How to turn a creative idea into a working project, a service or even a business? This question is becoming more and more relevant for young creators, artists and representatives of the creative industries. There is no shortage of ideas, but there is often a lack of knowledge on how to test them, develop them and grow them into a sustainable business model.
This need is answered by the hackathon “Hack the ARTS: Art Meets Business” organized by KSU International University, which invites students and young creators to combine creative thinking, technological solutions and business logic in one space.
The event will take place in Vilnius, at the Energy and Technology Museum, a space that symbolically combines innovation, technological progress and creative thought.
“In the era of artificial intelligence, creativity is no longer just an individual expression or aesthetic practice. As technology rapidly changes creative industries, one of the most important strengths of a person is the ability to think unexpectedly, connect different areas, raise meaningful questions and create new contexts. Therefore, at the heart of this hackathon is not only the idea, but also its path to a real solution: how to turn a creative impulse into a value that works and can be monetized?” – says KSU hackathon curator Dr. Monika Palšauskaitė.
According to her, the aim of such a hackathon is to show creativity as a strategic ability: the ability to recognize problems, imagine alternatives, create new experiences and connect art with technology, science, business and the needs of society. That is why, according to Dr. M. Palšauskaitė, interdisciplinarity is becoming one of the most important creative forces today.
The hackathon reflects the direction of the renewed university
The idea of the hackathon is also closely related to the changes in KSU International University. 2026 is a year of renewal for the university: its brand is changing, its international identity, openness to global changes and global thinking are strengthening.
In the hackathon “Hack the ARTS: Art Meets Business”, we consciously combine two areas – art and business, which have been perceived separately for a long time. However, today we see that it is in their interaction that new forms of creative, cultural and economic value are born – from new services and experiences to more sustainable cooperation models that create benefits for creators, business and society,” says Dr. M. Palšauskaitė.
According to her, it is important for the university to bring together a community where different experiences, disciplines and points of view meet. Therefore, collaboration is one of the most important elements of this hackathon.
Creativity is not a luxury, but a skill of the future
The theme of the hackathon is especially relevant when it comes to the economic situation of the creators. According to a 2024 study on the assessment of the creative and economic environment of artists, artists’ income in Lithuania amounts to about 80 percent of the country’s average salary. Only about 12 percent of artists can make a living from creativity alone, and about 70 percent of those surveyed say that the income from creative activity is not enough for them to make a living.
“Statistics show that creative potential and economic sustainability are still too often disconnected. Artists create ideas, experiences and content that are significant to society, but they do not always have enough tools, knowledge or partnership opportunities for creativity to become a sustainable business model,” says Dr. M. Palšauskaitė.
At the same time, international forecasts identify creativity as one of the most important skills of the future. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report lists creativity as one of the top five skills needed in the coming years.
“This reveals a clear discrepancy: creativity is identified globally as one of the most important skills of the future, but creators themselves often still face economic insecurity. As a university that educates the specialists of the future, we want to contribute to this change – to create a space where creative ideas are transformed into sustainable solutions,” says the curator of the KSU hackathon.
Students will work with mentors and real-world challenges
Hack the ARTS: Art Meets Business is primarily aimed at students, both those who already have a creative idea but don’t know what to do with it next, and those who want to learn from professionals in the fields of art, business, and innovation.
Participants will be able to register by forming a team or individually – in this case, the organizers will help to form the team. During the hackathon, students will solve real challenges presented by the companies participating in the event and the university.
The challenges will be announced on May 4, but participants will also be able to bring their own idea. The most important thing is that it is new and can be developed during the hackathon.
Participants will be assisted by mentors from different fields – innovation, art management, social leadership, creative agencies, business, cultural organizations and art incubators. The organizers emphasize that not only competition but also experience is important in the hackathon: each team will be evaluated at the end of the day, and the winners will be given the opportunity to further develop the idea together with the university.
“The team that submitted the most valuable idea will be offered the opportunity to further grow their project in cooperation with the university and look for ways to turn it into reality,” says Dr. dM. Palšauskaitė.
Two days of art, business and idea generation
The Hack the ARTS: Art Meets Business event will take place over two days. May 7 The Museum of Energy and Technology is hosting an international art and business conference, where representatives of the arts, business and academic community will give presentations.
On May 8, from 10 a.m., the hackathon will begin: teams will work with mentors, develop ideas, and present them to the commission at 5 p.m. In the evening, the winners will be announced.
The event will be held in English.
The program of the event will be held in English.
We invite you to register for the hackathon: https://forms.office.com/e/MVrTDXYmYS
All information about the event can be found at: https://ksu.lt/hakatonas/
