Almaty is a locomotive for the development of creative industries
As part of the official opening of De Montfort University of Kazakhstan, a round table was held to discuss the prospects for the development of creative industries as part of the diversification of the Almaty economy.
The meeting took place with the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yeraly Tugzhanov, Akim of Almaty Bakhytzhan Sagintayev, the Minister of International Trade of Great Britain Ranil Jayawardena, Ambassador of Great Britain to Kazakhstan Katie Leach. The discussion was also attended by the Minister of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan A. Raimkulova, the First Vice-Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sh. Karinova, representatives of the British Council for Central Asia, DMU Leicester, EdPeritus UK Ltd and the Council of Creative Industries of Almaty.
Addressing the participants of the "round table",the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan E. Tugzhanov emphasized, that creative industries are the main source of new technologies, industries and a driver of economic growth.
“The industry generates the creation of new highly profitable jobs, primarily for talented youth, forms completely new“ social lifts ”for them, - noted E. Tugzhanov.
Over the past 10 years in Kazakhstan, the volume of investments in the creative industry has more than quadrupled. 3.5% of the total employed population of the country, or 310 thousand Kazakhstanis, work in this area.
Today, the contribution of creative industries to the economy of Kazakhstan is 2.7%.
“In order to develop the potential of this area on the basis of progressive world practice, the Government, together with the expert community, is developing a Concept for the Development of Creative Industries for 2021-2025. A common vision of the state on the development of the creative industry will be formed and new approaches to its development will be determined, ”E. Tugzhanov said, inviting the participants of the round table to take part in the development of this document.
The Akim of Almaty Bakhytzhan Sagintayev noted, that creative industries are one of the priority directions of the long-term Development Strategy "Almaty-2050".
“In our city, there are many talents, youth, high intellectual potential. There are 37 universities in Almaty, where 182 thousand students study. At the same time, six universities are included in the 1000 best universities in the world according to the QS World University Ranking 2020. Therefore, it is these areas related to IT and the creative industry that are in demand and need the support that we already provide, ”said B. Sagintayev.
According to the analysis, 17.8 thousand enterprises operate in the creative sector of Almaty, which is 8.8% of all enterprises. By 2025, this figure is planned to be increased to 31.4 thousand (10.2%). It employs about 44.9 thousand people. Tax revenues from enterprises of the city's creative industries in 2020 amounted to 37.7 billion tenge, and the volume of services provided - 402.8 billion tenge. Thus, Almaty has the necessary resources to develop a creative economy.
In accordance with world practice, the synergy of creative enterprises, universities and the city is ensured for the development of the creative economy. The development strategy is based on 10 areas: cinema and animation, literature, fashion, new media and digital cultures, theater, opera and ballet, e-sports and game development, architecture and design, music, contemporary art, and the entertainment industry.
For implementation, instruments of financial and non-financial support are used. To date, 9 projects have been funded for a total of 513 million tenge. Up to 630 million tenge is planned to be allocated to support creative entrepreneurs at the end of the current and next year through Almaty Finance and MFO Almaty.
Almaty is the only city in Central Asia that is included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the creative direction "music". In 2022, it is planned to launch the Open Music Lab to create contemporary music and collaborations between musicians-residents of the laboratory.
The city already has the first successful infrastructure project in the field of creative industries - the Alatau creative hub, where up to 700 people work daily.
There is a coworking space, 25 free creative circles for children, a playground for master classes, a media library, and the ArtBi educational and exhibition center. Similar centers are being created in all districts of the city. Subsequently, a network of creative hubs will be created in each district of the city.
The participants of the round table exchanged views, and also supported the initiative of the akim of Almaty B. Sagintayev on expert and analytical support of the ongoing work on the development of creative industries.