Attempts to evaluate the socioeconomic input of the sector of culture are relatively recent. Research carried out in the nineties in the economically developed countries (Great Britain, USA, Germany, France, Denmark, Australia et.al) demonstrated that in particular the sectors related to culture and entertainment, non-traditional productive structures and objects of copyright at present evolve at the fastest rate with the highest development potential.
The Council of the EU has recognized the particular importance of the culture and creative sector in the fulfillment of the goals of the Lisbon strategy. The Council has pointed out that the sector of culture and the creative industry have a decisive role in the development of innovations and technologies and the mentioned sectors constitute the determining factor for sustainable development in the future.
Exploration of creative industry and development of the policy in Latvia has been initiated with the support of the British Council and in consultation with British experts. In 2005 the Ministry of Culture in the process of developing of the guidelines for cultural policy recognized that the idea of the creative industry is important for Latvia as well as for the work of the Ministry of Culture.
The definition of the creative industries of Latvia was for the first time entered into the Guidelines for the State Cultural Policy of Latvia for 2006 – 2015 (Cabinet Order of 18.04.2006 No. 264). The definition of creative industry is also included into the National Development Plan of Latvia for the Period of 2007 – 2013 (Cabinet Order of 2006. 04.07. No. 564) and the study “On Creative Industries of Latvia” (BICEPS, 2007).
The definition of creative industries is as follows:
Activities, based on individual and collective creativity, skills and talents, which by way of generating and utilizing intellectual property, are able to increase welfare and create jobs. Creative industries generate, develop, produce, utilize, display, disseminate, and preserve products of economic, cultural and/or recreational value.
Creative Industry encompasses the following sectors:
- Architecture
- Design
- Cinematography
- Performing arts
- Visual arts
- Music
- Publishing
- Television, radio and interactive media
- Advertising
- Computer games and interactive software
- Cultural heritage
- Cultural education
- Recreation, entertainment and other cultural activities
Jurisdiction of the Ministry in the field of creative industry is:
To inform the community on the issues of creative industry;
- To draft policy documents and regulatory enactments in the field of creative industry;
- To establish partnerships and cooperate with competent state, local government and private institutions on the issues of creative industries;
- Education of the creative industry
- To develop and submit proposals on establishing of expert commissions, councils and working groups related to the topical issues of creative industry;
- To accumulate and analyze information on the status of creative industry in the country;
- To analyze the documents of the European Union and other institutions in the field of creative industry and draft proposals for such documents.
Decisive role in the implementation of creative industry policy is played by successful inter-institutional cooperation. Other state institutions and non-governmental organizations are also involved in the policy planning and implementation.
