What do you mean by cultural
industry?
It
is generally agreed that this term applies to those industries that combine the
creation, production and commercialisation of contents which are intangible and
cultural in nature. These contents are typically protected by copyright and they
can take the form of goods or services.
Depending on the context, cultural industries may also be
referred to as "creative industries", sunrise or "future oriented industries" in
the economic jargon, or content industries in the technological jargon. The
notion of cultural industries generally includes printing, publishing and
multimedia, audio-visual, phonographic and cinematographic productions, as well
as crafts and design. For some countries, this concept also embraces
architecture, visual and performing arts, sports, manufacturing of musical
instruments, advertising and cultural tourism.
Cultural industries add value to contents and generate values
for individuals and societies. They are knowledge and labour-intensive, create
employment and wealth, nurture creativity - the "raw material" they are made
from -, and foster innovation in production and commercialisation processes. At
the same time, cultural industries are central in promoting and maintaining
cultural diversity and in ensuring democratic access to culture. This twofold
nature –both cultural and economic – builds up a distinctive profile for
cultural industries. During the 90s they grew exponentially, both in terms of
employment creation and contribution to GNP. Today, globalisation offers new
challenges and opportunities for their development.
For more information including the growth rates of the
industry, the concepts of cultural exception and cultural diversity, visit
http://www.unesco.org/culture/industries/trade/html_eng/question.shtml
