Local artists urged to earn from talents

CEBU, Philippines - The prime movers in the creative industry in Cebu are up to make the sector another wealth contributor for the province, pushing for the commercialization of creative sector players.

This will be the main topic to be tackled in the upcoming 2nd Cebu Creative Industries Summit on June 14, 2013 at the SM Cinema 1 in SM City Cebu.

This year’s chairperson for the Creative Summit Mary Ann Solomon said that it is high time for Cebu to teach the artists across creative industry sectors to monetize their talents.

The event, which is one of the main highlights of the month-long Cebu Business Month 2013, will bring in personality icons in the creative sector such as world renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue, an executive from Google’s Creative Lab and other young, talented and award-winning creative professionals.

According to Solomon, following the proclamation of the British Council, naming Cebu as the “Creative City” in the Philippines, “we have to live up to that name.”

Despite the difficulties grouping the artists’ community in Cebu, prime movers have been able to establish the Creative Council of Cebu, which is now gaining support from different international funding agencies, as well as the Philippine government.

“We have to make the creative sector as one of the major economic contributors for Cebu. Holding this kind of event will drive up further interest for artist to convert their talents to wealth. We need to commercialize our good creative sector here,” said Solomon.

Solomon, who owns the Alcordo Advertising company, said that the event expects to attract at least 600 participants. These are artists from across the field of interests such as architecture, graphic arts, music, film, advertising, product and merchandize designers, creative social entrepreneurs, digital creative workers, and related disciplines.

“We would like to entice the creative minds to go into entrepreneurship,” said Solomon, adding that the council will also seek help from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to act as springboard in coaching the artists on how to make money out of their talents.

With this collaboration, CCCI will also help artists in linking them with the global customers, saying “we want these creative minds in Cebu to shine.”

With this, Cebu is on its track in taking the large chunk of the US$2.3 trillion creative industry in the world.

Creative industries are those that have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.

In the year 2000, the creative economy was estimated to be worth US$2.2 trillion worldwide and it was growing at five percent annually.

The global entertainment and media industry alone shared around US$2.2 trillion in the world economy in 2012.

Global exports of creative goods and services—products such as arts and crafts, audiovisuals, books, design work, films, music, new media, printed media, visual and performing arts, and creative services registered more than double growth between 2002 and 2008.

The total value of these exports reached US$592 billion in 2008 and the growth rate of the industry over that six-year period averaged 14 percent.  —(FREEMAN)