Creative Denmark is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership that creates awareness about Danish creative strongholds internationally. The organisation is founded by a strong group of public and private partners that count the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the Ministry of Culture, the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Chamber of Commerce, and Realdania.
— Our purpose is to unlock the enormous potential of the Danish creative industries by creating an international branding platform that strengthens the visibility of Danish solutions and competencies internationally, Christian Kierkegaard Michelsen, project manager, explains. We cover, among others, the fashion, interior design, XR, and architecture industries, We assist and support international stakeholders and decision-makers in fact-finding and collecting inspiration from the best cases within and across the largest creative industries. With us, Danish innovators, designers, developers, pioneers, artisans, producers, creators, and disrupters are right at anyone’s fingertips.
The organisation recently opened House of Creative Denmark, aiming to function as a one point-entry into Danish creativity.
— It’s a compelling destination for international delegations and anyone else wishing to gain access to the uniquely Danish approach to creativity — products, processes, and experiences alike. The space serves as a collaborative showroom for Danish creative professionals and businesses. It can be used for launches, showcases, meetings, and much more. It’s a place where visitors from around the world can experience the creative industries up close, both physically and virtually.
How come you opened it?
— Following the pandemic, we’ve experienced great demand for a virtual space that allows creatives to meet international audiences regardless of travel restrictions and cancelled meetings. This sparked the idea of what is now an extension of the physical House of Creative Denmark; a captivating virtual visitor centre that allows interested viewers from the entire world to browse Danish solutions, participate in intriguing talks and workshops, and, not least, get insights into the wide scope of inventive Danish solutions. Both the physical and the virtual visitor centre have been designed and developed by Danish experience design studio YOKE, aiming to create engaging concepts in interaction design, exhibition design, and experience design, says Kierkegaard Michelsen. He continues:
— House of Creative Denmark came to be because there was a need for a common assembly point for Danish creative businesses and solutions. It’s a neutral ground where you can gather speakers, showcase products and solutions to international stakeholders, and much more. It will help facilitate the great potential for export that lies within the Danish creative industries.
What are your highlights for this year?
— We are excited about Copenhagen being the World Capital of Architecture and all the events surrounding that, as well as the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 in the city. We also have an array of exciting events we will participate in, along with the official Denmark and interesting visits to us, including our special tours, a free-of-charge service for international decision-makers and professionals to learn about Danish creative solutions.