1. New Strategies for Cultural Enterprises
UNESCO Forum on Cultural Industries
24-26 September 2009
Monza, Italy
Thomas H. Aageson
Chairman
Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship
Executive Director
Museum of New Mexico Foundation
This presentation is available for download at www.slideshare.net Search “Aageson”

2. We do not become culturally relevant when we
become like the culture, but rather when we
model what the culture hungers to become.
Bill Johnson, Dreaming with God

3. The critical new strategy is to focus on
the Cultural Entrepreneur
The time has arrived, the movement has begun to
develop strategies that support the cultural
entrepreneur in five key areas:
• Cultural Industries Policy
• Education, Training & Mentorship
• Investment Strategies
• Creating Markets, Developing Market Links
• Sharing our Wisdom

4. The Cultural Entrepreneur
Cultural Entrepreneurs are cultural change agents and
resourceful visionaries who generate revenue from a
cultural activity. Their innovative solutions result in
economically sustainable cultural enterprises that
enhance livelihoods and create cultural value and
wealth for both creative producers and consumers of
cultural services and products.
Aageson, Thomas H. “Cultural Entrepreneurs: Producing Cultural Value and Wealth.” The Cultures
and Globalization Series: The Cultural Economy. Ed. Anheier, Helmut and Yudhishthir Raj Isar.
London: Sage Publications, 2008. 92-107.

5. Cultural Industries Policy
Cultural Industries Policy creates the framework
and priorities for investment in Cultural Entrepreneurs,
Cultural Enterprises and, Cultural Industries
Develop Cultural Industries Policy in three areas:
1. Policy that fosters the development of cultural
entrepreneurs
2. Policy that addresses public and private strategies for
cultural industries to grow
3. Policy that focuses on specific sectors and clusters

6. Policy that address public and private
strategies for cultural industries to grow
Several strategies are available to us to build and strengthen our cultural
enterprises:
Invest in Market development and Market Linkages
Locally: Cultural & Creative Tourism
Nationally: New Channels of Distribution; Malls and Festivals, etc.
International:Exporting cultural products and services
Create Investment Funds for Enterprise Growth
Creating new funds, private and public, that invest in our cultural
entrepreneurs who will convert cultural capital into successful
enterprises, enhancing cultural workers livelihoods
www.socialcapitalmarkets.net
Support Technical Assistance for Product Development
The irony of preserving traditions is the seed of innovation and
creativity is needed.

7. Initiate Facility Development
We need cultural incubators, studios, performing venues, such as
the Brewhouse in Göteborg, Sweden
www.brewhouse.se
Foster Network and Cluster Development
Linking together creators and markets will create positive synergy
Provide Legislation that fosters the development of cultural enterprises
and industries
Zoning for arts and cultural districts
Tax incentives to promote investment and market development
Architecture restoration, preservation and zoning
Simplify enterprise regulations and permits
Laws that protect cultural property

8. Policy that focus on specific sectors
and clusters
Key to cultural industries policy is selecting cultural sectors and clusters
integrating creation, production and distribution
Cultural Industry Sectors include:
Artisans Literature
Authors Music
Artists Media: Radio, TV, Newspaper
Architecture Museums
Culinary Performing arts
Design: Graphic, Fashion, Publishers
Industrial Tourism: Cultural, Heritage, Creative
Education and Eco tourism
Festivals and Markets Visual Arts
Film

9. Cultural Entrepreneurship Education and Training
 We need a new form of entrepreneurship education and training to develop
our emerging cultural entrepreneurs.
 Cultural Entrepreneurship takes a different form in emerging economies
versus economies moving out of the industrial age into the creative age.
 How do we develop cultural entrepreneurship with indigenous communities
as a tool for economic development in emerging economies?
 What is the new role of mentorship for assisting cultural entrepreneurs?
The trend in cultural entrepreneurship education is using examples where 20% of
the people live and prosper yet some of the most vibrant cultural enterprise
opportunities are occurring where 80% of the people reside in some of the
poorest countries. How do we shape our cultural industry development in the
context of emerging economies?
What about people who do not have two years nor the funds for a higher
education opportunity? What practical ways can we meet cultural entrepreneurs
in their moment of need and developing their cultural enterprise? (See appendix)

10. Investing in our Cultural Enterprises
and Entrepreneurs
attract other enterprises to increase tax revenues
the local economy
Cultural
Create jobs
enhance Enterprises
attract outside capital
livelihoods
enrich the quality of life create sustainable economic
development
Economic Importance of the Arts and Cultural Industries in Santa Fe County
http://bber.unm.edu/pubs/SFCoArtsES.pdf
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Economic Development Strategy for Implementation
http://www.santafenm.gov/index.aspx?nid=592

11. Sustainability
Cultural enterprises create sustainability that is
economic, social, environmental and cultural, all
woven together. The industry is one of the
strongest growth areas on our world economy as
measured by UNESCO.
International Flows of Selected Cultural Goods and Services, 1994-2003
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=6383_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

12. Let us think together today how we can connect
Financial Capital, Cultural Capital and Cultural Enterprises.
It is up to us to capitalize cultural enterprise investments.
http://www.socialcapitalmarkets.net/
 Create a Cultural Entrepreneur and Enterprise Fund
(See appendix)

13. Creating Markets, Developing Market Links
Our work to support cultural entrepreneurs must
be long term and sustainable.
Is our work to build our brand or to lift people up?
How do we balance Mission and Market ?
If we left, would the cultural workers livelihoods
continue to grow and their families be better off?

14. Creating Markets, Developing Market Links
We have multiple markets for our cultural entrepreneurs:
 Local: Cultural and Creative Tourism
 Regional and National: Fashion, Decorative, Film,
Books,
 International: Export oriented entrepreneurial
efforts
We must find the appropriate channels of distribution
that increase the benefit to the creator and the
merchant.

15. Trends are emerging that can help us create new markets for cultural markets:
1. The Internet is creating direct, global markets
Design 21/UNESCO inspires young designers
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=35082&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Not on the High Street represents 800 artists and craftspeople in the
UK http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/
Etsy has created a new market in two years for Do-it-Yourself folks
http://www.etsy.com/

16. Culture Label is a new site for “culture shoppers”
featuring products from museums aggregated together.
http://www.culturelabel.com/Home.mvc
New Mexico Creates is a brand in Museum of New
Mexico Foundation’s museum shops that now works
with over 800
New Mexico artists and artisans.
www.newmexicocreates.org
eBay developed a new fair trade site with over 6000
products from around the world.
http://worldofgood.ebay.com/

17. 2. Individuals with heart and talent
Shahidul Alam create Drik (Bangladesh) to promote the photographic
work of artists in the majority world to media in the minority world.
www.drik.net/
Sandra Browne created Pelican Village in Barbados for local artisans
through the public office of the Barbados Industrial Development
Corporation http://barbados.org/pelican_village.htm
Carol Cassidy created Lao Textiles that has developed traditional weaving
by connecting the weavers work with high-end markets globally.
www.laotextiles.com/
Lan Tran created Craft Link to help create markets for ethnic communities
in northern and central Vietnam http://www.craftlink.com.vn/

18. Willa Shalit has worked to create markets in the United States for products
manufactured jointly by Palestinian and Israeli women, and by women survivors
of the Rwandan genocide. Fair Winds Trading has become a leading importer of
handmade goods from Rwanda. http://www.fairwindstrading.com/
Patrizia Moroso has created designs made by African artisans
http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/patrizia-moroso-
afrique-cest-chic/
Keith Recker has inaugurated a new magazine that promotes cultural
enterprises, design and market linkages
http://www.handeyemagazine.com
Dan Storper created Putumayo World Music that created a new market
for cultural musicians from around the world.
http://www.putumayo.com/

19. 3. Market creating organizations
ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Association promotes the traditional
work of artisans in Asia http://www.ahpada.com/front/
Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurs promotes the development of cultural
entrepreneurs www.culturalentrepreneurs.org
Aid to Artisans A very clever market creation is have a Month of Artisans each year in a
major grocery chain which is done in Guatemala and El Salvador www.aidtoartisans.org
Heartwear in Paris has a distinguished history of working with artisans to bring their new
products in the markets. http://www.handeyemagazine.com/node/19
African Publishers Network promotes the work of publishers across the continent and
opens markets. http://www.apnet.org/
IndusTree in India is creating markets and building artisan capacity through its
foundation. http://www.industreecrafts.org/home.html

20. Share Our Wisdom (SOW)
Many of us are cultural entrepreneurs and have created
cultural enterprises and all of us who have know what it
takes to be a cultural entrepreneur.
Until today, there lacked a platform to share our
experiences that we may each grow and create more
cultural wealth. There also lacks a forum where we can
train future cultural entrepreneurs by sharing our
wisdom.
Let us SOW seeds of cultural entrepreneurship across
the world.

21. World Forum on Culture
An annual World Forum on Culture would bring
together the leading creators, educators, policy
makers, market makers, investors in the world’s
cultural industries creating a platform to find
solutions through partnerships formed at our
gatherings that create a better world economically,
socially, environmentally and culturally.

22. World Forum on Culture
The Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship
www.culturalentrepreneur.org
offers to host the first World Culture Forum in
Santa Fe, NM (USA) in collaboration with the City
of Santa Fe http://www.santafe.org/, the College
of Santa Fe and the State of New Mexico
Department of Cultural Affairs.

23. Appendix

24. Cultural Capital
• Cultural capital can include traditions, music, skills, dress, stories, art,
decorations, feasts and celebrations, food, place, dwellings (antique,
historic), etc.
• Individuals carry forward traditions while communities often have a
legacy of creative talent that form its cultural capital.
• Organizations, e.g., museums, libraries, performing arts, are
repositories of cultural capital made available to the public.
• Educational organizations that foster cultural creativity and advance
traditions build community cultural capital.
Aageson, Thomas H. “Cultural Entrepreneurs: Producing Cultural Value and Wealth.” The Cultures
and Globalization Series: The Cultural Economy. Ed. Anheier, Helmut and Yudhishthir Raj Isar.
London: Sage Publications, 2008. 92-107.

25. Cultural Enterprise
• Cultural enterprises are commercial ventures that connect creators and artists to
markets and consumers. They create, produce and market cultural goods and services,
generating economic, cultural and social opportunities for creators while adding
cultural value for consumers.
• Cultural enterprises are both nonprofit and profit, that use business approaches; and,
deploy financial, human and cultural capital (creativity, talent, cultural traditions,
knowledge and intellectual property) in a strategic and entrepreneurial manner.
• Cultural enterprises are diverse in nature and size. They range from micro and SME to
large firms. Cultural enterprises operate in the following fields: performing arts,
museums, music, literature, publishing, film, photography, folk art, design, architecture,
education, cultural and creative tourism, new multimedia, etc. They include, for
example, publishing houses, production companies, photo agencies, markets, galleries
or museum enterprises.
Aageson, Thomas H. “Cultural Entrepreneurs: Producing Cultural Value and Wealth.” The Cultures and
Globalization Series: The Cultural Economy. Ed. Anheier, Helmut and Yudhishthir Raj Isar. London: Sage
Publications, 2008. 92-107.

26. Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship:
Fostering Economic Prosperity and Cultural Wealth
Contact:
Tom Aageson
tom@culturalentrepreneur.org
Alice Loy
aliceloy@culturalentrepreneur.org

27. GCCE Core Beliefs
• Talented entrepreneurs drive wealth creation;
• We are entrepreneur focused.
• Cultural entrepreneurs have unique opportunities and needs;
• We are experts in building cultural enterprises.
• Markets drive profit opportunities;
• We build toward growing cultural markets.
• Enterprise networks increase innovation and speed to market
• We build clusters of cultural enterprises.

29. Two Examples of Economic Impact Studies
San Francisco, CA
USA
In San Francisco, the arts create more than 31,000 jobs and generate $1.2
billion in economic activity every year.
The arts produce $105 million in local and state tax revenue for the
San Francisco Bay Area (far more than the government spends on the arts).
Surveys report that 93 percent of parents believe that the arts are essential
to a well-rounded education.
Ten million new jobs in the next decade will be in the "creative class,"
according to economist Richard Florida. These are jobs that involve
imagination and ingenuity which are best developed by experiencing the
arts.

30. Los Angeles, CA
USA
Groundbreaking Report Shows Creative Industries are the #1 Engine of the Los Angeles Economy
Artists and Designers Drive the Largest Segment of Jobs and Sales Revenues in the Region
The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation’s Report on the Creative Economy of the
Los Angeles Region showed that one million direct and indirect jobs are generated by the
creative industries in Los Angeles. The creative industries surpass International Trade and
Tourism. In 2005, the creative economy accounted for 894,000 direct and indirect jobs in Los
Angeles County and generated 140.5 billion in sales/receipts and more than $3.4 billion in state
tax revenues.

31. Education, Training and Mentorship
Higher Education:
Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths College, London
University www.gold.ac.uk/icce (UK)
Office of Entrepreneurship and Liberal Arts-The Program for Creativity and Innovation,
Wake Forest University www.wfu.edu/creativity/about_oels.htm (USA)
Kings College London Business www.kcl.ac.uk/schools (UK)
Columbia College Chicago Art + Design www.colum.edu/Academics/Art_and_Design
(USA)
Post Graduate Entrepreneurship Education:
TITAN Teaterskole, The International Theater Academy www.titanorway.com
(Norway)
Austin Conservatory of Professional Arts www.harttechnique.com (USA)

32. Associations with focus on Cultural Entrepreneurship
United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship has an area for cultural
entrepreneurship. http://usasbe.org/ (USA)
Arts Educators Entrepreneurship Network http://www.ae2n.net/ (USA)
ENCATC www.encatc.org (Belgium)
National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA)
http://www.nesta.org.uk/ (UK)
Example of Artisan Entrepreneurship
Arkansas Craft School www.arkansascraftschool.com/index.html (USA)
Cultural Entrepreneurship Educational Blog
Entrepreneur the Arts http://blog.entrepreneurthearts.com/ (USA)

33. Example of Professional Development
Creative Skills Cornwall http://www.creativeskills.org.uk/BDP (UK)
Natverkstan, Gothenburg http://www.natverkstan.net (Sweden)
Example of Mentorship and Entrepreneur Fellows
Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship www.culturalentrepreneur.org (USA)
Texts:
“Creating Entrepreneurship: entrepreneurship education for the creative industries”, The
Higher Education Academy Art Design Media Subject Centre and NESTA, 2007
“The Cultures and Globalization Series: The Cultural Economy“, Eds Helmut Anheier and
Yudhishthir Raj Isar, Sage Publications, 2008

34. Investing in Our Cultural Enterprises and Entrepreneurs
Creative Strategies for Financing Cultural Enterprises and Entrepreneurs
Philadelphia Innovation www.innovationphiladelphia.com
Denver, CO
Creative Enterprise Mapping
http://www.denvergov.org/economicdevelopment/MapofDenversCreativeEnterprises/tabid/385865/Defa
ult.aspx
Arts Funding through a Quality of Life Tax
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/OEDIT/OEDIT/1167928218425
Oregon Cultural Trust supported by the people of Oregon
http://www.culturaltrust.org/home/index.php
Future Jobs Fund (UK) L1 billion
http://campaigns.dwp.gov.uk/campaigns/futurejobsfund/
The Foundation for the Culture of the Future (Sweden)
http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/sweden.php?aid=71

35. “Investing in Creative Industries? A guide for local authorities”
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/11169467 Excellent checklist
Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs ANDE (USA)
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/aspen-network-development-entrepreneurs Coalition of
organizations, foundations and individuals investing in entrepreneurs in the developing world
Fast Forward
Youth Investing in Youth for Global Change
<http://www.fastforwardfund.org/>
Creative Capital supporting American artists (USA)
http://creative-capital.org/
PULSE/IRIS Project
A high impact method of measuring how investments in cultural enterprises make a difference
http://iris-standards.org/

36. Advantage Creative Fund
A West Midlands (UK) venture capital fund to invest in creative industries
www.advantagecreativefund.co.uk/acf-index.php?id=244
Polyphonic Venture Capital Fund for Music (USA)
http://www.nettwerk.com/node/989
Enterprising Non Profit Program (Canada) Building a marketspace for social capital
www.socialfinance.ca
Allegheny, PA Regional Assets districts (USA) Support and finance regional assets in the
area of culture and sports from a share of sales tax. http://www.radworkshere.org/
ENDEAVOR
Make investments and build capacity in high impact entrepreneurs around the work.
http://www.endeavor.org/
Detroit Community Foundation
Matching grant initiative online was oversubscribed 2009 (USA)
http://blogpublic.lib.msu.edu/index.php/2009/08/16/community-foundation-of-
southeastern-mic?blog=51

37. Bilateral
Vietnam and Denmark joined together to invest in Vietnam’s cultural industries
http://www.ambhanoi.um.dk/NR/rdonlyres/2027A055-57EB-484D-AC8A-
63DCBE09B087/0/2ArtsEducationComponentFinal.pdf
USAID They have made investments in artisan enterprise development in Ghana, Peru,
southern Africa, Haiti, and Mexico. www.usaid.org
Multilateral
Inter-American Development Bank They have made their first three investments in cultural
industries: Columbia, Ecuador and Panama http://www.iadb.org/
National Programs
Endowment for the Arts (USA) Social Innovation Fund
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-to-Request-50-Million-to-
Identify-and-Expand-Effective-Innovative-Non-Profits/

38. Thomas H. Aageson
tom@museumfoundation.org
tom@culturalentrepreneur.org
Museum of New Mexico Foundation
POB 2065
Santa Fe, NM 87504
USA
505-982-6366
This presentation is available for download at www.slideshare.net Search “Aageson”