Nowadays in many countries the creative industries are a strategic priority for reinvigorating economic growth, employment and social cohesion. The UK’s position as a leader in the development policies of economic, cultural and social impact is widely recognised among those countries.
Creative economy with its core in creative industries has got an economic agenda but it has a deep cultural and social purpose which accords with the British Council’s cultural relations agenda. British Council’s Cultural and Creative Economy programme aims at strengthening the creative and cultural economy in the UK and in other countries including Russia through:
- the exchange of knowledge and expertise in creative economy theory and practice between UK and Russian experts at the policy making level;
- the development of the business and entrepreneurial skills of creative individuals in each creative industry and building international networks of young creatives.
Policy for the creative economy strand is a range of various activities including policy seminars in order to provide institutional support to young creative entrepreneurs and create networking opportunities with local policy makers with an aim to enable policy change and boost the growth of the creative sector.
We are now developing the following activities under Policy for the creative economy strand such as:
- Local public creative economy seminars/mini-forums;
- Local economic forums and conferences with UK experts in creative economy field;
- Academic lectures in relevant universities and higher schools (economics, cultural management, public management education).
Creative entrepreneurship strand is a range of networking events, discussions, business and entrepreneurship skills training programmes to enable creative entrepreneurs and cultural leaders, as well as opinion formers and decision makers, to develop their skills, resources, networks and institutional links.
International Young Creative Entrepreneurs (IYCE) Awards Programme is an important part of this strand in identifying and celebrating achievements of young entrepreneurs successfully working across the creative sectors.
British Council’s Cultural and Creative Economy programme started in 2010 and will be tested, developed and implemented during next three years.
An increasingly influential group of policy makers, universities, media, NGOs, entrepreneurs and creative people are the audience for this programme.
If you would like to participate in this programme, please, contact Evgenia Gerasimova at evgenia.gerasimova@britishcouncil.ru.
| 
