The African Creative Economy Meeting was organized by ARTERIAL Network with the support of the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town and the Cape Craft and Design Institute. It attracted around 400 delegates from over 40 countries in Africa and beyond.
Previous conferences in Nairobi (2011) and Dakar (2012) have played a leading part in creating markets and raising the profile of Africa's artistic and cultural industries regionally and internationally.
The aim of this year's conference was to focus attention on how the continent's creative industries can play a meaningful role in accelerating Africa's economic growth, while building democracy and human rights.
UNCTAD participated in the session of Culture and Sustainable development and highlighted the potential contribution of the Creative Industries to the eradication of poverty and the role of culture and creative industries in the post-2015 Development Agenda.
Creative practitioners, government bodies and policy makers, academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, journalists and international organizations discussed the growing outputs and efficacy of the creative sector in Africa. Artists shared their talents and experiences and participated in the discussions.
Cape Town was designated World Design Capital 2014 by the Industrial Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID), which bestows this title biennially to cities that demonstrate the value of design thinking and are dedicated to using design as a tool for social, cultural and economic development.
Taking the baton from Helsinki, World Design Capital for 2012, and Cape Town beat off stiff competition from Bilbao and Dublin to be nominated as the World Design Capital for 2014.
 African Creative Economy Meeting, Cape Town (6-9 October 2013) |
