Art of the Creative Economy

1. Art of the Creative Economy Conference Overview

2. New Thinking • The Creative Economy • A more inclusive approach to thinking about the sectors • An approach to development focused on innovation and creativity • Centrality of skills development and education as drivers of innovation and creativity • Importance of collaboration, effective corporate governance and long range planning

3. Current Issues • Lack of integration between and within sectors and competition for space and attention • Challenges with regard to funding – both the level and the nature of funding instruments • Sluggish and inaccessible administration and policy environment • Lack of inclusiveness in policy, planning and process • Inequality and contestations of place, space and discipline • Growth in infrastructure, but declining audiences • Concerns regarding the quality of the aesthetic and the “dumbing” down of products and artists

4. Success Factors • “Friend-raising” and not fundraising • Managing expectations, rights and creating lasting relations based on mutually beneficial relations that support both parties • The importance of education, both formal and informal, and an openness to teaching and learning yourself by experiencing it • Importance of ambition, the ability to be flexible, identify and take opportunities, accept constructive feedback and on the job training • Understanding the principles of business that you are in, standard business tools and your market through trends and research if that is what you are wanting to do • Understand new marketing techniques e.g. database management and social media • Be a decision-maker • Long term investment and be a visionary • Importance of multiple income streams

5. Working for the Future • City Regions as a new way of thinking of the world • Drivers of innovation and creativity • Creators of a sense of space and place • Linking urban and rural • Digital innovation as a new way of reaching audiences and driving creativity and innovation

6. New Questions • Doing things better • How can we better utilise our resource base? • How can we improve arts education? • How can we occupy “soulless spaces”? • Involve and develop young people?

7. New Questions • Doing this differently • How can we build resilience in the arts sector? • How can we retain our audiences and create new audiences? • Building on African heritage and linkages with the continent, and with new trading partners such as India, China, Brazil and Russia? • How can we promote equality in the sector and in the country?

8. New Questions • Doing different things • How to support innovation and experimentation? • How to build and protect content and repertoire? • Creating spaces for artists to intervene in urban planning frameworks? • How can artists lead the vision of the country? • How do we find new markets in the African middle class over the next 10 years? • How to effectively use new platforms for arts support and development e.g. crowd funding? • How can we continue the conversation

9. Going Forward • Visioning and scenario planning exercises for disciplines and the sector • Platforms for further discussion e.g. NAC and KKN, DfL • Engagement with all stakeholders, including government on creative economy matters at every level • Annual conference continue the conversation on a larger scale • Individual commitments remain important