Key factors of successful development

When a public actor – state, region or municipality - decides to invest into culture and creative industries, it is important not to think that you as a public actor can do everything yourself. This is something that exists also in Sweden and I think we have to begin changing it slowly and by that I mean to enable the shift from the public actors to the non-governmental organizations because it is us – the organizations - that are close to the companies and know them the best. Obviously, more money need to go directly to the companies and this is something we have to work on in Sweden. I think that people in other countries can learn from how we have worked so far and maybe kind of skip certain parts a bit. One very important is to remember that it takes a lot of time to until you see the results of your support of the creative industries. For example the media cluster - Media Evolution - is now blooming but it is a result of 10-15 year-long process of and a lot of work. Today we have a cluster of 200 media companies here in the Southern Sweden area. Don´t do just one thing here, one activity there. You always have to think about what it will bring to the region within the long term perspective. So this is the key - long term perspective and strategically thinking. The first public support for the culture and creative industries was launched in Sweden in 1999. It took 10 years until the ministry of culture and the ministry of economy joined forces to develop an action plan to support these industries. It took another year or two until the foreign ministry started became involved. But you have to endure and just be sure that this is the way you want to go and to believe that the creative industries are part the future. Also remember that culture and creative industries are dependent on networks between public and private sector. Therefore it is extremely important to invest in networks and in people who can speak to the individual creative persons as well as to the politician or to a policymaker. You have to have these people who have their tentacles in different parts of society (private sector, public sector, universities, etc.) because they will be able to knock on doors and to make people actually open these doors.

CultureFighter

Key factors of successful development

Johanna Skantze

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