27/10/2014 - The grant from Creative Europe to EDN is connected to making Docs in Thessaloniki and Lisbon Docs happen in 2015 and 2016

EDN has been granted at 2-year partnership agreement with EU's Creative Europe program for the further development of the two Southern European pitching forums, Docs in Thessaloniki and Lisbon Docs. In connection with the two forums, EDN is launching a new outreach initiative. These initiatives are already two of the organisation's longest running and most successful pitching forums.

In connection with the newly approved funding from Creative Europe, EDN is launching a new outreach component tied to the two forums. The new format will create a synergy between the two events, by selecting the top projects from each forum and bring them together in this post-event session taking place as an online workshop.

Focus for the session will be how the selected project teams can handle the increased need to combine new financing methods and alternative distribution methods with more traditional public funding sources. EDN's intention is to strengthen the understanding of audience building and outreach for the top-level projects coming from Docs in Thessaloniki and Lisbon Docs. Through the online workshop the selected participants will:

· Learn about tools for audience engagement
· Sharpen their distribution strategy
· Get individual feedback from outreach experts
· Enhanced promotion and distribution possibilities.

The participants will benefit from these added values without adding extra travel costs and expenses for the production teams, as the seminar will take place online. The new outreach initiative will be based on the experience EDN already has with conducting online market oriented activities.

With this Creative Europe grant EDN has been successfully involved in three applications to the EU program this year. This fall EDN has also been involved as an application partner in the European-Asian development programme Crossing Borders together with Documentary Campus. And this summer EDN received funding for the documentary distribution initiative Moving Docs.

Further details about the new EDN outreach initiative are available at the EDN web site in connection with Docs in Thessaloniki 2015.