Creative Georgia
The aim of the policy initiative is presenting the content, unique features, economic, social and regional value and creating a sustainable platform promoting development of creative industries in Georgia; The objectives of the initiative are as follows:
- supporting start-ups and establishment of creative businesses and increasing its exportability;
- encouraging cooperation, networking and clustering between creative individuals, the industrial and service sectors that ensure the best use of the abilities, talents and creativity of creative people with the aim of developing and becoming more competitive;
- creating a favourable environment for increasing economic value of creative industries;
- increasing production of high-quality and competitive goods and services;
- protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) and related rights contributing to the development of creative industries in a competitive and fair environment.
Despite the fact, that there was no policy for developing Creative Georgia until 2015, some of creative industries accounting crafts, fashion and film sectors were actively supported by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia. In particular: The catalogue – Souvenirs from Georgia aimed at promoting craftsmen and their production has regularly being updated; From 2013 onwards Georgia has being an important guest at different crafts fairs and exhibitions, such as Strasbourg Christmas Market, L’ARTIGIANO in Fiera, Surajkund Craft Mela at India, etc.; MoC actively supports Tbilisi Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi contributing to the networking of national and international designers, connecting the buyers with producers, etc; the Georgian National Film Centre in partnership with Enterprise Georgia developed cash rebate system in 2015, aimed at attracting international producers and local and international investors to shoot in Georgia.
From 2015 onwards, Creative Industries will represent the priority dimension for the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia as well as for the Innovations Strategy 2016 – 2020 of Georgia that encourage creative thinking amongst young generation, promote exports (though online platforms, such as Ebay.com, Google Play, etc.) and facilitating distance working (through freelancer.com, upwork.com, etc.).
Ministry of Culture initiated the formation of the Inter-Governmental Creative Georgia Platform composed of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Tbilisi City Hall. The aim of the Platform is to mobilise all available resources at relevant governmental agencies in order to implement joint programmes, projects and events aimed at developing creative industries in Georgia.
Policy will ensure sustainable and coordinated development of enterprises in creative sectors. Creativity will be enhanced in the business community through synergies between creative people and companies and the rest of the economy; different subsectors will have equal opportunity for development and the sustainability of the businesses will be ensured. The employees will have fair remuneration and export opportunities will be increased.
The budget for implementation of the Creative Georgia will be estimated in 2017 after adoption of the Culture Strategy Implementation biannual Action Plan incorporating Development of Creative Industries in Georgia.