The city of Genk is working to grow from an industrial manufacturing economy to an innovative and creative economy
Today a number of artistic partners share their story at C-mine, a vibrant hub of Genk’s creative economy built on the site of the old Winterslag colliery. C-mine is currently home to 42 companies and organizations which together account for over 330 jobs.
C-MINE
The C-mine site is a hub of ingenuity that revolves around education, the creative economy, creative recreation and artistic creation. Indeed, creativity and innovation are the driving forces behind every aspect of the C-mine site, whether the end product is a design object, a game, an app, a website, television set, drone, light show or stage production.
C-MINE CRIB
'The Crib' on the historical Winterslag colliery is an incubator for young creative entrepreneurs. Here start-ups and growth companies with a passion for new media, design, marketing and digital development are given guidance and the opportunity to brainstorm their ideas and generally use ‘the crib’ as a sounding board.
THE PIETER STOCKMANS STUDIO
The Pieter Stockmans Studio on C-mine houses the workshop and works of the famous porcelain artist Piet Stockmans. Since establishing his first studio in 1987, Stockmans has concentrated on producing small, one-off collections. These include pieces like the Memorial Vandamme trophy and a service for the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco. The studio is highly regarded by leading international chefs like French-born Alain Ducasse.
LUCA SCHOOL OF ARTS
Specialist subjects offered at the LUCA School of Arts campus in Genk include Product Design, Photography, Animation Film, Communication & Media Design and Film for Television. The school works with C-mine Crib and other creative organizations and companies to stimulate an interesting cross-fertilization of ideas between the worlds of education and work. Other LUCA campuses are located in Brussels, Ghent and Leuven.
PAINTING WITH LIGHT
Painting with Light is a team of light technology, video and multimedia specialists based on the C-mine site. The founder has put together a multi-disciplinary team that combines technology and creativity to make it the ‘imagineering’ powerhouse it is today. Painting with Light has designed a number of attractions for Belgium’s Plopsa theme parks and recently won the prestigious THEA Award for an innovative lighting design in Poland.
