CIBA 2025: Anniversary Conference about Art and Business
On March 16, the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre will hold the fifth CIBA—an annual educational conference devoted to creative industries. The event is organised by curators and students of HSE University-St Petersburg together with representatives of the New Stage. This year's topic is trend watching, as symbolised by Tetris—reflecting the need to adapt quickly and think ahead in the industry. Entry to the event is free, but advance registration is required.
CIBA: Creative Industries. Business. Art is a series of educational events devoted to the creative industries, business, and art. Every year, the conference welcomes entrepreneurs, students, and cultural figures.
The central topic of this year is trend watching. In dynamic creative industries, the ability to predict and create trends is a competitive advantage for companies and employees alike, whether they are established in their field or just starting out on their path. In business, it is vital to master the art of combining elements (trends, resources, teams) to achieve the perfect result. Reflecting a world in which new trends appear at breakneck speed, the symbol of CIBA 2025 is Tetris, a game that requires attention, reaction speed, and strategic thinking.
CIBA 2025 consists of four elements—just like a block in Tetris—that complement each other and form a single entity. The first is a lecture by Varvara Titova, lecturer at the British Higher School of Art and Design and HSE University, on methods of developing creative thinking and efficient trend analysis.
The next part of the programme is a series of interactive workshops, among which is 'Cultural Code of Creative Industries' by Anton Dontsov, founder of the marketing agency 'park.ideas'. Using the example of the CODE educational performance, Anton will talk about relations between art and business, and the methodology of foresight and the creative process.
During his workshop, Valentin Zakharov, leading actor in the Alexandrinsky Theatre, will share methods for transforming ideas into reality through acting skills, physicality, and movement.
Daria Karakulova, modern artist and curator of the SETKA art store and the PUBLICART creative agency, will hold a workshop on creating authentic key chains from unconventional materials—serving as a reminder of the creative opportunities people face in their daily lives.
Creating content, promoting it, and developing a personal brand are vital parts of the creative process. At the workshop 'VK as a Platform for Young Creators', representatives of the company will talk about the opportunities for self-expression and professional growth provided by the platform.
The third block of the conference is a live podcast with guests from the game industry. The guest speakers will discuss whether the transition to digitalisation or real immersion will be the trend of the future. Participants of the discussion will include:
Aleksandr Breganov—curator of the Game Design track, professor of Creative Design at the HSE Art and Design School, game designer at KamaGames, host of the YouTube show Dungeons of Chicken Curry (Подземелья чикен карри).
Aleksandr Haritonov—community team lead of the gaming group at Lesta Games, online streamer, and gamer.
The podcast will be hosted by Alexey Melnikov, creator of CGSpeak—the largest channel about digital graphics in the CIS.
The final element of the event is a panel discussion about nostalgia as a marketing trend in 2024. Experts from creative industries will share their own cases and try to predict what will replace this trend in 2025. The speakers will be:
Natalia Belyakova—head of the Laboratory for Communications in Creative Industries at HSE University, director of the Department of Expedition Activities and Tourism Development of the Russian Geographical Society.
Daria Bogdashova—art director and head of the Department of Creative Innovations at BUSHE.
Ivan Kirillov (Kai Kirillov)—creative producer, former art director at Okko.
Tatiana Maksiutenko—marketing director of the Brusnitsyn cultural quarter.
Vitaly Polonsky—chief choirmaster of the musicAeterna Choir and Utopia Choir.
The moderator of the discussion will be Yakov Trakhman—event director of the company Afisha.
CIBA is a study project of the Master's programme 'Arts and Culture Management'. Under the supervision of curators from the programme and the Alexandrinsky Theatre, students gain practical skills in event management by working on the event concept, interacting with participating guests, and promoting the event.
Annually, CIBA attracts more than 200 participants, and broadcasts from previous years have garnered over 300,000 views. The event covers the hottest topics in the industry, including the psychology of creativity and the integration of art into business. Over the years, the conference has hosted talks from representatives of leading creative organisations, including SETTERS, the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, Vokzal 1853, Marina Gisich Gallery, Planetarium 1, the Kuryokhin Centre, the Anton is Right Here charitable foundation, Sevkabel Port, and many others.
Register to participate in CIBA 2025.