Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

Debates further evolved, and in 2006, the Prime Ministerannounced that a new Cultural Industries Council wouldreplace the existing Entertainment Advisory Board, recognizingthat “cultural industries represent Jamaica’s natural competitiveadvantage”. 65 Today, creative industries accounts for 5.2 percent of Jamaica’s GDP, which is more than the country’straditional mining sector, and the film industry is alsocontributing to socio-economic development. According toJamaica’s Film Commission, Jamaica facilitates 150 film projectsannually, with associated foreign exchange inflows of$14 million and direct employment for over 2,000 creativeprofessionals. 66 This point is further elaborated in chapter 5.Trinidad and Tobago: According to a recent UNDPpublication, 67 the cultural products of Trinidad and Tobagohave been present in the global marketplace for almost a century,and there are clear indications that the cultural goodsand services have great economic potential. Earnings from thecarnival industry alone accounted for about 5 per cent ofGDP in 2007. 68 In December 2008, the ACP/EU financeda multiagency pilot project to strengthen the creative industriesthrough employment and trade. It was launched inTrinidad and Tobago by UNCTAD, ILO and UNESCOwith the aim of assisting the government in defining a strategyand implementing a plan of action for enhancing itscreative economy. In Trinidad and Tobago, as well as acrossthe Caribbean, the cultural sector has not lived up to itspotential due to the lack of an overarching policy framework.As a result, the cultural industry’s links with other developmentalareas such as education, trade, urban growth, mediaand community empowerment have not been fully exploited.The UNDP program for the local music industry is aimed atdeveloping projects that address six core goals: (i) developingbetter products, (ii) improving media reinforcement bothlocally and internationally, (iii) increasing the modes of musicdistribution, (iv) developing human capital, (v) promotingresearch as the basis for decision-making and (vi) buildingcritical mass regarding the industry’s potential for growth. Astakeholders meeting attended by over 40 participants includinghigh-level officials from relevant ministries, as well asbusiness and practitioners from the creative industries, initiatedthe process of consultations. Subsequently in April 2009,a plan of action was submitted for official validation proposingthe establishment of a Creative Economy NationalCommittee, a process that is under consideration.For the Caribbean region, music remains the focus ofcreative-industry efforts, even if more recently, someCaribbean States became attractive locations for film production.Therefore, it is important to improve skills to providefilm support services and to establish film commissions topromote the interest of nationals involved in the film industry.In this regard, the Caribbean Travelling Film School waslaunched with the financial support from the European Union(European Development Fund) and the assistance of the ACPGroup of States, for a two-year comprehensive filmmakingtraining program in two territories of the Caribbean. About40 participants in each of the two territories will undergo a10-month series of intensive workshops in all aspects of filmmaking.The workshops comprise over 400 hours of trainingboth in classroom and on set, taught by eminent visiting lecturersand the founding partners of the school. This project isnot-for-profit venture, and was founded through a partnershipbetween companies from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.Participation in the course is free for attendees, and theprogram began in Barbados in August 2009. 692.4.6 Eastern European economiesin transitionIt is difficult to generalize about the state of the creativeeconomy in economies in transition because each countryhas its own particular economic and cultural circumstances.Moreover, some of those countries are now membersof the European Union and are implementing new policydirectives. Nevertheless, these countries do share the commonproblem of how to deal with cultural assets that were formerlystate-owned and that are now in the domain of the privatesector. This applies to tangible as well as intangible culturalheritage. Many historic buildings ranging from manor housesto urban apartments have been handed back to private ownerswho often have neither the resources nor the will to maintainthem, let alone to renovate or restore them. Similarly,many cultural organizations — theatres, galleries, literary2The development dimension65 UNCTAD Creative Economy E-news, No. 2, March 2006.66 Price and Martin (2009).67 UNDP (2010).68 Jagroopsingh (2007) asserts that the Trinidad carnival complex generates approximately TT$1 billion, of which the music sector plays a significant part. The government estimatesthat it spent TT$120 million to stage the festival.69 See http://caribbeantravellingfilmschool.com/?page_id=2.CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 201061