The cultural and creative industries have become increasingly prominent on many policy agendas in recent years. Governments have identified the growing consumer potential for cultural/creative industry products in the home market, as well as for the growth of exports. The emphasis now lies on creativity, innovation, small business growth, and access to global markets–all in line with the move from cheap manufacture towards high value-added products and services. At the same time, the cultural and creative industries have become key drivers for urban regeneration and global repositioning of cities across Europe and Asia. Some of the themes, such as capital of culture, and attracting a “creative class”, have become global preoccupations. However, there are very real differences and ambiguities at play when such policy discourses move between historically distinct regions. By offering both Asian and European experiences, this volume shows the differences between them, and thus allows meaningful comparisons.
