The British Council has launched on Sunday its Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies Programme in Egypt.
Through the new programme, the British Council will collaborate with the Egyptian government and non-government organisations to assess the shape and size of creative economy in Egypt, its potential and barriers to growth, to ultimately offer solutions and recommendations.
The programme aims to boost Egypt’s economy, help small and medium-sized businesses thrive, and create new jobs by enabling entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life.
It will work at three levels. The first is strategy by looking at policy and the wider environment. The second focuses on institutional level by advising organisations such as universities and business incubators. The third and final level is the individual by advising start-ups and entrepreneurs.
The programme will also provide grants to individuals to kick-start projects in the creative economy that have a positive impact on women and girls, the disabled and other marginalised communities.
The creative economy is a new term that covers the imaginative side of the IT sector such as digital, gaming, and software development, web design and social media communications. By allowing more innovators, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs to access markets and consumers, the creative economy can strongly impact equitable development around the world. Specifically, Africa is expected to double in population by 2050, making job creation an important priority for its nations.
The creative sector offers diverse opportunities for young people, marginalised communities, and women, and across the world, rich cultural value and designs have been nurtured through traditional craftsmanship and creative industries.
According to a report by UNESCO and the consulting group EY, the creative economy employed almost 30 million people worldwide and generated $2.25 trillion in revenue – or 3 percent of the world’s GDP – in 2013.
