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Culture and creativity in the picture: design for a measurement tool for the Brussels metropolis

Press release

Notes de la rédaction

This is the press release related to the article from Birgitte Martens, Jelena Dobbels, Lucy Amez and Walter Ysebaert, published September 8th 2014. Read the article.

Over the past decade, the public authorities’ interest in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) has increased greatly. The ‘creative economy’ has been mentioned regularly in governmental agreements and in the Regional Sustainable Development Plan (PRDD), and is one of the new motors of regional dynamics.

The cultural and creative industries include the visual arts, performing arts, cultural heritage, audiovisual industry, gaming, print media – books, newspapers and periodicals – music, architecture, design, advertising and communication. According to its defenders, this sector – which is very active in Brussels – generates a favourable climate for the recognition of cultural wealth and diversity, in addition to economic activity and employment.

Apart from this cohesion and inclusion, regional policymakers also emphasise the encouraging impact of organized cultural events on civic participation and social exchange. According to the Brussels regional authorities, cultural and creative activities significantly contribute to the (inter)national visibility and perception of the region, which in turn benefits tourism and stimulates employment in this sector. This dual status as a social binding force and economic incentive is also reflected in policy publications of the French Community, the Flemish Community, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) and the French Community Commission (COCOF).

Although the cultural and creative industries are fashionable and represent a true development opportunity for Brussels, they have not been well defined, especially at statistical level. Issue number 79 of Brussels Studies underlines above all the institutionally and sectorally fragmented character of studies on the subject, based on an impressive bibliography. The team from the Research & Development department at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) have therefore proposed a theoretical framework for monitoring these activities in Brussels. Brigitte Martens, Jelena Dobbels, Lucy Amez and Walter Ysebaert suggest going beyond the verification of indicators in order to take a more global approach via a ‘satellite account’, with elements allowing an evaluation of the creative environment and potential.

A satellite account is a framework for the presentation of a single type of economic activity, which does not correspond exactly to one of the subdivisions normally used in ‘traditional’ economic terms, generally based on products or services sold. It is used in areas involving many sectors of the economy, such as tourism (museums, hospitality, transport, etc.) and social economy (which stands out due to the way an activity is carried out rather than by the activity itself). The more or less creative character of many sectors (not all information technology companies create software) and the sector-based and interactive approach fully justify the use of this tool to evaluate the cultural and creative industries in Brussels.

But in order to be truly useful in a framework for decision-making and public policy evaluation, the tool must also highlight the creative sector itself and – perhaps above all – the conditions necessary for its effective operation, as well as its impact on society in Brussels. In that respect, the proposal by the VUB team is in keeping with the most recent approaches, going beyond the simple economic perspective towards a more global approach, which values human capital and existing cultural infrastructures without denying the possible disadvantages of incentive policies for the ‘creative class’ dear to Richard Florida, or the artificial aspect of ‘creativity rankings’.

References
Martens, Brigitte, Dobbels, Jelena, Amez, Lucy and Walter, Ysebaert,Culture and creativity in the picture: design for a measurement tool for the Brussels metropolis”, Brussels Studies [Online], General collection, No 79, September 8th 2014. URL: https://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1234
Contact
Benjamin Wayens, Senior Editor: bwayens[at]brusselsstudies.be

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