Imagine a world without entertainment; no music, theatre, comedy, film, dance, literature nor art. To us, the beneficiaries, entertainment is about the fun and thrill we derive from it. But to the custodians of this massive wealth of talent, their creativity is a source of income, a business which ought to be acknowledged as such and taken as seriously as any other industry contributing to economic growth.
One will enjoy a fruitful experience in learning about this sector described as ‘invisible’ in “The Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity” produced by Felipe Buitrago Restrepo and Iván Duque Márquez of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The Entrepreneur Weekly has been reading the book. Here is a list of 13 things we discovered:
▪ Frank Sinatra once said “Orange is the happiest colour.”
▪ The colour orange has often been associated with culture, creativity and identity.
▪ The cultural and creative economy lacked a brand identity, so the IADB decided to label it the Orange Economy.
▪ The Orange Economy is also called the Creative Economy.
▪ According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Orange Economy is defined as “the group of linked activities through which ideas are transformed into cultural goods and services whose value is determined by intellectual property. The orange universe includes: i) The Cultural Economy and the Creative Industries which share the Conventional Cultural Industries; and ii) creativity supporting activities.”
▪ The Cultural Economy is composed of all traditional artistic activities, all activities related to the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage, and the Conventional Cultural Industries.
▪ The Creative Industries combine the Conventional Cultural Industries and Functional Creations, New Media and Software.
▪ Arts and Heritage include: Visual Arts, Performing arts and public shows, Tourism and material and immaterial cultural heritage, Cultural and Artistic Education.
- Conventional Cultural Industries includes: Publishing, Audiovisual and Phonographic (radio, recorded music).
- Functional Creations, New Media and Software include: Design, Content Software, Advertising, Fashion as well as, News Agencies and other information agencies.
- The Orange Economy was estimated to represent 6.1% of the world economy in 2005.
- If the Orange Economy were a country in the world, it would be the: a. fourth largest economy ($70.4 trillion); b. ninth largest exporter of goods and services ($22.2 trillion); c. fourth largest labour force (3.266 billion workers). Culture IS NOT free!
That part! Arguably one of the most recognisable ‘country brands’ in the world, and a culture that many seek to replicate, Jamaica is represented by a little dot in the Western Hemisphere on the world map. The name made big through prowess in performing arts and sports, there is so much more to the rock, such as food, storytelling, fashion, visual arts and heritage. Much of these elements of Jamaica are interpreted in various creations that are to be found in homes and offices globally.
Validating Jamaica’s Cultural & Creative Industry
With an array of natural creatives operating in Jamaica’s Orange Economy, it is vast, the value of which is not entirely known. This is the aim of the “Validating Jamaica’s Cultural & Creative Industry through Economic Impact Assessments and National Statistical System (JAM NSS-CCI)” project which is funded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD).
The project will be implemented by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). The objectives of the project are:
- To develop a comprehensive profile of the Jamaican Cultural and Creative industries (CCIs) to guide cultural policy making.
- Measure the economic contribution of the CCIs.
- Identify recommendations and strategies for the development of key sectors.
Creative Voices Survey
The Creative Voices Survey was recently launched. UNESCO and JBDC are aiming to get at least 500 Jamaican creatives to participate. Imagine the Orange Economy for a minute as a real orange; shouldn’t we ‘squeeze all juice’ from it?
If you work in Jamaica’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs), we want to hear from you!
To complete the survey click here.
