Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, reiterated the UAE leadership’s commitment to nurture and develop the cultural and creative sector…reports Asian Lite News
”Nothing has preoccupied my mind in the recent past as the present and future of the creative economy, and how we may enable the UAE to boast a vibrant cultural sphere which also contributes substantially to the local and global economy,” Noura Al Kaabi said, in her keynote address to the 2nd World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE), held today at Expo 2020 Dubai, under the theme ”Inclusively Creative, Cultivating the Future”.
The opening session was attended by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Sheikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Angelica Maria, Minister of Culture of Colombia, and high-level personalities.
”We in the UAE are excited and honoured to be hosting the second edition of the World Conference on Creative Economy after Indonesia. Our thoughts on this are not confined to just the UAE but are inclusive of all other nations in our region and beyond. We have always believed that global cooperation is key to realising the true potential of the creative economy,” she told a gathering of global community of entrepreneurs, thinkers, thought leaders, creatives and policymakers, who gathered in Dubai for the three-day conference.
Al Kaabi indicated that the UAE launched a 10-year National Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries which marks a shift in the nation’s efforts and ambitions towards a more sustainable creative ecosystem. This, she noted, comes in line with the WCCE, which in itself is very special as it is held on the sidelines of one of the world’s most important cultural events: Expo 2020 Dubai. This conference also marks the closing event of the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.
”Like all countries around the world, the UAE’s creative sector has been significantly impacted by COVID-19. In 2020, we paused, we assessed, then we revived and jumped back stronger than ever. We placed the creative economy centerstage within our economic mindset. Much has changed since the first installment of the WCCE took place in Indonesia back in 2018. While the inaugural conference set the tone for building a vibrant creative ecosystem by focusing on social cohesion, regulations, marketing and financing, the UAE iteration will build a more profound discourse on these topics and discuss how to best position and harness the creative economy in a post-pandemic world,” she added.
”Many countries, including ours, proved resilient enough to minimise the economic and cultural repercussions of the pandemic. The technological innovations that placed us in good stead during these trying months were themselves the results of human creativity. The creative sector redefined the meaning of ‘normal’ and was quick to adapt and create new ways of work and ingenuity. With many countries closing their borders due to the pandemic, traditional industries struggled to keep up with the demands of a globalised economy. In order to keep afloat, they began to rethink their business models and looked inward for sustenance and autonomy,” she noted.
According to Al Kaabi, the cultural and creative industries, on the other hand, continued to expand their footprint and reach outward, they opened their heart out to the world transcending borders, cultural and language barriers. Art and culture became the lifeline of humanity and gave people hope in the face of despair.
“Concerts, shows, exhibitions, even museums went live with digitised content, for everyone to experience and enjoy. The virtual world became a great leveller and showed us that art was not just for the elite. Technology helped the democratisation of culture and art, on both ends of the spectrum. It not only accelerated the creative process leading to more opportunities for creatives but also enabled its access to larger audiences. The world discovered how digital transformation along with collaborations enhanced global reach and led to a wider cultural footprint. The cultural and creative sector became the sounding board for humanity and gave hope to the world.
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”It is this resilience and adaptability that made the cultural and creative industries standout from the crowd and the whole world took notice. The fact that this conference takes place in a world regaining its footing as a result of a pandemic, makes it even more crucial to our narrative regarding the creative economy. We will continue to discuss this resilience over the course of the conference and find out ways to leverage it to make cultural and creative industries a thriving socioeconomic sector globally,” she added.
WCCE 2021 will see the key players and game changers from around the world come together in the UAE on a dynamic platform to engage with one another and take concrete steps towards a more sustainable creative economy. As the pace of innovation and technological disruption continues to accelerate, WCCE 2021 will serve as a unique forum and an ideal opportunity to share knowledge, analyse trends and debate ideas.