It was a photo of a young woman taken two decades ago that caught my eye. She looked familiar, all smiles, full of energy, talking about the creative industries initiatives of the Philippines at a conference in England. Upon closer inspection, I realized who she was. Rhea Matute, currently Executive Director of Design Center of the Philippines and one of the most committed government champions of the design sector.

It struck me then how long the journey has been for the Philippines to recognize the creative economy through a law like the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act. Almost two decades, in fact. I became a part of this journey through my role as Head of Arts at the British Council in the Philippines, which began six years ago. I was – am – a newcomer.

I first learned about the European/UK’s creative economy perspective through my MBA studies in France. As an arts program manager from a developing country like the Philippines, I was instantly attracted to the future it promised: sustainable livelihood for artists, creative urban spaces for all, dynamic cultural exchange, and equitable trade across the globe. I learned about programs that combined artist grants, urban zoning, creative enterprise support, and national identity branding. To be able to establish a thriving arts ecosystem based on inclusion, education, and freedom of expression was a compelling pitch that spoke to me. 

As the UK’s cultural relations organization, the British Council sees arts and culture as integral to building meaningful connections all over the world. This mission, combined with my personal advocacies, led to a strategy that would support the Philippines’ ambitions to develop its creative economy.  

A notable project was working with 11 Philippine and UK-based artists to create large-scale murals that would inspire citizens to appreciate the environmental relevance of the Pasig River in the city. Over a million people saw these fabulous, public artworks and hundreds more volunteered to become part of the project. We also launched a fellowship that helped over 12,000 creative professionals to build skills and professional networks. We then connected them with hub leaders, designers, and academics from the UK who wanted to learn about the experiences of a developing country on the other side of the world.

Presenting to the Philippine congress through an invitation by Cong. Toff de Venecia, we talked about the importance of international collaboration and how the UK’s strategic policies led to its creative sector growing “faster than its national GDP.” Through these activities, we witnessed first-hand the power of connections. International knowledge exchange can bring about new ways of thinking and fresh solutions to big problems while creative collaborations can result in exciting perspectives in art-making. 

What’s different about the law

Six years later, the country has reached an important milestone through the approval of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act. Its implementation is led by the Department of Trade and Industry through the office of Usec. Rafaelita Aldaba, in coordination with other agencies. Unlike existing cultural policies, this law looks at arts and creative economy as an important pillar in national development. Because of our numerous interactions with partners through the years, I somehow feel a sense of ownership for it as do the other stakeholders who have worked tirelessly to pass the new law.

The people behind the scenes

In each conference, festival opening, and Zoom call, what blew me away was meeting creative sector champions. They are the art managers, festival organizers, producers, hub leaders, mediators, government workers, and artists working to ensure that the arts are always part of the agenda. 

They are the passionate connectors constantly linking people up because they know the importance of networks to mobilize change. They are the hardworking, yet often underpaid, innovators who believe that everyone should have access to arts and culture. They are the out-of-the-box thinkers who understand that the value of the arts is not just for artists, but can also lead to social, economic, and environmental impact. A lot of them are women, LGBTQ+, and indigenous leaders shining a light on issues we might otherwise take for granted.  

They are the people behind the scenes who deserve our recognition – and yes, funding – so they can keep making things happen.

As I move on from my role as Head of Arts at the British Council, I wanted to share some recommendations to the champions who will eventually take part in implementing the law, based on what has worked for our programs: 

1. Supporting the creative economy is about strengthening an ecosystem – from people, enterprises, arts organizations, educational institutions, international partnerships, and others. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about supporting artists to produce art, although this is also an important part of the ecosystem. As you create your strategies and project plans, don’t forget to start with the “So what?” What is the ultimate outcome you want to achieve? What is the problem you are trying to solve, and who do you need to work with to make it happen? And because this would entail a lot of cross-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration, don’t forget to master your stakeholder map and have a clear governance framework in place.
   
2. People and creativity at the core. In all this, the creative economy wouldn’t exist without the people who are really the source of all ideas and creativity. In fact, these ideas and their applications through products and services, as well as the emotional experiences that they bring to audiences – are the “unique selling proposition” of the arts. Governments and funders need hard targets such as contribution to GDP, number of jobs produced, number of beneficiaries reached. All these should be part of the plan. But good ideas are not easy to measure and therefore are a little bit harder to defend. This is where advocacy and influencing work comes in. How do you communicate the value of the arts beyond economic outputs? A good way is to allow them to experience the arts – see a film, watch a play, attend a festival. Cultural participation can create an emotional experience and change perspectives like no other. On the people front, attention needs to be given to the well-being and compensation of artists and cultural professionals you will eventually work with, as well as inclusive approaches that will allow diverse groups to take part in your projects.
   
3. Don’t forget to share the good news! And to get good news, you need a good evaluation plan. Are you on track, have you exceeded your targets? How will you share them and with whom? How can you use the good news to optimize the project’s impact and get future funding? Relatedly, what can you learn from the past and others to avoid committing the same mistakes?

I feel incredibly humbled and privileged to have met and worked with all of you and I look forward to hearing all the good news! – Rappler.com

Malaya del Rosario is a senior program manager specializing in arts and creative economy development. As Head of Arts at the British Council in the Philippines, she initiated and designed partnerships with private and public institutions in the areas of research, capacity and network building, and policy development. She has over 15 years of experience in exhibition and project management in Southeast Asia and Europe. She has an MBA in Arts and Cultural Management from the Institut d’études supérieures des arts (IESA) and Paris School of Business, France.