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The first UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries which was attended by representatives from 50 nations with a great success.  Officials of the Italian and regional government of Lombardy, where Monza is located, created a magnificent event.  Denise Bax of UNESCO played a key role in the success of the Forum.  The Forum was held in the Ville Real, a beautifully restored 18th century palace which was the perfect setting for a gathering around culture and creativity.

The UNESCO Director-General, Mr. Matsuura, opened the World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries with insightful comments on how globalization can also work in the favor of cultural enterprises.  The Italian Minister of Culture, Mr. Bondi, gave a stirring speech about the importance of culture in Italy.  He pointed out that Italy has over 80,000 cultural enterprises.  Clearly the Europeans understand that culture plays a huge role in economic development.  Most countries have a Minister of Culture, and important budgets to support their activities.  We do not have such a cabinet position for the USA except in New Mexico where we have a Cabinet Secretary for Cultural Affairs.

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There were many memorable moments at the UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries.  It is clear that cities and regions are focusing on cultural clusters which means they are gathering cultural enterprises into close proximity to each other to promote synergy between them.  From Milan to Zenchen City outside of Hong Kong, cities and regions are very dedicated to supporting specific cultural clusters.  It seems the current thinking is that the best investment of public funds is in the culture clustural approach, which allows for innovation to flourish, synergy can occur and networks are created.  It is a strategy for of us involved in building cultural clusters to consider.

The Fundacion Prada and the Hermes Foundation were present.  The foundations are supported by luxury goods companies who to this day employ highly skilled artisans.  What is significant to me is that both of these foundations promote culture and cultural industries.

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What is a cultural entrepreneur?

New fields of development begin with ideas and then need the practical applied.  With the practical comes the need for definitions.  Over the last couple of years my definition for a cultural entrepreneur has evolved and I would like to share it with you now.

Cultural Entrepreneurs are cultural change agents and resourceful visionaries who organize cultural, financial, social and human capital, to generate revenue from a cultural activity.  Their innovative solutions result in economically sustainable cultural enterprises that enhance livelihoods and create cultural value and wealth for both creative producers and consumers of cultural services and products.

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After reading New Hope for Malnourished Mothers and Children in the September 2009 issue of the the Bread newsletter a couple of times I became concerned that we were falling back into our old “silo” approach to development.

The background paper focused on good nutritional ideas for very young folks and then exclusively on agricultural development.  What is of concern is that much of the past agricultural development initiatives have focused on heavy use of fertilizers as inputs which have both environmental and economic implications.

In Guatemala, for example, fertilizers were kept in single room houses on the floor and often pesticides were also kept there.  Spray cans were washed out in the local water stream.  Fertilizers and pesticides often have to be imported into countries which has a very negative impact on the use of local currency and excludes many people from the ag economy because of cost.

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Here is one definition that comes from UNESCO

Definition of Cultural Industries

Cultural Industries are defined as those industries which produce tangible or intangible artistic and creative outputs, and which have a potential for wealth creation and income generation through the exploitation of cultural assets and production of knowledge-based goods and services (both traditional and contemporary).  What cultural industries have in common is that they all use creativity, cultural knowledge, and intellectual property to produce products and services with social and cultural meaning.

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Louisiana just gave its Culture Awards and the new Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Rocco Landesman, attended the gathering and presented the awards.  Landesman is truly a cultural entrepreneur and he recognized the power of culture in society both economically and socially.  He said in Louisiana, “Art jobs are real jobs”.  When have you heard that before from the NEA?  How refreshing.

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Many of us are cultural entrepreneurs with experience in building markets for our cultural enterprises.  I have been involved in building the largest maritime bookstore at Mystic Seaport, a new maritime gallery that created a market for living artists, a book and print publish enterprise at Mystic Seaport, a lobster clambake enterprise at Mystic Seaport Museum, an international folk art market, a statewide artist, artisan and author retail and internet site and the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship.

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The World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries, as it is now titled, opens on the 24th in Monza, Italy.  They changed the name to designate it as a World Forum and that it is given the agenda they sent out.  People are coming from all over the world.  There is to be a web site and when I find out the address I will send out to everyone.

In earlier posts I wrote abut the first three points of my five point presentation scheduled for the 25th, Friday.  The fourth area I will explore with the Forum participants will address creating markets and developing market links.  

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Only ten days before the first UNESCO Forum on Cultural Industries opens in Monza, Italy.  It will be an exciting gathering of 250 people from all over the world.

In my presentation, following up on my last two blogs, the third area of “New Strategies for Cultural Enterprises” I will bring speak about on my panel will be investment in our cultural enterprises and entrepreneurs.  We need to find new sources of capital to invest in promising cultural enterprises.  We are beginning to see formation of capital for social enterprises witnessed at the Social Markets Network gathering this month that attracted over 1000 attendees.

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At the UNESCO Forum on Cultural Industries the second major point I want to bring across is that we must begin to form educational and training opportunities for our emerging cultural entrepreneurs.

Innovative approaches to higher education programs for cultural entrepreneurs is being developed at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths College, London University.

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