DEVELOPMENT IN THE ARTS & CREATIVE INDUSTRY Image credit: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ICT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE ARTS & CREATIVE INDUSTRY Image credit: http://http://ow.ly/gI53I 3ddock / 123RF Stock Photo

5/31/2014 West Africa Regional Workshop on Youth, ICTs & Global Challenges

“Too much

agreement kills a chat.” Eldridge Cleaver

5/31/2014 West Africa Regional Workshop on Youth, ICTs & Global Challenges

Why do the youth need ICT?

Increased participation in political process

Training needed to pursue a career or studies

For young people, access to info means better access to capital & markets

Recognition of the youth as responsible citizens ITU research has shown benefits of ICT across all major sectors

ICT & THE YOUTH (COTD.)

Youth entrepreneurship is facilitated by access to technology, the internet and information. Good news is that the youth are using ICT – the challenge is to inspire them to use it to change their world in a positive way. National and international policy and regulatory bodies – governments, civil society and the UN have a role to play in encouraging the accelerated use of ICTs for the development of the youth

POTENTIAL OF ICTs IN YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Source: Adapted from Haddad (2007)

The United Nations, Youth & ICT

• The United Nations recognizes young people as avid and creative

users of ICTs, and as key contributors to building an inclusive Information Society and bridging the Digital Divide.

• The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva

(2003) and Tunis (2005) produced goals with respect to the development and expansion of access to ICT globally

• The WSIS Geneva Plan of Action included goals to connect

educational institutions with ICT by 2015 and to adapt school curricula to meet the challenges of the Information Society. The importance of capacity building and ICT literacy is also highlighted.

• The World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) also highlights

the importance of improving access to the Internet and to increase information technology literacy at large.

Ghana Youth & ICT

Ghana’s ICT4AD policy recognizes the need to

• Develop the nation’s human resource in critical skill

areas in all sectors of the economy

• Promote basic ICT training in all schools and

colleges

• Transform Ghana into information and knowledge-

driven ICT literate nation

YOUTH, ICT & CREATIVE INDUSTRY

• The arts & creative industry embraces a wide spectrum of

modern economic endeavours such as design, fashion, screenwriting, music, film and television

• The creative industry is part of the new knowledge economy

(Addy, 2013). Creativity is in fact the key to all forms of development and progress – economic , technological social – for any country or society.

THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY: GHANAIAN CONTEXT

Creativity is at the heart of Ghanaian culture – a defining feature

• f our national identity. Ghana is a creative country. You can feel

it everywhere – in our music, film, fashion and architecture. OPPORTUNITIES: In the transition to knowledge-based economies, the creative or cultural industries have emerged as the most rapidly growing sector. CHALLENGES: From discussions with Creative Industries ( CI ) businesses and personalities within Ghana, it appears that the key issues facing CI entrepreneurs in Ghana can be summarized as:

CHALLENGES (CONTD.)

Networking – Limited informal and formal networks, national, regional and international, personal and virtual Lack of business support - business advice, specific business skills, liaison with organisations and professionals for this purpose Limited use of ICT, e-commerce, professional software (graphics, administrative systems) i.e. training needs

How can ICT Empower the Youth in the Creative Industry

• Equal, global opportunity for the youth in the arts.
• Can be used as a marketing tool. Promotional Presentations

such as;

• PowerPoint presentations, video presentations and animation

software are used to promote DVD and CD products, usually new releases.

• Sony promote new music releases through YouTube,

sonymusic SME's Channel.

• Sony also promotes its music CDs through the Twitter website

(twitter.com/SONYMUSICGLOBAL).

POLICY CONCLUSIONS

It appears that access and use of ICTs can be a powerful tool to:

• Spread knowledge and information;
• Provide employment; and
• Increase participation among young people (Kenny, 2006)

As such, the general policy prescriptions that apply to access and use

• f ICT among the youth in general, and particularly youth in the arts

are relevant.

• Education (introduction of computers to the youth the arts)
• Working with stakeholders to prevent access to harmful content
• Providing business support
• Encouraging networking

SOURCES CITED

• Addy Nii-Okai, G. (2013). A New Agenda for Arts, Culture,

Heritage and the Creative Industries: http://www.aaaccra.org/

• Haddad, W (2007) ICTs for Education: A Reference Handbook.

Retrieved on May 15, 2014 from http://www.ictinedtoolkit.org/

• Kenny, C. (2006)Overselling the Web? Development and the

Internet Boulder: Lynne Reienner

• UNESCO (2011). Promoting Arts and Creativity. Available at:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/hiv-and-aids/

• Kirstie V. Angstman

Arts Administrator & Executive Director of Kianda Consult Email: vanesamil@yahoo.com Tel: +233 (0) 50 680 8929

• Freeman W.K Homatekpor (BBA, ABE)

Project Coordinator, Kianda Consult Email: freemanhomatekpor@yahoo.com Tel: +233 (0) 54 675 9925