What are the creative industries?
When using the term cultural and creative industries, the first question that arises is: What part of the economy is covered here and what characterizes this economic sector?
In June 2008, the Conference of Economics Ministers of the German federal states defined the cultural and creative industries as follows: "The cultural and creative industries include those cultural and creative enterprises that are primarily commercially oriented and are involved in the creation, production, distribution and/or media dissemination of cultural/creative goods and services"¹.
This definition therefore not only includes the creative act, but also focuses on the commercial orientation of the activity and takes into account the distribution (sales) of the goods and values created.
Eleven submarkets or sectors are assigned to the cultural and creative industries according to the Conference of Economics Ministers of the Federal States.
These are
- Music industry,
- book market,
- art market,
- film industry,
- broadcasting industry,
- performing arts market,
- design industry,
- architecture industry,
- press market and
- advertising market.
Creative industries in Offenbach
A report on the creative industries was prepared for the city of Offenbach am Main back in 2007, which contains its own definition of the creative industries in Offenbach. Offenbach's definition of the creative industries therefore predates the definition of the Conference of Economics Ministers of the Federal States. Compared to the definition of the Conference of Economics Ministers of the Federal States, the Offenbach definition is somewhat narrower and focuses on the creative act of creative activity.
It reads: "Offenbach's creative industries are therefore companies and freelancers that are geared towards the artistic and creative production of goods and services on a commercial basis. The businesses/freelancers are at the beginning of a creative value chain, the focus of turnover relates to activities that involve a creative act. This definition explicitly does not include businesses and freelancers whose sales focus is on the procurement and distribution of creative goods and services."²
The sectors that are subsumed under the creative industries in Offenbach can also be found in the definition of the federal states, so that the Offenbach definition remains valid for the location.
Companies and self-employed people from the following sectors belong to Offenbach's creative industries:
- Design (including fashion and graphic design)
- IT industry
- Management consultancy / advertising (including marketing)
- Architecture and engineering firms
- Audiovisual sector (film, TV, video, radio, photography)
- Book and press market
- Arts & culture (visual, performing and entertainment arts)
- Research & development
The promotion of the creative industries in Offenbach is based on the following aspects:
- Strengthening local companies in the creative industries
- Networking between companies and stakeholders
- Opening of contact forums to initiate cooperation between companies
- Increasing the visibility of the creative industries
- Supporting and securing the existence of existing companies
- Strengthening by attracting new companies