Incubator 2024
This year, our flagship training programme on European project writing landed in Malta. The retreat was hosted by our local member Spazju Kreattiv at their stunning premises in the St James Cavalier fortress, at the heart of Valletta.
Incubator 2024 offered participants expert mentoring tailored to their project ideas, networking opportunities with socio-culture professionals from all over Europe, and a rich study visits programme that took them through Valletta's vibrant cultural life. This edition's main focus was on culture in non-urban and peripheral areas.
If you aspire to take your project to the European level, Incubator is the programme for you. Susbscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date about the opening of applications to the next edition.
Our trainers are experts with diverse backgrounds and sound professional experience in EU cooperation projects in the field of culture. Discover the five trainers we invited this year:
Having previously worked for IDEA Consult, Martina Fraioli has expertise in research on the cultural and creative sectors, as well as in project writing and management. She has extensively worked on large European projects, including Creative FLIP, Perform Europe, and IN SITU. At the ENCC office, she leads various cooperation projects and the CUBE research on the role of socio-cultural centers in systemic societal change. She is also responsible for finding new collaboration and advocacy opportunities for the network.
Toni Attard is the founder and director of Culture Venture, Malta’s leading firm in consultancy and training for the cultural and creative sectors. He was previously the director of strategy at Malta's Arts Council, and served as a creative economy advisor within the Ministry of Finance, with a view to developing a national strategy for the cultural and creative industries. Among other tasks, he has also lead numerous cultural projects and established ten public arts funding programmes.
Marija Popović (Zmaja) has worked as a project manager, trainer, external evaluator and consultant since 2000. She is currently a producer and international cooperation manager at the Institution Student Cultural Centre in Novi Sad, and an EU projects coordinator at the EXIT Foundation. She has managed EU projects in the fields of human rights, social inclusion, youth and culture, and has extensive experience with Erasmus+. Zmaja is also a member of the Team Europe of the DEU in Serbia.
Giles Agis is a cultural manager based in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Since 2022, he is the executive director of Brouhaha International. In the past, he has worked as a European development manager and a youth theatre professional. He has been a board member of the Roots & Routes International Association since 2016.
Vittorio Bianco is the co-coordinator of Cecchi Point – Casa del Quartiere Aurora multicultural hub in Turin, and ENCC's newly-elected Chairperson. After starting his career in environmental organisations with a focus on urban ecology and sustainable development, he then moved to other aspects of sustainability in the urban context, such as social inclusion, culture and health.
Mauro Carta has over 20 years of experience in the field of international volunteering and non-formal education. He has worked as a project manager at CCIVS in Paris and cooperated with a number of networks and organisations of the International Voluntary Service movement. A member of the pool of trainers of United Nations Volunteers, currently Mauro designs and coordinates projects in Europe, Africa, Asia, Central America and the MENA region, and gives training courses and seminars on project management.