Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2021

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2021 calls for increased international collaboration, sustainable investment in the culture sector and a new value proposition for culture on the public agenda. Under the theme of “The Cultural Economy and the Economy of Culture”, the Summit explores the topics of community and responsibility, diversity and pluralism in cultural expression, digitalization of cultural content and equitable access, an increased focus on engaging local communities, and transversal cross government policy approaches.

UNCTAD organized the panel “ Impact investing and creative industries” in the context of the International Year of Creative Economy, 2021. UNCTAD, Fundación Compromiso, Nesta, and Upstart Co-Lab partnered on this panel to bring attention to the potential for impact investing in the global creative economy. While impact investing targeted to the creative economy is nascent, there are growing examples of interested investors and socially and environmentally oriented creative economy entrepreneurs. Fund managers in both developed countries (including the US, the UK, France, Germany and Switzerland) and developing countries (for example, throughout East Africa) are starting to launch investment vehicles that link sustainable and impact investment to the creative economy. 

The Panel will address key issues of inclusion and sustainability, and Bringing Impact Capital to the Creative Economy, which describes a range of efforts to finance creative activity in alignment with values. Wealth advisors, impact investors, creative entrepreneurs, government officials, and art and community leaders have all shared their vision of the creative economy as a source of high-quality opportunities which will allow investors who understand the power of art, design, culture, heritage and creativity to achieve social and environmental impact as well as financial reward.