British Council in Egypt Drives Creative Economy Growth through RiseUp Summit Partnership
Cairo Egypt
The British Council in Egypt, a key enabling partner for the creative economy track of the RiseUp Summit 2016, is bringing some of the UK’s top strategists, educators and creatives to Cairo to share their experiences and engage with the local and regional entrepreneurs who are building a sustainable economic future. The RiseUp Summit is taking place from 9-11 December at the Greek Campus and AUC Tahrir Campus in Downtown Cairo and will feature a keynote talk by HMA John Casson, the British Ambassador in Cairo on “Entrepreneurship and the New Egypt”.
On the occasion HMA John Casson, the British Ambassador in Cairo said: “I am excited to be amongst some of the most dynamic and ambitious entrepreneurs the Middle East has to offer. I invite investors to look carefully at not only the ideas, but the individuals behind them, and the positive energy they bring. In front of you is some of the best talent that Egypt has to offer. And by focusing not just on good business ideas, but how they can tackle social challenges, they capture the spirit of the 2011 revolution. The young entrepreneurs amongst us today will define the Egypt of the future – my call to them is to build businesses that also create a better society. There are some great examples of this already, but I’ve no doubt there is scale for much more.”
Cathy Costain, Head of Arts, British Council Egypt expresses the prominence of introducing creative economy to startups and entrepreneurs, and its impact on the economy. “The British Council has been working in the creative economy field for 15 years and we launched our latest program in Egypt in February 2016. We are delighted that RiseUp has introduced a creative economy strand this year and that we are a key partner in this. The creative industries contribute £84 billion pounds to the UK economy every year and make up 9% of all jobs – the economic benefit of this is enormous. We believe that working together with Egyptian creative entrepreneurs, policy makers and educators, this could become a significant part of the Egyptian economy.”
The British Council in Egypt launched its creative economy program in February 2016 to develop collaborations between the UK and Egypt in the field of creative industries. This three-year initiative will work with the Egyptian government, industry organizations, and businesses to support entrepreneurship, increase employment and grow demand for Egyptian creative products.
'Creative Economy' is considered an important and growing part of the global economy worldwide. Governments and creative sectors are increasingly recognizing the importance of the creative economy as a generator of jobs, wealth and cultural engagement. The UK has been a leader in the development of this agenda, not just as a driver of the economy but also promoting social inclusion, diversity and development. The creative industries contribute over £84 billion pounds to the UK economy, employ 2.9 million people (9% of all jobs in the UK) and exported nearly £20 billion of services in 2014.
Through various workshops, talks, showcases, and activities, the Summit is bringing creative talents from the region and the globe to share expertise and learnings. The creative industries to meet during the Summit include music, film, fashion, gaming, and multiple disciplines like design, art, dance, and theatre.
RiseUp’s Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Con O’Donnell stresses the importance of fusing business, technology, and creativity together as to create the optimum model for startups and entrepreneurs. “Everything we use today has a creative part to it. For example, the innovation behind smart phones, cars, our email inboxes, and even the alarm clocks that we use every morning all have creative thinking to it, but creativity is more seen as a result rather than part of the business module that the innovation is first created from. Creatives are talent, and that is a resource that startups need. This year at the RiseUp Summit, empowering creatives to make the lead a successful creative economy with better products and services.”
A sample of the creative economy talks that will take place during this year’s RiseUp Summit include: “What is the Creative Economy?” by the international creative economy and cultural policy expert, Dr Tom Fleming; “From Creative Thinking, to Innovation to Enterprise” by Dr Sian Prime, Deputy Director for Goldsmiths’ Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE); “From Studio to Marketplace” by Morell Maison (UK) Co-Founder and Creative Director of renowned international arts organisation Thirty Three Thirty Three.
For more talks, timings, and locations, the RiseUp Summit 2016 agenda is found here.