The notion of cultural industries generally includes textual, music, television, film production and publishing, as well as crafts and design. Cultural Industries (also known as “Creative and Cultural industries”) combine the creation, production, and distribution of goods and services that are cultural in nature and usually protected by intellectual property rights.
Their international dimension gives them a determining role for the future in terms of freedom of expression, cultural diversity and economic development. Since, by nurturing creativity and fostering innovation societies will maintain cultural diversity and enhance economic performance.
According to UNESCO and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of WTO, the cultural industries, which include publishing, music, cinema, crafts and design, continue to grow steadily apace and have a determinant role to play, in the future of civilizations.
For some countries, architecture, visual and performing arts, sport, advertising, and cultural tourism may be included as adding value to the content and generating growth for individuals and societies. They are knowledge-based and labour-intensive, creating employment and wealth.
The European map of these industries expose a gap between market needs, EU and National regulation policies while it also reveals a yawning gap between North and South. In a context of globalization where exchange and new technologies opens up exciting new prospects, the need for the development of innovative models becomes compulsory.
EURICCA Network
EURICCA initiative (European Research & Innovation Agency for Cultural Clusters) aims to provide new tools and innovative training paths to strengthen cultural, educational and business activities related to the Cultural Clusters, combining theory to practice via the simultaneous management of Communities of Practice and Living Labs.
Representing wide networks of partners with complementary expertise, knowledge, skills and competencies, EURICCA (in foundation of process) aims to create a virtual platform that will combine theory to practice and that will provide economies of scale. Under a common management, EURICCA network will generate new coalitions at local, national and European level, wider partnerships and finally it will create Clusters that will strengthen the Creative, Educational, Entrepreneurial and Business activities related to the Wider Cultural Sector.
