About Creative Economy programme
British Council’s Creative and Cultural Economy programme
The creative industries have emerged as a strategic priority for reinvigorating economic growth, employment and social cohesion. The UK has a stated ambition to be (and remain) the ‘hub for the global creative economy’.
The global economy is rapidly changing, with new models of content production, distribution and consumption redefining the sphere for business and cultural exchange. The creative and cultural economy is increasingly international in the flow of talent, ideas and work, and becoming ever more important as a generator of jobs, wealth and cultural engagement, especially as a sector responding sustainably to global recession.
The programme recognises the centrality of creative entrepreneurs to the development of a sustainable and competitive creative economy. They provide the essential bridge between talent and consumers; they navigate the space between creative ideas and the market. This programme aims to identify them, support them, create opportunities for commercial and collaborative exchange and encourage ongoing networking.
Programme strengthens the UK’s position as the preeminent hub in the global creative economy, by connecting young creative entrepreneurs through links of cultural, economic and social importance to policy and infrastructure development.
In the nearest future the programme is expected to extend into Policy advocacy strand with an aim to build dialogue at local, regional and international levels about effective policy making for the creative economy. Another focus will be at the education for the creative economy – looking at how to build UK’s Education offer around the creative industries.
The main areas of the programme are:
- Young Creative Entrepreneurs awards competition – an annual awards programme identifies the most impressive young entrepreneurs across creative industries. It creates bi-lateral and multi-lateral opportunities for cultural and business exchange. Over 50 countries have taken part in the programme so far. The awards are run annually with the market focus for each award changing from year to year.
- Young Creative Entrepreneurs Club – an open platform which brings together young entrepreneurs from Latvia and other countries. It creates opportunities for commercial and collaborative exchange and encourages ongoing networking. This includes networking events, workshops, master classes, trainings and discussions.
We will also be focusing on business skills development by providing access to different online resources thus enabling young creative business owners, cultural leaders, as well as opinion formers and decision makers to develop their business and sector-specific skills.
Programme will be run all over the world for a period of three years through to 2013. Across Russia, Central and North Europe region specifically the programme will be tested, developed and implemented in Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and subsequently in Hungary and Lithuania.
