Acting together for Development – building capacity for creative industries

and development

Olaf Gerlach-Hansen

Managing Consultant, M.A. CuDIC – Culture, Development & International Cooperation

ASEM Seminar: Preserving and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions - Sharing Asian and European Experiences, Hanoi, Vietnam, 15-16 December 2008

Content

1. General experiences

2. Example of ethnic minorities

3. Case of inuits in Greenland

4. Concluding ideas

1. General experiences• My background in Culture and Development• Difference between cultural and economic development

– Discourse:and realities• On culture: artists, in cultural institutions etc• On development: NGOs, in business etc

• Interdependence of cultural and economic development– Financial realities: cultural industries are worlds fastest growing economic sector –

but difficult to attract appropriate investments sensitive to local culture– Societal impact: culture is the root of development – but often not appreciated in

practise (ex: ”the other” is more often treated as the problem than the solution – activities to appreciate other cultures are made difficult)

– To bring together different agendas, stakeholders and sectors are therefore crucial to enable sustainable creative industries and markets

2. Example of ethnic minorities• Why: Particularly relevant when talking about

development– Anticipated loss of culture and languages is

overwhelming (5000 languages)– The poorest of the poor– Related to issues of poverty, education, health etc

• Potential if working through– Economically: tourism, experience economy,

handicraft/design, appropriate development of traditional livestocks, medicine, energy etc

– Politically: regional integration, social harmony etc– Ecology: harmony with environment and bio-diversity

3. Case of inuits in Greenland• There is a strong potential for cultural industries even

among small ethnic minorities• Who are the inuits ?

– Greenland 50.000 + ICC area.

• Example of transforming disaster to success– Status of ”colony” until 1954, attempt of ”modernisation” in 50ties, 60ties– Social reaction in 70ties: birth of contemporary cultural movement and creative

industries in Greenland. Since then:• Socio-economic development (education, health, economically)• Contemporary music, film, media etc in local language only spoken by 50.000.

• Creative industries experience– Domestic market to be developed before export/tourist potential

• Music 100.000 cds sold now domestically – now go int’• Film, animation,handicraft,, design etc.• Local media with local content important for cultural development – funded locally

– Infrastructual development needed to enable developmentl• Appropriate tourism and business developmen. Transport, communication., edu …• Network and product development, branding etc• Ex: International school for music, film and media

4. Ideas• Ethnic Minorities

– Programs where cultural and socio-economic capacity development efforts are integrated

– EU - ASEM efforts in this area could spearhead international visibility for convention, with new types of stakeholder cooperation re. capacity building, new types of cultural exchanges etc.

• In general: Innovation– New institutions and working modalities

• More flexibility to bringing different stakeholders and agendas together

• Development of assesment and evaluation methods

– Financial instruments• Cultural industries can be developed as a target in itself, as well as

an instrument in other development efforts – the latter is particular relevant in most marginal and impoverished areas

• Diversification of financial instruments very important

5. Support to exchanges within developing countries and with

developed countries