CREATIVE INDUSTRY

THE CONCEPT OF CREATIVE INDUSTRY

BY SHILLA FLORA BAPRM 42669 (17^th June 2016)

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 priorities 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 refer 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, 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

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, globalization has had a profound impact on the creative industries.