The Creative Wealth of Nations : How the Performing Arts Can Advance Development and Human Progress
Cultural activities are increasingly noted as drivers of meaningful development. But they have yet to gain a prominent place in the architecture of development strategy. The performing arts, discussed here, exhibit direct effects on social progress...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank Group, Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/11/20400813/creative-wealth-nations-performing-arts-can-advance-development-human-progress http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20647 |
| Summary: | Cultural activities are increasingly
noted as drivers of meaningful development. But they have
yet to gain a prominent place in the architecture of
development strategy. The performing arts, discussed here,
exhibit direct effects on social progress and economic
growth through trade in music, movies, and temporary work
permits for artists, for example. Indirect contributions may
also include environmental stewardship, tourism, nation
branding, social inclusion, cultural democracy, and shifting
cultural behaviors. These direct and indirect contributions
are not well documented. As such, how is the creative or
cultural sector a crucial part of the wealth of nations, and
how could the World Bank Group better leverage the
performing arts in its development strategy? This discussion
provides a broad snapshot, from arts education, to social
inclusion, to international trade in services. Key
constraints include: the paucity of data and the difficulty
of measuring cultural activities, the challenge of
intellectual property, and the unclear benefits of cultural
tourism. Part I sets the stage. Part II then provides policy
options to foster the performing arts as a promising engine
for development. Suggestions include: 1. expanding direct
involvement in artistic projects, 2. increasing the use of
performing arts to address social issues, 3. collecting
data, 4. promoting intellectual property training programs,
5. supporting digital platforms in the developing world that
advance indigenous music, and 6. funding studies on such
areas as cultural tourism. Progress still needs to be made
in the discussion of the diverse ways that the performing
arts can contribute to meaningful development. |
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