Beyond Tomorrow: Shaping Kerala's Cultural Creative Economy

FICCI Art and Culture Committee

The phenomenal growth of the Indian art market in recent years, coupled with rising international interest in contemporary Indian art, has positioned India's art industry at the brink of a new era. To sustain and accelerate this growth, a comprehensive policy framework is essential. In response, FICCI has established a National Committee on Art and Business of Art. This committee, comprising leading Indian artists, galleries, auction houses, art historians, policymakers, legal and tax experts, and art patrons, works toward bringing art to the forefront of the national policy agenda. It seeks to drive policy changes that will fuel the sector's growth, engage Indian industry and corporates in its development, and foster public-private partnerships across various aspects of art and the business of art.

Cultural and Creative Economies

The culture and creative industries span a range of diverse fields from architecture, music, heritage, and advertising creating amazing business opportunities. Freelance artists and creative minds and art dealers, agents, and gallery owners who have set up micro-enterprises form a part of these industries. The representatives from these industries whether they are authors or filmmakers, designers or architects, or people working with technology focus on quality, cultural diversity, and creative renewal. The cultural and creative industries are growing at a rapid rate providing opportunities for small businesses and even freelance artists and also ensuring the growth of an innovative and creative knowledge-based economy.

Creative Tourism

The term “Creative Tourism” first originated around the year 2000 and was coined by Crispin Raymond and Greg Richards. The main purpose behind this initiative was to create a more rewarding and engaging way of traveling through diverse activities and interaction mediums with the communities in a place one visits and combat the negative impacts of traditional tourism. Authentic and unique experiences remain the key aim in the case of creative tourism, as opposed to mass tourism which focuses on standard output for the tourists. This kind of tourism experience ensures the incorporation of various creatively designed participatory activities for tourists while making sure to utilize the resources available in the nearest environment and surroundings while empowering the local communities including women and youth and making them self-reliant and creating a long-term sustainable practice.

Cultural Infrastructure

The consumption and access to arts and culture in our everyday lives have a huge impact on our physical and mental growth. It is very crucial to recognize the significance of art concerning its role in entertaining us, moving us, inspiring us, and how it forms an important part of our identity as individuals, communities, and as a nation. The cultural infrastructure includes two types of buildings, structures, and places: the first where art/culture is consumed, experienced, exhibited, sold, like in museums, galleries, theaters, cinemas, libraries, music venues, and historical cultural sites; and the second where it is produced, including places of cultural production by artists, performers, makers, manufacturers, or digitally inducing creative workspaces, performing arts rehearsal spaces, music recording studios, film and television studios (Isabella Duffield). Arts funding and development of these infrastructures in an organized and transparent manner, along with increased participation of the local communities, will lead to the growth of the sector.