How much is a painting worth? How should a young illustrator price a commission, present their portfolio online or use AI tools without losing their own creative voice? These questions are at the heart of ART2MARKET, a new Erasmus+ project whose partners met in person for the first time on 23 October in Vibo Valentia, Italy.
Itaka Edu Lab, the Italian organisation coordinating the project, welcomed colleagues from ALPE in Spain, a consortium of more than 30 vocational training centres, and Edu Playground from Bulgaria, which brings expertise in digital tools, AI and the creative industries. Together, the three organisations combine project management, a strong network of VET schools and digital know-how.
A gap between talent and the market
Young people in vocational art programmes, such as fine arts, graphic design, illustration, photography and crafts, develop impressive artistic skills. Yet few are taught how to earn a living from them. Pricing, personal branding, online sales and the responsible use of AI are often missing from their training. This leaves many graduates unsure how to enter the labour market. ART2MARKET wants to close that gap.
A day of planning
During the kickoff meeting, partners went through the project plan step by step, divided the work and set the first internal deadlines. Much of the discussion focused on the four tools the project will create:
- a Creative Career Guide
- an interactive Monetisation Tool that suggests personalised career pathways
- an online ART2MARKET Platform
- a Teacher Toolkit for classroom use
- Quality management and dissemination
The partners also discussed how to make sure students with fewer opportunities, such as those from rural areas or low-income families, can take full part in the project.
The road ahead
The first months will be dedicated to writing the Creative Career Guide and designing the Monetisation Tool, while the online platform begins to take shape. In 2027, everything will be put to the test: 90 VET art students and their teachers in Italy, Spain and Bulgaria will try out the materials in practical workshops.
We look forward to sharing our progress. Stay tuned!