Defining the International Creative Sector

UNESCO brought experts together to define the "international creative sector." Here is what they came up with. Some participants drew a strict line of demarcation between the for-profit and non-profit activities in defining the “creative sector,” believing that commercial activity should not be introduced into this notion. Others voiced a preference for a concept of the “creative sector” to include all aspects of creative activity, encompassing both the non-profit sphere of artindustries. Certain aspects of higher education or the video gaming industry might also be justified as creative output.

Consequently, the chosen definition of “creative sector,” when measuring its contribution to a country’s economic activity (GDP), has an impact not only for considering economic impact but also for international comparisons. A purely organization-based, sectoral approach seems to be giving way to analysis that takes into account occupational and professional data and the economic contribution that artists and creative workers make to a given city, region or country.

Download UNESCO's report on the subject.