Incubator 2024

Valletta, Malta

02 – 5 Oct 2024

The 2024 edition of our mentoring programme on EU project writing took place in Valletta, Malta, hosted by our member Spazju Kreattiv

In 2024, 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 has developed and delivered carnival arts and festival events across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia over the past thirty years. In the last two decades his focus has been on the capacity building of a diverse range global majority, disabled and working class emerging and professional arts, cultural operators, and arts organisations. Since 2019 he has worked at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival as Carnival & Community Manager, where he has developed an annual programme of arts engagement activities that culminates in Edinburgh Festival Carnival one of Scotland's largest multicultural events.
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.