A new meeting concept has been born in Turnhout. ‘POWOW, the art of meeting’ offers companies the opportunity to hold meetings in the studios of artists and other creatives. The initiators are Julie Vandenbroucke and Koen Snoeckx, who already have extensive experience in bringing art and business together. They received support from the Kempen Strategic Projects Organization (SPK) and Warande cultural centre. “If successful, our ambitions are international”, say the two.
“There are now sufficient studies that scientifically substantiate the value of the connection between art and business. Yet for many companies, the world of art and creativity remains ‘unknown and unloved’, or the threshold to enter existing offerings is often too high,” Julie Vandenbroucke knows.
A Low Threshold
POWOW aims to provide the lowest possible entry point for companies wanting to experience what the world of art and top creatives can mean for their strategy and daily business operations. And what is more accessible for companies than meetings? POWOW takes on the challenge, together with companies and artists, to make these meetings more focused, creative, and thus more efficient.
About 10 creatives have already agreed to participate and welcome companies into their studio or another space to hold important meetings. The artist is present to give an inspiring presentation at the start and remains available for further engagement. In Turnhout and the surrounding area, theatre director Stefan Perceval (‘t Gevolg), architect Luc Vanhout (AIM, Jozef Schellekens House), theater maker Stijn Van de Wiel, and artObe (sculptures, Lille) are participating.
Koen Snoeckx, co-initiator: “We firmly believe in the economic and social value of POWOW for the companies involved and for the cultural and creative sector.”
Source: MADE IN KEMPEN