In its second edition, the Creative Industry Guide is still a first for Namibia. It puts the creative economy of Namibia into perspective through a comprehensive listing of creative companies, organizations and professionals ranging from architecture to visual arts and crafts, while at the same time offering insights from local industry experts on how the industry assists in the development of Namibia.
From design to education, the Guide showcases the range of economic activities within the Creative Namibian Industry while addressing the ever-increasing issue of ideas-generation, the value this holds for creative Namibians, as well as the exploitation of knowledge and information in a digital age.
An invaluable resource introducing the narrative of financial contributions and the direction that creative vision is taking the country, the Creative Industry Guide of Namibia plays host to growing voice of creativity.
World-wide, creative industries have been accepted as an integral part of economic growth, with the Urban Studies Theorist Richard Florida suggesting that "human creativity is the ultimate economic resource”.
It is time that Namibians see the true value of creativity, the true worth of preserving and taking ownership of our cultures, and the potential for wealth generation, from informal trading in curios as much as from commercial campaigns.
After all, you can’t build the Namibian House without the right architects.
What do we aim to do with the Namibian Creative Industry Guide:
● Highlight the importance of the creative industries in relation to Namibia’s NDP5 Goals, Vision 2030, the UN Development Goals and the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
● Provide insight on how the different creative sectors contribute to socio and economic development in Namibia.
● Address intellectual property and copyright in an easy-to-understand way.
● Create an all-encompassing reference around the creative industries in Namibia, including much needed information on:
○ Key contributors within the creative industries, including institutions, associations, bodies and organizations.
○ Information about where to trade and showcase creative products.
○ Information about funding and training institutions for prospective and existing contributors in the creative industries.
The Namibia Creative Industry Guide is divided into ten different industry sectors, namely
● Advertising & Marketing
● Architecture
● Craft
● Design: Product, Graphic & Fashion
● Film, TV, Radio & Photography
● IT, Software & Computer Services
● Publishing
● Museums, Galleries, Libraries
● Music, Performing & Visual Arts
● Institutions and Creative Services
How to use this guide
Each chapter in the guide deals with a specific sector of the Namibian Creative Industry. Listings in each chapter are preceded by a contribution from an industry expert or experts offering their insight into the place their industry takes on the Namibian Creative Stage.
Overall, please feel free to use the insights and hard data in the Creative Industry Guide as a reference. We also ask that all creatives and researchers share their knowledge with the Creative Industry Guide so that the next edition can be even more influential.
www.creativeindustryguide.com
