It is always good to talk about culture and creativity, particularly by looking at related industries. The debate, supposed to be part of our daily life, was sparked on Friday by the Morocco 21 forum, which chose to organize it at the Mohammed VI Museum in Rabat by inviting a distinguished speaker.
“Why should we care about this creativity? Can creativity unlock the future? Judicious questions are asked, Friday in Rabat, by Justine Simons Obe, deputy mayor of London, in charge of culture and creative industries, during the 4th conference of the Morocco 21 forum in partnership with Bank of Africa. She amply responds to this during this event entitled “Enhancing the cultural and creative industries, an economy of the future”. To this end, she conducts, in the presence of the British Ambassador to Morocco, Simon Martin, convincing figures by drawing inspiration from the experience of her city.
20% More Productive
According to the speaker, the creative economy is “20% more productive”. It makes it possible to create one job out of 6. Moreover, its growth is 4 times faster. As it generates 70 billion dollars a year. Even better, the creative industries in the UK are more profitable than the automotive industry and many other sectors. Among other things, identity, health, economy, education, even quality of life, are the equivalent of culture. “We need healthy economies, good jobs, well-being, quality of life and human connection. In this world, culture is not an option. It is essential. Especially since the imagination cannot be automated,” she says. Moreover, it takes imagination, innovation and ideas for a “fuel” of the creative economy. All while delivering a recipe for the development of these cultural and creative industries (CCI).
5 Ideas From London
The first is tactical or strategic. In this sense, it is, according to her, “to advance the creative economy”. The second idea concerns the connection of culture to programming systems. As for the third idea, it is emblematic through the creation of a cultural and educational zone. The fourth idea is more about human connection by making London a district of culture. The last idea being resilience by making culture a sector that restores tourism, especially after Covid. To illustrate these ideas, she cites the examples of London design festival, film London and games London among others. At the same time, she does not hesitate to recall a declaration by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who said: “Culture and the creative industries are one of my priorities”. “Culture is our superpower,” continues Ms. Obe, also president of the World Forum of Cities for Culture, who describes creativity as a major resource. Regarding tourism, she highlights “culture as a reason for arrivals in London and a means of attracting new visitors”.
For Cultural Consumption
As for the debate at the end of his conference, it relates in particular to “cultural consumption”. In this sense, the speaker evokes her experience in the forum she oversees. It is about “equitable” access to culture. “We do a lot of education in this direction. It’s a challenge,” she said. In the meantime, she continues to reveal the secrets of the London recipe. “When we design a policy for culture, we focus on needs,” she says, recalling trying to leave no category behind. The speaker, who also mentions the contribution of public investment for culture, even quotes organizations that are interested in writers. Interesting.
This article is originally published on aujourdhui.ma
