On 21 – 23 March 2011 in HCMC, British Council Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City Investment & Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) is co-organising and holding mapping training for creative industries in order to identify creative industries in existence in Ho Chi Minh City and their contribution to GDP. This training is funded by the British Embassy in Vietnam. The training will involve participants from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry and Department of Science and Technologies, the Institute of Culture and Arts, the Statistics Bureau and representatives from the Vietnam Creative Entrepreneur Network (VCEN). The two key speakers, who both come from the UK, include Mr. Richard Naylor, Head of Research of  BOP consultant Co. and Ms Vannessa Swan, CEO, Cockpits Arts London.

This training is a part of MOU which was signed between British Council Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City ITPC to co-operate in the development of creative industries in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City – the leading economy of Vietnam. After the training, Ho Chi Minh City will start the mapping exercise with the hope that it will be done national wise in the near future.

The creative economy is becoming ever more important as a generator of jobs, wealth and cultural engagement, and especially as a sector which is withstanding the global recession. The UN estimates cultural and creative trade to represent 3.4% of total world trade and is growing at a rate of 8.7%.

Today, the global creative industry’s export turnover is approximately 600 billion USD per year. According to the statistics in the period of 2007 – 2008, the creative industries contributed 12% to GDP in Thailand, 6.3% to GDP in Indonesia, 5.8% in Korea, 5.6% in Singapore, 5% in The Philippines, 4% in Hong Kong.  In the United Kingdom, the most creative country in Europe, creative industries have contributed 7.5% to GDP and created job opportunities for just over one million people.

“Our initial study shows that HCMC has the full potential to develop creative industries. We hope that after the training, we will be able to do many more activities to develop the industries. We are very happy to have the cooperation of the British Council in organising several seminars, as well as to get their support in developing this project“. Mr Tu Minh Thien, Director of HCMC ITPC said.   

As a part of activities to promote and develop creative industries in Vietnam, Vietnam Creative Entrepreneur Network (VCEN) is also holding a networking event on 24 March 2011 to discuss “The effectiveness of engaging creative industries”. This networking event is held once every two months in order to strengthen relationships within the creative entrepreneur community and the media in Ho Chi Minh City.

(*) The creative industries, according to the UK’s definition, include thirteen sectors: advertising, architecture, the arts, antiques, crafts, design, fashion, film, interactive leisure software, music, the performing arts, publishing, software and computer services, media, television and radio.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Le Anh Tho
Assistant Director
tho.le@britishcouncil.org.vn

or

Ms Bui My Trang
Programme Manager
trang.bui@britishcouncil.org.vn

at

British Council, 25 Le Duan, Dist 1, HCMC
T + 84(0) 8 3823 2862 ext 2601
F + 84(0) 8 3823 2861