EMCCINNO Heads to EMES 10th Conference

As the EMES Network prepares to host the 10th edition of its International Research Conference on Social Enterprise, we are excited to announce that the EMCCINNO project will be part of it. This marks the second gathering of researchers involved in the project, following the successful kick-off meeting held earlier this year.

To provide some context, the EMES Network is a partner in the EMCCINNO project and has been at the forefront of research in the SE field for more than 20 years. One of the network’s contributions to the field is its thematic affinity groups, which are dedicated to specific areas of research. One such group, focusing on culture and artistic social enterprises, was officially launched in 2021 at the 8th EMES Conference in Teruel.

The culture and arts affinity group, led by Rocío Nogales, Kai Green and Nancy Duxbury, has made significant strides in the SE research landscape. Under the framework of the Empower-SE COST Action, the group has already published the stakeholder brief “Unlocking the transformative potential of culture and the arts through social enterprise”. Moreover, they made a impact by publishing a special issue in the Social Enterprise Journal on “Unlocking the transformative potential of culture and the arts from social enterprises and third sector organizations.”

This upcoming special edition of the EMES Conference, taking place for the first time in two cities (Rotterdam and Utrecht, Netherlands), will be the perfect setting to explore key topics related to the intersection of social enterprise (SE) and the cultural and creative sectors (CCS). Among the conference’s thematic lines, “Fostering SE in Culture and the Arts” will be convened by Malin Gawell, Kai Roland Green, and Rocío Nogales-Muriel. This line will focus on how cultural entrepreneurship contributes to social and systemic change, exploring hybrid forms of value creation (creative, social, and economic) and institutionalizing these values in alternative forms of organizing—such as community arts projects, arts activism, artist collectives, and innovative interventions in the cultural and creative sectors.

Given this context, we are pleased to share that several partners from the EMCCINNO project will be present at this significant event in the Netherlands. It promises to be an inspiring and fruitful opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing in the realm of social enterprise and the culture and arts.

We look forward to seeing you there and continuing to explore the transformative potential of culture, arts, and social enterprise together!