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The UNCTAD Creative Economy Report of 2010 is instructive as it shows that in 2008, the art crafts and visual arts sub-sectors accounted for 7.9% and 7.3% of world exports of creative goods respectively (UNCTAD 2010). Unfortunately, similar trade data is not widely available on the visual arts and crafts sub-sectors for CARIFORUM countries. What is known is that most CARIFORUM craft and visual artists do not earn enough income from their work to allow for full-time employment in these sub-sectors. Their sales are often not of?cially recorded in national databases and there is limited regulation of these subsectors. Further, the lack of economies of scale means it is improbable that CARIFORUM countries would be competitive in the mass market for these products. To this end, the project’s focus on high-end niche markets is a more realistic approach. Further, while creative talent abounds, many regional artists lack the business knowledge to be able to export successfully. In many cases the business support structures which are supposed to address this de?cit are weak. A Rapid Needs Assessment undertaken under component one of the project found that while business support organizations (BSOs) offered support in management, there was a low level of support in the critical areas of design and production. Nonetheless, while the current contribution of these sub-sectors in CARIFORUM countries is not documented, investment in these two sub-sectors can potentially reduce poverty while promoting the economic empowerment of rural dwellers and women, the two demographics which are most likely to depend on these sub-sectors for income. However, without adequate data on the level of employment in these sub-sectors, it is dif?cult to accurately gauge how much of a developmental impact such an investment can have. Critically, the ITC-CEDA project recognizes that the bar needs to be raised in terms of product design, quality, branding and marketing if CARIFORUM craft products are to be competitive in a high end niche market. To this effect, craft producers and entrepreneurs from the ?ve CARIFORUM countries were selected to take part in workshops centered on product design and export marketing. The best of these producers were among the exhibitors at the Design Caribbean Trade Fair which took place from September 1st-4th in the Dominican Republic. The project also seeks to leverage the power of the internet for creating greater exposure for CARIFORUM craft entrepreneurs. CEDA will be responsible for transforming the of?cial website of the Design Caribbean trade fair (http://www.designcaribbean.com) into an e-marketing platform for products from the region throughout the year with funds provided by th e project. The project also sought to share international best practices and foster South-South cooperation through its study tour to Colombia, a country which has developed a successful high-end creative export sector. Participants in this tour, which included representatives from government, development agencies and ministries, universities, trade support institutions and industry associations, were able to share best practices in product development and branding targeted at high end and niche markets. Component three, which focuses on strengthening data collection, management and dissemination in CARIFORUM countries, is the most important aspect of the project. This component focuses on data collection not just in the two sub-sectors identi?ed but in the creative industries sector as a whole. Data collection on the region’s creative industries sector is poor because of the lack of adequate de?nitions and measurement by CSOs. The ITC can play a role in this regard as this agency has considerable experience in data analysis. The project also leverages the expertise of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which has already developed a methodology for capturing data on the contribution of the copyright industries for three indicators: GDP, trade and employment. Coming out of this component will be a database of existing data which builds on WIPO country studies on the copyright industries in Jamaica and the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), as well as a study on Trinidad and Tobago which will be supported by this current project. Completion of these studies is only part of the work as these will have to be updated on a regular basis if they are to continue to be useful. This was one of the objectives of the training seminar that took place in St. Lucia in March. The data generated from the database will be an important step in helping to map the contribution of the sector to the region, which should hopefully lead to increased policy awareness of the sector’s contributions and allow for more targeted policy interventions for the development of the sector as a whole and its constituent sub-sectors. From Market Access to Market Penetration The ITC–CEDA project con?rms and reinforces what several existing studies have already revealed: the creative industries sector has the potential to contribute to the region’s export diversi?cation efforts and development but there are many challenges to be addressed. Though the project is nearing completion, it will be a precursor to a larger initiative on the sector to be supported by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).
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www.creativeindustriesexchange.com
Volume 3 JJuly - September 2011