Debating arts and creativity as public goods during the World Press Freedom Conference 2021
In the context of the World Press Freedom Day Conference 2021, the UNESCO Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity is organising a panel debate titled “Arts and creativity as public goods: Promoting diverse culture contents in the digital environment”.
The debate will take place online on 30 April from 5 – 6pm UTC+2. Moderated by Patrick Sam, the Chairperson of the National Arts Council of Namibia and the International Federation of Art Councils & Cultural Agencies (IFACCA), the session also features an esteemed group of panellists:
- Ms Magdalena Moreno (Chile) is the Executive Director of The International Federation of Arts Council and Culture Agencies (IFACCA)
- Ms BasmaEl Husseiny (Egypt) is the Director of the NGO Action for Hope
- Mr Farai Mpfunya (Zimbabwe) is the Executive Director of the NGO Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust
- Ms Véronique Guèvremont (Canada) is a Professor at the Faculty of Law and the Quebec Institute for Advanced International Studies at Laval University (Quebec, Canada)
- Mr Christopher Mack (USA) is Director, Creative Talent Investment and Development, at Netflix
During the debate, questions and trends regarding digitalisation and cultural content consumption will be addressed. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation of cultural content consumption, as audiences have turned to the digital space to enjoy films, TV series, and even concerts and art exhibits. This has contributed to the growth of the digital creative economy. However, the benefits to the creative value chain have differed depending on the service. Testimonials from over 240 ResiliArt debates have revealed some disparities around the discoverability of local content and remuneration of creators.
In this session, the panellists will discuss how to enhance the viability of local industries and the discoverability of a diversity of cultural content online. What are some of the innovative policies and best practices to develop, program and promote diverse content, including local content? How can we ensure discoverability of diverse cultural content online? In doing so, how do we ensure artistic freedom? These are just some of the questions that will be touched upon in this panel.
On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Conference and within the framework of the Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals and with the funding of Norway, UNESCO is also organising a two-day training workshop on 28 and 29 April for civil society and government officials from Namibia on policies and measures to promote and monitor artistic freedom.
Sign up to the World Press Freedom Conference and this panel session by registering here. Other related information on the 2021 World Press Freedom Day Conference is accessible here.