Lublin and its creative potential

By supporting creative industries, Lublin aims not only to grow economically but also to face the challenges that come with ever-changing reality: active lifestyle and needs of its residents and increasing role of science and culture. Lublin knows that creative economy is a powerful development engine and recognises it as one of the foundations of the city’s new identity.

According to the official reports, the creative sector of the local economy is composed of approximately 4,270 businesses. Among them, 27.9% are software and games development companies, 15.3% are design studios, and 11.4% – advertising agencies. Let’s not forget about culture – artistic and cultural activities taking almost a fourth of the whole sector, which grew 9% since 2011.

The city is open for businesses that understand creativity as a blend of creation, interdisciplinary cooperation (e.g. hiring artists and designers), and a “creative” approach towards working with clients and solving problems. Lublin finds a common language both with local and foreign investors – they choose the city because it offers good quality of life and economic stability as well as an enormous growth potential (the competition here is not as fierce as in Warsaw). Some of them, however, find running a creative business in Lublin a bit problematic, mostly due to residents education and attitude towards creative endeavours, the city’s short-sighted PR strategy and closed art community.

The city officials are aware of those problems and try to solve them in various ways. Now Lublin is taking part in the Regional Creative Industries Alliance (RCIA), which focuses on improving management and communication within local economies and introduces many useful programmes and strategies for creative industries.

Last year The City of Lublin and Gazeta Wyborcza organised 4th edition of Kreatywni (‘The Creatives’) – a large conference on creativity acknowledging some the most significant people and companies that build the city’s creative potential. During the conference, the Mayor signed Lublin’s Creative Manifesto (the 2nd city creative manifesto in the world) and promised to focus on developing a culture of creativity in the city.

Lublin is a city with imagination and constantly makes its best to nurture its creative potential. With many offices and apartments available, it’s a great place to start a creative business – especially now, when the city’s creative and cultural journey seems to be significantly accelerating.