The Creative Nation Summit 2024 brought together the brightest minds and leaders from across creative industries in a special two-day event.
Recently, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the British Council joined forces to host a transformative event—the Creative Nation Summit 2024, which took place at the Rizal Park Hotel, Manila City. With over 500 industry leaders, policymakers, innovators, and creative professionals from both the public and private sectors, this two-day event served as a culmination activity for the celebration of 2024 Philippine Creative Industries Month (PCIM) themed #WeAreACreativeNation.
The Summit aimed to ignite discussions on the future of the country’s creative economy, exploring strategies to harness the full potential of the creative industries to drive economic growth and cultural development.
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Merging Technology and Data With Creativity
The first day of the Summit focused on Creative Technology (CreateTech), emphasizing the convergence of art and technology. Sessions on advancements in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and other digital tools equipped Filipino creatives with the skills and knowledge to enhance content creation, productivity, and market reach.
Meanwhile, the second day of the event delved into Creative and Cultural Statistics and Creative Placemaking, highlighting the need for accurate data and statistics to inform policy decisions. It also showcased the value of integrating the arts into creative ecosystems, which can promote economic vitality, social cohesion, and community development.
Key speakers included Dr. Marisa Henderson, Chief, Trade & Creative Economy Section, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Mr. Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan, Head of Arts, British Council Philippines; Mr. Graham Hitchen, Director of Policy and Professor of Practice, Loughborough University; Dr. Simon Ellis, Consultant to UNESCO; Mr. Tom Kihl, Partner, The Wick and Managing Director, The Loco; Ms. Esme Palaganas, Fellow, Salzburg Global Seminar for Culture, Arts, and Society’s Program on Art, AI, and Governance; Mr. John Christopher Mesana, Research Faculty, National University-Philippines; and Mr. Emerson M. Aquino, OIC – Division Chief, Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Significance of a Thriving Creative Industry
Dr. Rafaelita M. Aldaba, Undersecretary for the DTI Competitiveness and Innovation Group, emphasized the country’s roadmap toward becoming Asia’s leading creative hub.
“To seize the opportunities in the creative industries, the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act and the Philippine Creative Industries Development Plan focus on fostering next-gen creative capacities, building creative ecosystems, boosting entrepreneurship through R&D and tech, regenerating local economies, promoting collaborations and partnerships, and seizing market opportunities,” she explained. “These efforts are geared towards positioning the Philippines as Asia’s premier creative hub by 2030.”
Speaking on behalf of NCCA Chair Victorino Manalo, Deputy Executive Director Marichu Tellano underscored that the summit is only the beginning of a sustained effort to support the creative economy.
“Creativity is embedded in everyday life and is a vital ingredient, strategy, driver, and soul of meaningful development. In this summit, we create space for comprehensive and inclusive discussions on shaping a bright future for the creative economy in the Philippines,” she said.
Lotus Postrado, Country Director of the British Council, emphasized the importance of partnerships in advancing the creative economy and reaffirmed the UK’s support for the Philippines.
“By connecting local creatives and policymakers with global best practices, this summit becomes a platform to engage in forward-thinking discussions about the opportunities and challenges ahead,” she stated. “At the British Council, we are committed to fostering collaboration, promoting cultural exchange, and supporting the growth of Filipino creative industries on the global stage.”
Photos courtesy of the British Council.
Banner photo by Sincerely Media via Unsplash.