Cultural Industries

• © Pierre Cornevin

A focal point for culture in the future

The cultural industries continue to grow steadily apace. They include publishing, music, audiovisual technology, electronics, video games and the Internet.

Their international dimension gives them a determining role for the future in terms of freedom of expression, cultural diversity and economic development. Although the globalization of exchange and new technologies opens up exciting new prospects, it also creates new types of inequality.

The world map of cultural industries reveals a yawning gap between North and South. This can only be counteracted by strengthening local capacities and facilitating access to global markets at national level by way of new partnerships, know-how, control of piracy and increased international solidarity of every kind.

• For a comprehensive understanding of cultural industries, browse 25 questions and answers and explore key concepts and ideas related to culture and trade in the context of globalization.
• Consult also the working documents of the expert meetings, seminars, regional consultations and conferences held from 1998 to 2002 and, as a basic reference, the Florence Agreement.
• Creative Cities Networks