Pakistan: Creative Entrepreneurs Training

Twelve young Pakistani creative entrepreneurs will gather in Lahore, Pakistan, for a business residency programme organized by UNESCO at Beaconhouse National University (BNU) from 28 October to 2 November 2019.

With 65% of population under 30 and some 12 million youths reportedly showing interest in starting a business[1], Pakistan shows immense potential to become the region’s start-up hotspot. Investing in the country’s young creative entrepreneurs, therefore, can have a direct impact on not only the cultural and creative industries (CCI), but also national economic growth and job creation. Recognizing this potential, the five-day workshop is designed specifically to educate, guide and empower disruptors and visionaries in Pakistan’s CCI. The participants, selected from 240 applicants, vary in age, gender, region, business experience and leadership ability, and represent a range of artistic disciplines including cinema, design, music, performing arts and publishing. They will be divided into two groups – Start-up and Accelerator – in order to sufficiently address different challenges they encounter as their enterprises mature, and to ultimately develop their own business plans. The small class size and the residency setting will allow for personalized advices and attention, as well as for the young creative workers to build a network of support and inspiration. Andrew Senior, an international expert, and Sumaira Malik, a natinoal expert, will lead the sessions.

The workshop will be followed by a round table in Islamabad on 4 November 2019, during which parliamentarians, academics, civil servants and cultural, economic, and social development experts will discuss the state of Pakistan’s creative entrepreneurship and how dynamic cultural policies can nurture disruptive ideas.

The intensive training, organized by UNESCO in partnership with BNU, and the round table discussion are part of UNESCO’s Korea Funds-in-Trust project “Strengthening regional and national capacities to develop cultural and creative industries in Asia and Pacific”. The series of events will also serve to raise awareness about the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its fundamental principles represented by improved cultural governance, increased mobility of culture and artists, enhanced rights of artists, and the integration of culture in sustainable development plans.