UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office held the online wrap-up event of the “Strengthening Digital Literacy Skills and Competencies and Promoting Gender Equality in Cultural and Creative Sectors in Central Asia” extra-budgetary project funded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea via Korean-UNESCO Funds-in-Trust (KFIT). The aim of the event was to present a series of recommendations for the development of digital skills in the cultural and creative industries in Central Asia, formulated within the framework of national research conducted for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Additionally, the speakers shared some regional experience in developing cultural and creative industries and strengthening the role of women working in them. Their recommendations inspired participants to continue the process of strengthening skills and competencies.

The event featured independent researcher, and coach in the fields of culture and creative economy, Anastasya Goncharova, Chair of the Creative Industries Association and founder of the “Ololo” Group (Kyrgyz Republic), Daniyar Amanaliev, and artist, director, and initiator of the research group "DAVRA," Saodat Ismailova.

Anastasiya Goncharova presented a research study, the result of which was a set of recommendations for the development of digital skills for experts in the creative industries in Central Asian countries, which are presented below:

Develop educational products and teaching materials for the development of digital skills in national languages.
Create an online course with an umbrella curriculum on the digital environment and interdisciplinary collaboration in the implementation of digital projects. Conduct training for national trainers.
Design a course on "Digital Producer in the Creative Industries," enhancing its content with ten out of twelve digital skills of the 21st century.
Develop a mentorship program to support professionals by local "digital ambassadors." Conduct training for digital mentors.
Develop educational programs on the fundamentals of copyright and IS (Information Systems) tailored to each market in Central Asia. Conduct training for local trainers (determine the format and methodology).

Furthermore, Ms Goncharova demonstrated the challenges of acquiring digital skills in the creative industry of Central Asia, including:

Divergence in defining digital skills
Country-specific economic factors
Status of the creative industries
Evaluation of digital skills
Nature of education and professional development
Specificity of digital skills in the creative industries

During the meeting, prospects for the development of the Creative Industries Park in Kyrgyzstan were also presented. Daniyar Amanaliev shared information about the park's potential. The Creative Industries Park will play a future role in defining and measuring creative industries, stimulating the emergence of companies from the shadow economy, generating resources for the development of the creative economy, making creative professions trendy, and retaining innovators in the country.

Another project of significant importance for the development of digital skills in cultural and creative industries, as well as the role of women in the creative economy, is the "DAVRA" project. It represents a research group of female artists from Central Asia. The participants of "DAVRA" pursue a common goal of promoting creative dialogue and professional relationships among young female artists. This project serves as a prominent example of researching and elevating the role of women in society and regional culture.

The online meeting served as an important platform for dialogue among experts in the creative industry of Central Asia. In the future, similar events will provide additional opportunities for creative dialogues and the collaboration of individuals from the creative industry to foster effective cooperation.

Full record of the event in the English language