Special unit to lift Caribbean creative industries
TRINIDAD: THE Caribbean is taking bold steps to bolster its cultural and creative economy by launching a plan to establish the Caribbean Creative Industries Management Unit (CCIMU). The new Unit will be tasked with fostering creativity, supporting development of businesses, creating opportunities and improving trade. The main partners driving the formation of the CCIMU are the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Read more
Brexit threatens UK creative industries
UNITED KINGDOM: WHILE the United Kingdom (UK) and the rest of the world come to terms with the outcome of the Brexit referendum, the UK creative industries have come out in protest, saying the exit will hurt the many projects funded by the European Union (EU). For example, Game of Thrones receives subsidies from the EU when filming in Northern Ireland. Creatives have said the impact is “devastating to our TV and film industry”. The UK’s Creative Industries generate £84bn and employ 1.7m people and the film industry stands in line to loose the €1.46 billion Creative Europe funding programme which has supported the distribution of 84 UK films. The share prices of Sky and ITV also plunged after the Brexit announcement. Read more
Chinese Eco-City a hub for creatives
CHINA: TIANJIN ECO-CITY, a joint development project between the Chinese and Singaporean governments, is now a major destination for the creative industries in Tianjin. Mainly focused on movie production, advertising, internet, and publishing, they in 2015 collectively generated 1.25 billion yuan ($190 million) in ta. This accounted for 56% of the eco-city's total tax revenues, according to the administrative committee of Tianjin Eco-City. By the end of 2015, there were 1,002 creative enterprises registered in the eco-city. The National Animation Industry Park in Tianjin Eco-city is the main destination for creative companies from Beijing and Hebei province. Read more
Cultural booty and the (mis)appropriation of culture
UNITED STATES: LAW Professor at the University of California, Olufunmilayo Arewa, discusses how centuries of cultural appropriation manifest today, particularly when applied to African cultures, which have been the subject of cultural looting. She looks at the modern debate on how African cultural creations are used, borrowed and imitated by others, with some arguing that certain African cultural symbols and products are off-limits to non-Africans. She cites the interesting example of the appropriation of Solomon Linda’s The Lion Sleeps Tonight song, to the benefit of many other artists, but not Linda himself. Read more
2016 National Arts Festival: Let the festivities begin
GRAHAMSTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA: THE 2016 National Arts Festival will commence on June 30 and run through to the July 10, 2016, featuring the very best of South Africa’s creative talent and a variety of internationally acclaimed performances, art and other forms of expression. Annually, for 11 days Grahamstown's population doubles, as people flock to the city for a feast of arts, crafts and sheer entertainment. The National Arts Festival brings an economic boost of about R350-million to the Eastern Cape Province. According to organisers, this years’ edition of the National Arts Festival will highlight the strong bonds of collaboration, dialogue and mutual understanding between the French Institute of South Africa and the National Arts Festival and also between the artists of our two countries, as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the two organisations’ partnership. Read more