CREAPOLIS

Empowering Ukraine’s local leaders through immersive learning.

Connecting innovation, civic action, and cultural resilience.

Shaping sustainable futures through cross-border collaboration.

Launched in response to the war in Ukraine, widespread societal disruption, and the urgent need for sustainable recovery, Creapolis is a dynamic exchange programme that connects civil society leaders, creative professionals, and public administrators from Ukraine with experienced peers across Europe.

Through immersive, hands-on learning experiences in cities that exemplify creative resilience and community-driven innovation, participants explore how culture, creativity, and civic engagement can drive inclusive economic development and democratic renewal.

Creapolis strengthens local leadership by building capacities in cross-sector collaboration, policy innovation, and project design—while promoting European values such as human rights, solidarity, and freedom of expression. The programme supports Ukraine’s long-term recovery and EU integration by equipping local actors with the tools, strategies, and networks to lead transformative change.

Each edition of Creapolis is hosted in a European city with a proven track record of leveraging creativity for social impact—from post-conflict Šibenik in Croatia to Matera in southern Italy, a hub of cultural regeneration. Initiated and supported by ERSTE Stiftung, the programme is managed by b.creative, a Brussels-based NGO specializing in creative entrepreneurship and social innovation, building on the legacy of the ERSTE Foundation’s Policy Labs.