The Platform for Social Change Took Part in the CREAPOLIS Matera 2025 Program
Our team participated in the international learning program CREAPOLIS Matera 2025, organized by Materahub — a leading European institution in the fields of creative entrepreneurship and social innovation.
The program was implemented with the support of Erste Foundation, a donor of the initiative and a key partner in advancing social entrepreneurship across Europe. A representative from the foundation also participated in the program, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and the exchange of experiences between countries.
Throughout the week, participants from Ukraine explored how creativity and cross-sector collaboration can become drivers of community recovery. We studied the experience of Matera — a city that transformed from a peripheral region into a European Capital of Culture and a model of sustainable development through creative approaches.
The program included:
- Immersion into Matera’s model of creative city development — from cultural heritage to innovation;
- Work with the Creative Project Canvas, a tool that helps teams stay focused on their values and mission throughout project implementation.
- Visits to social enterprises in the creative industries that demonstrate how collaboration can help rebuild communities and create sustainable opportunities for people.
The Matera program reaffirmed that creativity is a development strategy. Ukrainian cities can already begin building the economy of the future — one grounded in partnerships, culture, and shared values.
“Kamianets-Podilskyi is very similar to Matera. The city’s example of revival inspires us to develop our own city and country as a whole. We explored how social entrepreneurs in the creative industries differ from traditional businesses and how they can cooperate to rebuild Ukrainian communities.”
— says Solomiia Boianovych, Managing Director of the Platform for Social Change. “The Creative Project Canvas was especially valuable — it helps organizations stay true to their mission and make decisions based on their core values.”
We are sincerely grateful to the Materahub team for an inspiring program, practical tools, and true partnership in building an economy based on creativity and collective action.
