WCCE is taking place from December 7th until 9th, 2021 at Dubai Expo.
The World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) is as a landmark platform for industry players and stakeholders to exchange ideas, resolve challenges, discuss new opportunities, and build networks to support the growth of the global creative economy.
This year the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, under the leadership of Her Excellency H.E. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, is hosting WCCE 2021 from December 7th until 9th at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in the heart of Dubai Expo 2020.
WCCE 2021 is taking place in Dubai as a result of a partnership with Indonesia, which hosted the inaugural event in Bali in 2018 and offered a forum for policymakers and industry players to exchange ideas, resolve challenges and identify opportunities within the creative economy. Participants included Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Emmy Award-winning US filmmaker Lisa Russell, Danish designer Troels Seidenfaden and representatives from the China Film Group Corporation.
For this year’s iteration of the WCCE, there are over sixty in-person and virtual sessions planned over three days that will bring together leading international thinkers, policy makers, creatives and innovators to catalyse the future of the global creative economy.
The creative community will use this dynamic platform to engage with one another and take concrete steps towards a more sustainable creative economy. As the pace of innovation and technological disruption continues to accelerate, WCCE 2021 is a unique forum and an ideal opportunity to share knowledge, analyse trends and debate ideas. This is the place to collaboratively and practically engage with the future of the creative economy, helping to build it on inclusive, responsible, and human-first foundations.
The WCCE 2021 program is being organized around six broad themes that will collectively define the future of the global creative economy, and they are as follows:
EDUCATION UNLEASHED
Liberating potential through cross-disciplinary learning
REWORKING WORK
Connecting people, ideas and places
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION
Applying creativity to release the positive power of technology
ELEVATING THE MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPE
New ways to convey and consume content
FUTURE SUSTAINABLE
New thinking for responsible living
INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY
Harnessing creativity to help build inclusive, diverse societies.
The six themes will be addressed under this one event through a packed agenda that includes: industry-leading talks, in-depth workshops, inspiring exhibitions, creative performances, collaborative opportunities and next-level networking.
A few highlights include a session moderated by Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi, Founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation, titled The role of the Creative Economy in Cultivating and Catalysing Inclusivity under the theme of Inclusivity & Diversity. The session will tackle the factors that ensure an environment where creativity flourishes and access to the creative economy is truly inclusive, as well as how investment into the creative economy is needed to unlock value chains for global society on multiple levels – from sustainable development to financial, social and cultural prosperity.
Sheikha Fouz Al-Sabah, Founder and Managing Director of Khaleejesque will also be speaking about the launch of Radar, the regional creative mapping project. Titled The Value of Mapping Creativity under the theme, Future Sustainable, we will hear about the insights and challenges that emerged from this unique initiative by Khaleejesque, which mapped more than 200 organisations in the regional CCI landscape, and conducted research sessions with leading institutions and sector specialists, which ultimately led to the launch of the Radar Regional Creative Mapping Project, a first of its kind resource, highlighting cultural happenings and supporting creatives in and from the GCC.
The year 2021 was declared the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development by the United Nations and WCCE 2021 marks the end of this pivotal year.
Words: Saira Malik
Visuals: WCCE.AE
