Creative Nassau, in collaboration with The Central Bank of The Bahamas and the Inter-American Development Bank, invites the public to The Orange Economy Webinar on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at the Central Bank Conference Room from 9am – 1pm. The webinar will examine and discuss the benefits of this economic model, which centres on the immense value that can be derived from the creative industries for the country and the region.
Due to limited seating at the Central Bank, the public is urged to reserve their space for this valuable seminar as soon as possible by registering on the Creative Nassau website’s “CONTACT US” page at www.creativenassau.com, or by sending an email to creativenassau@gmail.com. Picture ID will also be required for entry to the Central Bank on the day of the webinar. The Central Bank will also be providing an internet link for individuals to log in to the webinar site.
The Orange Economy e-book is free and can be downloaded from the internet. Launched by the IDB in October 2013, the book has been described as follows: This manual has been designed and written with the purpose of introducing key concepts and areas of debate around the "creative economy", a valuable development opportunity that Latin America, the Caribbean and the world at large cannot afford to miss. The creative economy, which we call the "Orange Economy" in this book (you'll see why), encompasses the immense wealth of talent, intellectual property, interconnectedness, and, of course, cultural heritage of the Latin American and Caribbean region (and indeed, every region). At the end of this manual, you will have the knowledge base necessary to understand and explain what the Orange Economy is and why it is so important. You will also acquire the analytical tools needed to take better advantage of opportunities across the arts, heritage, media, and creative services.
The webinar will feature economist Felipe Buitrago, one of the authors of the e-book, as the main speaker. In July 2014, Mr Buitrago was invited to speak at the Central Bank of The Bahamas, along with the President of Creative Nassau, Pamela Burnside, who had previously been invited to Washington, DC to be a panelist on the IDB’s Caribbean symposium “Fostering Economic and Commercial Viability of the Caribbean Creative Economy” and the presentation was repeated at the Central Bank for the benefit of the Bahamian audience. This encounter established the strong relationship between the participants.
Other speakers for the webinar will include Dr Keith Nurse, a well-respected Caribbean scholar and researcher, and Peter Ives from the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the first cities to be designated a City of Crafts and Folk Arts in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). A trip to Santa Fe by Jackson and Pam Burnside to attend a Creative Tourism Conference in 2008 became the impetus to form Creative Nassau on their return in order to facilitate their company’s mission. The main goal is that ‘by the year 2020, more persons will travel to The Bahamas for its art, culture and heritage rather than merely for its sun, sand and sea’ – an achievable timeline that is coming closer to fruition. Creative Nassau now comprises an executive team of four Bahamian creatives wholly dedicated to fulfilling that mission.
In 2014, Creative Nassau was successful in obtaining the prestigious UCCN designation for the City of Nassau as a City of Crafts and Folk Arts, one of the first cities to do so in the region. Presently there are only two other Caribbean cities in the UCCN – Jacmel in Haiti, and Kingston, Jamaica so more cities are encouraged to apply to join the Network. In the same way it is envisioned that this Orange Economy webinar can establish a vital link between cities within the region, membership in the UCCN would also provide a similar opportunity.
As a UNESCO Creative City, Nassau is a member of a network that consists of 116 cities in 54 countries around the world covering the seven creative fields of Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music, and Media Arts, with the mandate to use creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The cities work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level. The Orange Economy model, therefore, is a perfect tool to achieve these goals. More information on the network can be obtained from the UCCN website at http://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/home
Creative Nassau President, Pam Burnside, expressed her sincere thanks to Governor Rolle and his team at the Central Bank of The Bahamas for facilitating the event, as the Bank’s support since 2014 has been unwavering. She also thanked the IDB for their assistance and encouragement, along with the other speakers. It is hoped that understanding and adopting the Orange Economy model will be recognized as an important tool for sustainable development whose benefits can assist not only The Bahamas, but other countries of the region.
Felipe Buitrago Dr Keith Nurse Peter Ives
