The Creative Economy

More than a passing trend, there is a global pattern emerging focused on mainstreaming creativity, connecting that which was previously divided, and generating creativity-informed structures and systems. Infusing creative process and imagination into business, politics, and culture is transforming our world at an accelerated pace as people establish groups, networks and organizations dedicated to consciously developing a life-giving future.

Creative Clusters is an international network and conference based in the UK, taking positive global action in the emerging collective effort to integrate creativity into mainstream culture and generate a creative economy. The following are excerpts from their web site and March newsletter:

Creative Clusters is the international conference, network and events programme for people working in the development of the creative economy. We are interested in development and regeneration projects that deliver outcomes in both cultural and economic terms. Our goal is to help people engaged in the development of the creative economy to communicate and share resources with one another.

Creative Clusters explores and advocates the idea that strategies for growth...should address the whole creative ecology, challenging traditional boundaries between art, business, education and science, between for- and non-profit enterprise, between economic, social and cultural policy.

The theme for Creative Clusters 2006 is Mainstreaming Creativity. After only a few short years in the policy spotlight, the creative industries are no longer considered a marginal or specialist sector, but are seen to impact on all areas of the economy. Around the world...creative industries appear as key components in both cultural and economic development plans. There are countless creative development projects in progress, there are rich currents of academic discourse, and there is a huge market of consultants and organisations with creative services and expertise on offer.

Increasingly, the concept 'creativity' is replacing 'knowledge' as the pundit's defining characteristic for the modern economy.

In short, the creative industries are here to stay, and they are a major force in global economic and cultural development...What is more, 'creativity' is increasingly being seen as the strategy that all businesses must adopt to take on the challenges of globalisation.

And if creativity is a driving force in economic development, are the values hitherto championed by culture, or by commerce, driving change? Or is there another future, a third way, in which people, places and profit reach a new accommodation?

Go to www.creativeclusters.com for more information on their conferences and mission.