Introduction

Tashgeel Readiness

IDare for Sustainable Development is a civil society organization actively involved in Jordan’s youth work sector. Since 2018, IDare has been supporting Jordan’s youth through our innovative initiative, C-Hub: Innovation and Creation. We firmly believe in the Creative and Cultural Industry’s potential to not only uncover opportunities for young people but also enable them to generate income and employment, guided by the principle of Tashgheel.

Presently, Jordan’s creative and cultural landscape showcases a variety of initiatives yet lacks an official governing body or comprehensive structure to support the creative-cultural economy. This recognition came with Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision in November 2022, marking the first acknowledgment of Creative and Cultural Industries as engines of growth and enablers for the broader economy. This new perspective emphasizes the creative-cultural sector’s key role in shaping Jordan’s growth, positioning it as a catalyst for development and a national priority. The vision also underscores a commitment to a human-centric government and utilizing design thinking for competitive advantage.

“Tashgeel Readiness” as termed by IDare, represents a distinct approach to employment centered around productivity-driven income generation. Unlike traditional employment, Tashgeel embraces all individuals, allowing self-driven and location-independent income. It prioritizes competencies and networks, enabling people to offer services or products for predetermined compensation based on factors like quantity, time, and service type. Unlike conventional employment, focused on the public sector, Tashgeel predominantly targets the private sector, enhancing overall economic efficiency. Beyond financial gain, Tashgeel encompasses pursuing personal passions and values, offering enduring growth opportunities and income proportional to effort. This contrasts with traditional employment, which might offer fixed income, limited growth, and misalignment with personal convictions. IDare’s concept of workforce readiness encourages individuals to leverage their unique skills and interests for income generation in ways that are both efficient and personally fulfilling.

For organizations like IDare for Sustainable Development, competencies take on a crucial role. We adhere to a comprehensive view of competencies, encompassing three essential components: knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. This holistic understanding is shaped by the realization that competencies develop through a combination of these elements, harmoniously intertwined. A challenge arises in the discourse surrounding competency development. The terms “competency” and “skills” are often used interchangeably, creating a conflation. This narrative limitation is particularly evident in interventions and strategies, which frequently focus solely on skills, neglecting the comprehensive nature of competencies that include knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The perception of competencies being solely skill-based inhibits the broader understanding necessary for effective development. By embracing the entire spectrum of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors, we can truly unlock the potential of competencies and pave the way for more comprehensive and impactful interventions in workforce development.

Moreover, the OECD report titled “Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED): Defining Culture, Creative Identities, Places and Industries” sheds light on the skills landscape within the creative and cultural industries. The report highlights that skills gaps are more pronounced in respect to general, transferable skills (such as time and people management, customer service) compared to specialized, creative skills. Soft skills, technical skills, and managerial/administrative skills related to cultural and creative work are all crucial. While both technical and managerial skills are important, there seems to be a deficiency in skills (skills-gaps), particularly in the creative and cultural industries. Furthermore, the report suggests that skills gaps in specialized areas often lead to shortages in more generalized, transferable skills. For instance, a survey indicates that employers reported skill gaps in areas such as professional marketing and communication skills, problem-solving, business support services, fundraising skills, and social media skills.

Forum on Creative and Cultural Industry (CCI): The future is Now in Jordan

The Creative and Cultural Industry (CCI) Forum: The Future is Now took place on September 4 to 6, 2023 at Amman, Jordan with discussions and insights that spotlight the crucial role of the creative economy in national as well as the global economic advancement. The forum is implemented by IDare for Sustainable Development, financed by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH’s implemented Global Project: Cultural and Creative Industries. The Creative Cultural Industry (CCI) is considered as a promising growth engine for Jordan as well as an enabler for other sectors – “fundamental infrastructure for other sectors in Jordan”. The strategic state of the sector lies in a strong regional brand known for entrepreneurship and creativity as well as a strong talent base. However, the CCI in Jordan is a fragmented sector that lacks strong awareness, recognition, and integration by the public and the private sector. In addition to its small local market and limited international market access.

A notable demographic trend in Jordan is the substantial percentage of youth aged 12 to 30, constituting around 36% of the population as of 2021, according to UNICEF report This age group’s projected growth, particularly the 15 to 25 aged cohort, raises the importance of enabling their transition to active participation in economic, social, and public life, as highlighted by the OECD report “Empowering Youth and Building Trust in Jordan”. Unfortunately, youth unemployment is a pressing issue in the country, with rates ranging from 39.4% to 45% in 2022, based on varying reports. A significant proportion of young individuals, around 39%, are categorized as not in education, employment, or training (NEET), as stated in the UNICEF Policy brief “Barriers to Economic Participation for Young People in Jordan: A Gendered Analysis.”

Reports on the future of jobs emphasize the need for governments to address upskilling, reskilling, and skills development to match the changing job landscape. These reports also underline the preferences of young people and new generations entering the workforce, which include a practical work-life balance and meaningful engagement across personal, social, and work domains. A challenging aspect is the disconnect between the number of graduates from Jordanian universities and the availability of new job opportunities. Estimations suggest an annual output of 70,000 to 100,000 graduates, while the government aims to generate around 60,000 new jobs each year, highlighting a significant gap in employment prospects for graduates.

Problem
12 key challenges facing Jordanian Creative and Cultural Industries:

In the context of Jordan, there are 12 key challenges identified for the creative and cultural industries sector, according to the Jordan Economic Modernisation Vision. including public awareness, branding, market access, recognition, and integration. The CCI Forum in September 2023 addressed some of these challenges by creating awareness and recognition at the national level, facilitating networking, and providing opportunities for exchange and learning. The 12 Key Challenges areas for Jordan are:

1. Skill gaps and shortages: The departure of talent from Jordan and deficiencies in specific skill areas or business expertise.
2. Public awareness: Limited recognition, understanding, and integration of the sector by both the public and private spheres.
3. Government processes: Complex and unwieldy regulations misaligned with the sector’s needs.
4. Representation: Absence of a united representative body advocating for the creative sector.
5. Access to finance and funding: A lack of comprehension of the business model by banks, investors, and funders, leading to hesitance in providing financing.
6. Market size: Restricted demand for certain creative and cultural industry services, with sluggish growth.
7. Branding and market access: Limited international recognition and access for Jordan’s creative and cultural industries.
8. Education: Incompatibility of the education system with sector requirements, along with constrained physical infrastructure and ecosystem.
9. Infrastructure and ecosystem: Limited physical infrastructure and technologies hindering growth, compounded by restrictive procurement laws.
10. Payment and funding system: An underdeveloped payment system, lack of integration with global systems, and challenges in fund disbursement.
11. Data and research: A scarcity of data and research elucidating the sector’s impact and benefits.
12. Sector workforce: Insufficient support for sector workforce innovation, posing risks of potential setbacks.

Background Information
The evolution of the creative economy agenda at the global level

The global agenda for the creative economy has evolved significantly over the years, gaining recognition at various international forums and institutions.

• In 2004, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) defined the creative economy as knowledge-based economic activities that underpin the “creative industries.” These industries were classified into categories such as arts and crafts, audiovisual, design, new media, performing arts, publishing, and visual arts.
• UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, signed by Jordan in 2007, recognizes the significance of cultural industries in conveying cultural expressions, irrespective of their commercial value. UNESCO emphasizes that creative and cultural industries play a crucial role in economic growth, contributing to a significant portion of global GDP and employment.
• The year 2020 saw the Saudi Arabian G20 presidency acknowledging the cultural and creative industries as drivers of inclusive and sustainable economic development.
• In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly declared it the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, further highlighting the global focus on this sector.
• In 2021, the British Council introduced the Global Agenda for the Cultural and Creative Industries, an initiative designed to tackle challenges confronting the creative economy. This comprehensive effort encompassed 11 Key Actions addressing various aspects of the creative landscape, including creative education and skills development, fostering creative entrepreneurship and innovation, supporting creative careers, freelancers, and informal livelihoods, advancing research and development in the cultural and creative industries, exploring the interplay between the cultural and creative sectors and the digital economy, advocating for environmental sustainability within these industries, promoting the growth of creative cities and regional clusters, exploring alternative financial models for the cultural and creative sectors, championing social equity, cultural diversity, and inclusion in these industries, establishing international standards for data collection and sharing, and finally, fostering international collaboration for governance within the cultural and creative sectors.
• The Rome Declaration on G20 Culture Ministers, adopted unanimously, brought the cultural sector into the G20 agenda. The declaration underscored the role of culture and creative industries as drivers of innovation and balanced development, highlighted the preservation and protection of cultural heritage, and stressed the importance of digital transformation, education, and addressing culturally-induced climate change.

Start with a common understanding and definition
Key challenges and urgent responses in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) landscape:

One of the main challenges that necessitates immediate attention and achievable solutions pertains to the lack of a shared understanding of terminologies and definitions within the CCI. In Jordan, the absence of an official locally endorsed definition presents a barrier. While the UNESCO definition is widely acknowledged and utilized, UNESCO’s comprehensive definition encompasses diverse sectors such as advertising, architecture, crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, software, and more. It extends to cultural heritage, tourism, and events. According to the UK Department for Digital Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), creative and cultural industries are activities rooted in individual creativity, skill, and talent, with the potential to generate wealth and create jobs through the creation and exploitation of intellectual property. This definition underscores the significance of individual creativity intertwined with skills and talents, which collectively possess the potential for economic prosperity and employment generation. Moreover, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) defines these industries as involving the entire cycle of creating, producing, and distributing goods and services that rely on creativity and intellectual capital as their primary inputs. This definition, too, places a strong emphasis on the crucial role of creativity in the context of these industries. The Jordan Economic Modernization Vision classifies the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) into four primary categories: heritage, art (encompassing visual art and entertainment), media, and functional arts. Within the media category, it encompasses a wide range of elements, including audio-visuals, film, music, live music, new media, publishing, and web 3.0.

Moreover, the nuances of the term “culture” in Arabic (“Thaqafa”) warrant attention. In both Arabic and English, the terms convey the core of cultural heritage. However, the Arabic term “Thaqafa” holds an added connotation of culture’s fortification and positive influence on individual development. The report of the first Meet-Up on 21 March 2023 and the respective concept note dive into this topic and offer a comprehensive exploration.

A noticeable absence of unified language and comprehension exists amongst stakeholders in the creative and cultural sector. This disparity extends across practitioners, civil society organizations, and government entities. The lack of synchronized terminologies and shared understanding poses a significant hurdle in establishing a definitive definition for the creative and cultural economy. This challenge impedes the ability to conceptualize, implement, and gauge the impact of the sector. To advance discussions surrounding CCI, achieving mutual understanding between non-state actors and government officials emerges as a vital imperative. A unity of comprehension prevents confusion, facilitates effective communication and collaboration, nurtures trust and credibility, and cultivates a more professional and cohesive sector identity. Certain terms, such as “entertainment” in lieu of “performing arts” or “market” instead of “audience,” can more effectively convey the economic potential of the creative industries to governmental stakeholders.

Enhancing communication and comprehension might necessitate the development of a shared language and standardized framework that caters to both government and creative-cultural actors. Such an approach involves translating the lexicon of the creative-cultural industries into understandable terms to the government and vice versa. This alignment holds the potential to facilitate meaningful progress, harmonize perspectives, and foster a more unified and prosperous creative and cultural ecosystem.

Proposed solutions

1. Beyond an ecosystem

Rather than a conventional ecosystem, it is more accurate to perceive the creative-cultural industry as a network of functional components interdependent for effective operation. A delicate equilibrium between regulation and profitability is essential to avoid stifling creativity. A central focus lies in supporting local creative-cultural industries, necessitating the awareness of the value inherent in domestically crafted products. This entails educating consumers about production processes and distinct attributes, potentially incentivizing local product prioritization over cheaper imports by retailers and institutions. Understanding the fundamentals of a market is integral. It transcends being a single entity, encompassing multiple communities converging to harmonize supply and demand, establish brands, and define value. Value creation and human-centric conditions significantly influence product development, surpassing mere tangible aspects.

Investment in human potential stands as a cornerstone for CCI industry growth in Jordan. Young individuals, brimming with creativity and innovation, are potent drivers of progress. Offering early experiential opportunities, education, and training programs fostering critical thinking and design mindset, regardless of their academic pursuits, is principle. This approach cultivates an innovation-oriented culture that reveres the CCI industry’s contributions. Investment in people extends beyond education, enveloping a supportive environment nurturing creativity through funding, resources for project realization, networking platforms linking with industry experts, and mentorship schemes elevating career trajectories.

Comprehending and quantifying impact holds significance for the Creative and Cultural Industries sector. It unveils the value and influence of creative and cultural pursuits, steering decision-making, and resource allocation. This assessment illuminates the broader societal contributions, including social cohesion, economic advancement, and environmental sustainability. Impact measurement, gaining prominence particularly in impact investing, is crucial for the CCI domain. It assesses the economic, social, and cultural repercussions of creative initiatives, offering a lens to enhance effectiveness, identifies improvement zones, and underscores the CCI’s worth to policymakers and investors.

2. Six dimensions for CCI recognition in Jordan

IDare for Sustainable Development introduces six dimensions for advancing the recognition of Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) in Jordan. These dimensions encompass personal aspects, including self-worth and confidence among individuals in CCIs, as well as social awareness where the broader society values the contributions of CCIs and supports those involved. Media plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions, allowing for the promotion of CCI’s positive image and societal contributions. Education involves incorporating CCI-related curricula to educate students and actors about opportunities within the sector. The private sector’s role involves investment in CCIs, offering necessary resources for success, while political recognition pertains to government acknowledgment of the industry’s significance and avenues of support.

3. Women’s reality within the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) outside major cities

In rural and marginalized areas outside major cities, empowering women within the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) involves targeted mapping and outreach solutions tailored to local realities. This requires understanding the unique challenges these areas face and identifying barriers to women’s participation in the CCIs. Focused profiling and specific outreach strategies are key to fostering engagement. Additionally, improving artisan product quality and verification can be achieved through enhanced database management, including establishing artisan associations and utilizing ministry-approved barcodes to ensure quality and design standards. Furthermore, addressing knowledge gaps and barriers in artisan product management encompasses topics like e-commerce, marketing, exporting, design thinking, evaluation, quality control, and understanding consumer behavior and markets.

4. Gig Economy and Web 3.0

The need for inter-ministerial coordination among various regulatory bodies emerged due to the multifaceted nature of platform economy oversight. Finding consensus and addressing regulatory gaps necessitates collaborative efforts between ministries, even as debates on whether regulation of the sector is necessary continue. Complexities arise around legal precedence and potential cross-border cases against multi-country platforms, often exacerbated by arbitration clauses that limit legal action. Defining legal status in hybrid platforms with both employees and freelancers also presents challenges. While regulatory frameworks are crucial, ethical considerations and cultural norms within the platform economy should be weighed, promoting responsible practices. Despite limited court cases against platforms, jurisdictional complexities and arbitration clauses might influence the absence of such cases. Proposals for guidelines enforcing adherence to local laws by platforms operating in Jordan aim to enhance legal efficacy. Addressing copyright terms and safeguarding artists’ rights is eminent. Balancing regulation with protection, inclusivity, and economic growth requires collaborative efforts among stakeholders, encompassing government, platforms, and legal professionals.

Industry 4.0, driven by technological advances like AI, automation, and big data, is reshaping skills demand across various task categories. Routine manual tasks are being automated, while the need for non-routine cognitive skills, including creativity and problem-solving, is surging. This shift highlights the rising significance of creative thinking in the evolving job landscape. The creative economy, which merges culture, innovation, and technology, offers value-added products and experiences, contributing to global value chains. The skills required by Industry 4.0, especially non-routine cognitive skills, are directly applicable to the creative industries, where innovative thinking and originality are crucial. This synergy drives economic growth through innovation and value addition, fostering income generation and international trade.

Conclusion

The journey of CCI in Jordan has been marked by evolving definitions, global recognition as well as at the national level, and the realization of its economic and social impact. The identification of challenges spanning from skill gaps to market access, and from branding to education, underscores the urgency of collaborative efforts to address these impediments and unlock the sector’s full potential.

In response to these challenges, we propose a multifaceted approach that includes:

1. Policy Changes: Implementing policy reforms, such as refining definitions and streamlining regulations, to create an enabling environment for CCIs to thrive.
2. Educational Reform: Focusing on educational reforms that stimulate creativity across all age groups, with particular attention to nurturing the creative potential of youth.
3. Awareness Campaigns: Launching extensive awareness campaigns that aim to foster recognition of CCIs in all their dimensions – cultural, economic, and social.
4. Investment Strategies: Developing targeted investment strategies that acknowledge the indispensable role of CCIs in driving innovation and modern technology.
5. Support Networks: Establishing and enabling support networks, including the proposed National Council as suggested in the Jordan Economic Modernisation Vision (JEMV), and encouraging private sector initiatives to reinforce the CCI ecosystem.

We advocate for a shared understanding of terminologies and definitions, fostering a unified language that bridges the gap between creative-cultural practitioners and government entities. This will facilitate effective communication, collaboration, and policy formulation.

We emphasize the importance of investing in human potential, particularly among the youth, by providing early experiential opportunities, education, training programs, apprenticeship modality, and mentorship. A strong emphasis on impact measurement is crucial, allowing us to quantify the value of creative and cultural initiatives and advocate for their recognition on economic, social, and cultural fronts. Furthermore, our proposed six dimensions for advancing CCI recognition in Jordan offer a holistic framework that encompasses personal, social, media, educational, private sector, and political aspects. This approach aims to create an environment where the contributions of CCIs are not only acknowledged but celebrated and supported by all stakeholders.

Finally, the empowerment of women within CCIs outside major cities and the exploration of the gig economy and Web 3.0 underline our commitment to inclusivity and adaptability. Additionally, understanding the synergy between Industry 4.0 and the competencies transformation required in the creative-cultural industries reinforces the notion that creativity, innovation, and technology are intertwined, driving economic growth and transformation.

This White Paper on Creative and Cultural Industries in Jordan serves as a call to action for all stakeholders, including government bodies, private sector entities, educational institutions, civil society organizations, and creative-cultural practitioners. The potential of the CCI sector to drive economic growth, promote cultural diversity, and enhance societal well-being is immense.

Dr. Suha Ayyash, CEO
IDare for Sustainable Development
suha.ayyash@i-dare.org