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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.  For the cultural entrepreneur, selecting the correct market is critical.  There are markets appropriate for each product and there are geographic markets that fit the cultural enterprise.  By geographic I mean:

Local Markets: Often these markets are tied to tourism: cultural, creative, eco, etc.  But they can also be in popular locations like the grocery chain in Guatemala that creates a “El Mes de Artesania” (The Month of Artisans) and sells the work of Guatemala’s wonderful artisans in each of its stores.

National Markets or Regional Markets are available to entrepreneurs as well.  When I was Executive Director at Aid to Artisans our team was working in Central Asia and created regional markets with artists.  They all gathered in Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan This effort led to the creation of a regional craft association.  Our Museum of New Mexico Foundation museum stores reach statewide and the new internet stores reach local and national markets  www.newmexicocreates.org opening markets for our state’s artists, artisans and authors.  Not on the High Street just launched in the UK.  The African Publishers Network is creating markets across the continent.   Keith Recker just launched a beautiful new magazine HandEye that will inspire new markets.

International Markets are the most challenging because of distance, intermediaries, language, shipping, distribution, currency issues.  Regardless, many have been successful.  Shahidul Alam at Drik in Bangladesh www.drik.net is a personal hero.  He has created markets for Majority World photographers after seeing photographs of the Majority World people taken by “outsiders”  Dan Storper roamed the world and found music that he offered globally through Putumayo and created the new genre of World Music.

Markets are being created and Market Links are being made in creative ways as you can see with just these few examples.  Send me your examples.