<< Background >>HDLU ss the largest professional association has an overview of the labor market needs and the needs of artists. We are aware of the fact that artists do not have a number of concrete skills and knowledge to cope better in the world of work. However, the vocational artistic high school curriculum does not provide any content that would enable students to acquire skills for a quality understanding of opportunities and relations in the labor market immediately after graduating from high school. We're talking about knowledge and skills from entrepreneurship, law, and economics, financial management, digital skills and marketing, communication, social network content management, etc. One of the weaknesses of the creative and cultural industry is the mismatch of the market labor and the needs of the sector for an adequate and educated workforce. The emphasis should be on developing new skills through the education system. Artists who acquire these skills should have a higher probability of success in making a living practicing their art form. For two years now, the HDLU has been periodically conducting a seminar for its artists on business skills. Through feedback questionnaires and daily inquiries by members who are addressing us for help, we are aware that both secondary and higher education do not prepare artists to run their own business or to do business with others. Artists can do business through several very different business models, but through education, they are not even familiar with how to legally sell their work or service. In the world, cultural and creative industries have shown great resilience to crises, so future artists should be well informed about the opportunities offered to them for various types of cooperation in the global marketplace. This makes it very difficult for artists to work because they spend too much time gathering information, and often because of ignorance, they work illegally, not pay taxes, avoid doing business internationally, work without contracts and so on. In the last 5 years, circumstances and market conditions have changed drastically for artists and they are, more the ever, unprepared to act professionally in this market. Artists need to acquire new set of skills (digital, entrepreneurial and communication) to be able to respond to these market changes: (1) decrease of direct sales and significant increase of online sales(2) outburst of art fairs in region which set new business, communication and presentation standards for artists(3) changes in consumer behavior - internet is the main source of information and comparison when making purchasing decisions(4) increasing interest of buyers to own artworks, especially affordable young art(5) stronger legal and fiscal regulation requirements by the authorities(6) expected registered minimum earnings for artists to be able to receive social and health welfare and other financial benefits(7) internationalization of market and need to work and sell globally to be able to survive(8) strong growth of creative industries which bring job opportunities for artists (gaming, advertising, tourism and interior design).This project addresses the need that has long been neglected, and the schools haven`t got the ability to solve the problem by themselves.<< Objectives >>The locomotive of the global economy is dynamic, competition is intense, and changes occur frequently. This is also visible in the art sector. As art institutions, we need to cooperate to improve our artists' sector influence, impact, and success on the labor market, which is a bit different from other professionals. We also need to share experiences, exchange good practices, and cooperate to transfer our work to higher-level expanding and internationalizing educational activities of institutions and participants. In cooperation with our partners we can produce an innovative vocational curriculum that covers basic knowledge and skills that young artists need for a quality start to work, either as entrepreneurs (freelancers, independent artists, self-employed) or company employees. Students will gain knowledge that would not be obtained without the project. Together we will develop an innovative curriculum that does not exist in any art secondary vocational school in the Republic of Croatia. This curriculum does not exist in the programs of similar high schools in the region (Slovenia, Austria). After its development, the curriculum will be able to be applied more widely than in the Republic of Croatia. It will also be applicable in both primary and upper vocational education and training.Project has the aim: - To educate students to be self-sufficient and self-reliable in running their business carriers- To educate teachers to implement the materials of the new curriculum to benefit of the students- To educate already finished artists in business/IT/digital skills they are currently lacking.<< Implementation >>During the project, the participating organizations will produce, pilot, evaluate and publish a new curriculum consisting of 3 modules covering the topics of entrepreneurial, IT, and communication skills for artists and designers. Partners will first analyse the available research, agree on a methodological framework of the curriculum, produce curriculum outcomes, produce learning and teaching materials and then pilot the course through LTTA. After the piloting the curriculum will be amended and improved according to evaluation results. The final curriculum document and all learning and teaching materials will be published online and presented in final conference in each partner country. Also, all materials will be available in all partner languages + ENG.<< Results >>The outcome of the project is a curriculum for the implementation of a new course. Through the project, experts will develop a curriculum and learning and teaching materials that will educate students in vocational schools for art and design professions. The curriculum will consist of 3 modules: • Entrepreneurial skills for artists in creative industries (1) legal and fiscal framework for artists (2) pricing strategy, sales, and negotiation skills • IT skills for artists in creative industries: (1) setting up a self-promotion website with appropriate content (2) web shop implementation• Communication skills for artists in creative industries: (1) writing an artist statement and creating a portfolio (2) relationship building with clients and institutions (3) social media presence.Modules will be methodically developed, and their content will be adapted to the specific needs of students and teachers who will implement the program.All of these topics are adjusted to the real needs of artists and designers after their graduation, in order to become a part of the labor market. All learning materials will be made based on examples and case studies from the art world. Piloting of the modules of the new curriculum would be organized in a form of a 5-day LTTA in Maribor with students and teachers from Maribor and Zagreb.The rest of project activities (transnational meeting and dissemination events) will lead to good practices exchange among partners. Teachers and schools will get new knowledge and experiences to improve teaching and learning methods, personal skills will be improved to ease communication across borders, such as intercultural and language skills, and learning of good practices from other European countries will be achieved. Students participating in the piloting of the project will have a chance to raise skills and competencies for future careers and by this will be at an advantage position over their peers.HDLU has the intention to use the curriculum and learning materials to produce a series of seminars for artists that will be publicly and permanently available on the HDLU website and Vimeo video platform.