music ensembles, opera houses, ballet and dance companies, festivals, technical service providers, and other organisations within the performing arts sector across Europe.

Driving questions of the intervention

• What skills do audiovisual and live performance professionals need to enter and remain in employment?
• How to accompany the evolution of the professionals’ practices and of their careers?
• How to contribute to a dynamic sector that foresees and anticipates change?
• What role for trade unions, employers’ organisations and social dialogue?
• What “new” skills does the sector need according to the current changes and digital innovations?
• How are professionals facing their new profiling?

(Panel 2) Changes in the labour market demand for CCI professionals: insights from the Italian context with a focus on digitalisation and AI’s impact on occupations

The creative and cultural industries are undergoing profound transformation, reshaping professions and redefining the skills required, and Italian data offers valuable insights into current dynamics and future skill demands within the sector. New occupational trends are emerging, from hybrid artistic-technological roles to innovative models of collaboration. Cross-sectorial opportunities are increasingly influencing the market, generating novel pathways for growth and resilience.

Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are accelerating this shift, particularly in performing arts and live events.

Centro Studi Doc Foundation is a research center based in Verona, Italy, that carries out research, documentation, training, and sharing activities to support the dignity of work, with particular attention to art, creativity, culture, knowledge, and technology, and, in any case, in all economic and social sectors, old or new, where protection is scarce and work is not recognized.

Driving questions of the intervention

• Which are the new occupational trends for CCI professionals?
• To what extent are cross-sectorial opportunities impacting the market?
• What do the available Italian data tell us about current and emerging skill needs?
• To what extent are digitalisation and artificial intelligence transforming creative and technical occupations, particularly in the performing arts and live event sectors?