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  • 23.05.13 Join Culture Action Europe in the first European Citizens’ Summit ever Read more...
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Exploring the cultural and creative industries debate Print
Page 1 of 3

“The idea of ‘creativity’ that till recently artists had the principal claim on has been vastly expanded over the last decade. Today, it is applied to a very broad range of activities and professions, many of which are far removed from artistic creation. "But where do we locate ourselves in this ‘creative industries’ agenda?”


Read the view of our ex-president Raj Isar on “why it is important to understand the cultural economy and to reflect on the impacts it has on non-market forms of cultural activity”.

Lying at the crossroads between the arts, business and technology, the creative industries can be defined as “those industries that have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property” (UK Creative Industries Task Force, 1997). The sector comprises a large variety of creative fields, from those heavily industrialised such as advertising and marketing, broadcasting, film industries, Internet and mobile content industry, music industries, print and electronic publishing, video and computer games to those less industrialised like the traditional fields of visual arts (painting, sculpture), performing arts (theatre, opera, concerts, and dance), museums and library services. Other creative activities include the crafts, fashion, design industry and household objects. They might also include architecture, cultural tourism, and even sport. They are knowledge-based and labour-intensive, creating employment and wealth. By nurturing creativity and fostering innovation, societies hope both to maintain cultural diversity and to enhance economic performance.

For international organisations such as the UNESCO and GATT, cultural industries (sometimes also known as "creative industries") combine the creation, production, and distribution of goods and services that are cultural in nature and usually protected by intellectual property rights.

The creative industries represent already a leading sector of the economy in the OECD countries, with an annual growth rates between 5 and 20 percent. The sector is increasingly important for the knowledge-based economy as it is knowledge and labour intensive and fosters innovation; it has a huge potential for generation of employment and export expansion.

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