Continuity with the spirit of Graz

Eberhard Schrempf

CIS was founded in the summer of 2007 thanks to the initiative of the Government of Styria, together with the Government of the City of Graz, the Industrial Chamber of Styria and the Chamber of Commerce of Styria. It is thus backed by very strong stakeholders who help to move things forward in terms of networking of the creative industries. Graz is the only big city in this region and it is a place where almost all of the creatives are based in Styria. This is also due to the fact that in 2003 Graz was the European Capital of Culture. It was as if the thinking of the locals changed completely because of that, the city became more open and its atmosphere more creative, and this creative atmosphere attracted a lot of people to Graz. There are good opportunities to study art, culture and design. Since the year of the European Capital of Culture, the city has acquired a fresh and young vibe. This was the beginning of raising awareness about creativity and about the importance of creative industries in the city. CIS was set up in 2007 and our projects attempt to continue the spirit of the European Capital of Culture year. Graz has always had a certain avant-garde spirit. It was not based on the ‘old culture’ and its preservation as for example Salzburg or Vienna. The city always had more aggressive, forward-looking people who were concerned with the future and with developing the city. The strong architectural, literary and cultural scenes present in Graz were an important factor in the ECOC project and today we continue to develop the fruits of the past.

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Eberhard Schrempf

Eberhard Schrempf

Managing Director of the Creative Industries Styria in Graz, Austria

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