We take a strategic view of cultural creation to present an initiative that targets key stages in the value chain to increase the supply of Arab cultural outputs and build regional cultural consumption, creating a more vibrant regional market for culture.

1. The Arab Cultural Initiative
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strategic and organizational issues
facing governments, social sector
institutions, and corporations in the
Arab World.
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2. The Arab Cultural Initiative supports a cooperative environment that will reawaken the
regional cultural community thereby unleashing Arab imagination
Potential Strategic Objectives of the
Cultural Framework
• Promote the role of culture in socio-economic
development - the link between creativity in the
cultural community and innovation
• With a strong emphasis on the youth and The Framework Achieves These Objectives By
disadvantaged, improve access to and Taking A Value Chain View of Culture and
participation in culture while also promoting Influencing Priority Behaviors for Social Change
cultural respect and learning
• The Arab Cultural Initiative takes a strategic view
• Stimulate creativity, imagination, and cross of the cultural value creation chain, which is a
border dissemination of culture and the linked set of value-creating activities from
movement of artists, creators, and other cultural production/creation to consumption by cultural
professionals and their works consumers
• Encourage strategic cultural planning initiatives
at the community and local government levels;
nurture businesses and organizations engaged in
the production of cultural goods and services
• Foster intercultural dialogue to promote mutual
understanding of Arab culture and history
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3. The Initiative targets key stages in the value chain to increase the supply of Arab cultural outputs
and build regional cultural consumption, creating a more vibrant regional market for culture
The Cultural Value Creation Chain – How Culture is Created
The Challenge
Support initiatives in
Consumption Conservation the upstream and
Production Distribution
and Participation and Preservation downstream cultural
and Creation and Touring
value chain that
promote participation
in and appreciation for
Arab culture.
Upstream Downstream
Focus on downstream support mechanisms
Focus on institutions, cultural suppliers, distribution
such as access, education, and promotion
Key Issues to Address
• Linkage between creativity and innovation and economic development • Expanding access to culture through technology and institutional strengthening
• Regional dissemination of culture and mobility of cultural professionals • Engaging youth to participate in culture
• Funding for and cooperation between institutions/organizations/governments • Promoting intercultural dialogue as a bridge to mutual understanding
• Strengthening cultural industries which are large employers of youth and women • Protecting and rehabilitating cultural heritage
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4. The Initiative plays a critical role in promoting participation and appreciation for culture, creating
a foundation of creativity to form knowledge based economies
The Relationship Between Innovation and Creativity in a Knowledge Economy
Social Impact
Socio-economic impacts of Culture • A 2006 National Endowment for the Arts study
demonstrates a clear link between cultural
• Cultural disciplines are exemplary forms of knowledge production participation and community health.
• Economic and social value is created when innovation and creativity are brought together. • Cultural participants, engage in positive civic
• The practices cultural disciplines play an important role in creating environments that and individual activities—from exercise to
stimulate enquiry, sharing, and diffusion of ideas critical to a knowledge economies charity work, from hiking to amateur sports
league attendance—at higher rates.
Source: http://www.nea.gov/pub/CivicEngagement.pdf
Knowledge Economy Cultural Community
Culture is an Economic Lever
• Culture has become an essential component in
Knowledge Infrastructure Cultural Incubators the quality of life, a source of tourist revenue and
• Higher Education • Clusters of Activity a “creativity lever” for new goods and services.
• R&D Spending • Creative Environment • The contribution of culture to employment
• Science and Technology • Cross Disciplinary Interaction can vary from 3 to 7 % or more
Source:http://www.oecd.org/document/50/0,3343,en_2649_3
4459_34918578_1_1_1_1,00.html
Knowledge Infrastructure Cultural Incubators
Enables Innovation Enable Creativity
Strategic Intervention Requires a Dual
Focus on Upstream and Downstream
• Several programs support the upstream process
Innovation policies and systems employ a Creative disciplines benefit from pull - the institution, the artist, or creator
push strategy aimed at industry and strategies which target consumers to • Many cultural projects provide inadequate
government channel members. facilitate flow from producer to end user. investment to facilitate upstream
development and lack downstream support
mechanisms such as distribution and promotion.
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5. • For Further Information About This Initiative ‫للمزيد من المعلومات عن هذه المبادرة‬ •
To get a copy of the full presentation or to ‫للحصول على العرض التقديمي الكامل لهذه المبادرة يرجى االتصال‬
discuss the findings, please contact Wes wes.schwalje@tahseen.ae ‫بـ ويزلي شوالييه على العنوان‬
Schwalje wes.schwalje@tahseen.ae
• For Inquiries About Our Services and ‫• لالستفسار عن خدماتنا ولعرض أفكاركم علينا‬
Requests for Proposals
‫لالستفسار عن خدماتنا أو عرض أفكاركم علينا يرجى االتصال بنا‬
To inquire about our services or submit a ‫عبر اإلنترنت باستخدام النموذج أدناه أو إرسال بريد إلكتروني إلى‬
request for proposal, please contact us using fikra@tahseen.ae
the online form or send an e-mail to
fikra@tahseen.ae
• For Organizations Interested in Alliances ‫• بالنسبة للمنظمات التي لديها اهتمام بالدخول في اتفاقيات شراكة‬
‫وفي تحالفات مع شركة تحسين لالستشارات‬
We are interested in opportunities where our
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partners to pursue specific government funding ّ
.‫بما يمكن من السعي للحصول على تمويل حكومي أو عقود تجارية‬
opportunities, commercial contracts, or RFPs.
‫لبدء نقاش حول الدخول في تحالف مع شركة تحسين لالستشارات‬
To begin a discussion about entering into an
alliance with Tahseen Consulting, please ‫يرجى االتصال بوليد العرادي على العنوان‬
contact Walid Aradi at walid.aradi@tahseen.ae walid.aradi@tahseen.ae
• For Members of the Press or Media ‫• بالنسبة للعاملين في الصحافة أو في وسائل اإلعالم‬
For media inquiries, please contact Wes ّ
‫لالستفسارات المقدمة من قبل وسائل اإلعالم يرجى االتصال بـ‬
Schwalje at wes.schwalje@tahseen.ae wes.schwalje@tahseen.ae ‫ويـزلي شـوالييه على العنوان‬