ABOUT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Introduction

Creative industries are becoming increasingly important components of modern post-industrial knowledge-based economies. Not only are they thought to account for higher than average growth and job creation, they are also vehicles of cultural identity that play an important role in fostering cultural diversity.

During the last decade a number of governments around the world have recognized this fact and started to develop specific policies to promote them. This mainstreaming of what was once considered a sector of marginal interest, which received limited attention from researchers, has led to a growing body of analysis, statistics and mapping exercises on the relationship between culture, creative industries and economic development to give officials in these countries the raw data they need to make policy. However, the sector is still poorly understood and many governments remain to be convinced of its potential, while trying to accurately measure economic activity in the sector poses considerable obstacles.

As momentum builds to prioritize this field of activity within economic development policies, the demand for more precise and sophisticated cultural statistics at international, regional and national level is set to grow and governments should support and encourage initiatives in this field. The Global Alliance, dedicated to promoting the cultural industries , such as cinema, music, publishing and crafts, fully supports the progress of recent years to map and study this sector more closely and actively works to advocate further research, disseminate best practices and collect published studies in this field on its website.

Cultural Industries and Creative Industries

The term cultural industries refers to industries which combine the creation, production and commercialization of creative contents which are intangible and cultural in nature. The contents are typically protected by copyright and they can take the form of a good or a service. Cultural industries generally include printing, publishing and multimedia, audiovisual, phonographic and cinematographic productions as well as crafts and design.

The term creative industries encompasses a broader range of activities which include the cultural industries plus all cultural or artistic production, whether live or produced as an individual unit. The creative industries are those in which the product or service contains a substantial element of artistic or creative endeavor and include activities such as architecture and advertising. In this article, these terms are used precisely and are not synonymous nor interchangeable.

International studies and UNESCO’s mandate

With its cultural mandate and a dedicated statistical unit, the Institute for Statistics (UIS), UNESCO is uniquely placed to take the lead in developing effective statistical methodologies at an international level to provide national governments with the tools necessary to study the creative industries sector and to encourage countries to prioritize this field of research.

However UNESCO can and should be an active advocate of studying this growing field of research within the cultural domain and could contribute significantly to seeking out and disseminating best practice in the collection of data and development of indicators as well as supporting countries in their efforts to work in this area.

With the speed of technological change and the emergence of the creative industries as a distinct area of specialisation since the first FCS was developed, this framework needs updating to capture the new and varied ways that culture, and particularly cultural goods and services such as music, film and books, are now produced, distributed and used. The dramatic development of the internet, e-commerce and digital file formats in particular has profoundly changed the way people create, work in and ‘consume’ culture over the last 20 years and any new methodologies must take this into account.

Naturally, WIPO adopts a more restrictive view than UNESCO of what constitute cultural industries, focussing solely on those economic activities which give rise to intellectual property rights. WIPO has recently launched a Creative Industries Division within its Small and Medium Enterprise sector. It has also developed a Guide on Surveying the Economic Contribution of Copyright Based Industries and is launching a series of 5 further studies in early 2006.

Conclusion

The recent emergence of the creative industries as a distinct area of interest for economists, statisticians, cultural specialists and public-policy makers reflects a growing awareness of their economic potential and their role in fostering cultural diversity through the market. The concept of creative industries for the purpose of public policy making remains very young and not all governments are convinced of the need to address this sector with targeted initiatives. With the advent of new technologies in the last 20 years such as the internet, e-commerce and electronic files that make sharing, trading and consuming cultural goods and services easier than ever before, globalisation has had a profound impact on the creative industries.

Statistical methodologies, which are so important to provide officials with the information they need to develop suitable policy to support the creative industries, have yet to catch up with this reality. In order to harness the opportunities offered by the creative industries, governments first need to undertake thorough mapping and statistical research to better understand them. UNESCO, as the world’s only inter-governmental body dedicated to culture, with a its own specialised Institute for Statistics, has a vital role to play to furnish guidance, best practice and support to countries that will encourage them to undertake such work.

BY MWINYIJUMA REHEMA

BAPRM III - 42686