{"word_count": 331, "character_count": 2262}
Creative Industries in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania 2010, annual review.Discussions of the creative industries (CI) agenda in the Baltic countries date back to the beginning of 2000. The British Council has played a remarkable role in promoting the creative industries concept all over the world, and its contribution, through providing expertise and methodologicalassistance in mapping endeavours, cannot be underestimated in the Baltic countries either. Attention first started to be paid to the creative industries at the national level in all three Baltic countries when the British Council (BC) introduced the concept to different ministries in the Baltics in 2005. As a result, the Ministries of Culture in all three countries seized the opportunity to adopt the definition and content into their cultural policy agenda. This period (of policy formation) saw the adaptation of the United Kingdom’s approach in terms of the ideas, structure and content of CI development. The first major steps at state level started with statistical mapping surveys of CI in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The study processes included adapting the British definition of CI to the Baltic States – “The creative industries are those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent, and which have the potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property” (DCMS, 1998). Estonia and Latvia have made some minor changes to this definition. In Estonia, a clause addressing ‘collective creativity’ was added – “Those industries that have their origin in individual and collective creativity, skill and talent and which have the potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.” The Latvian Government in its political documentation pursues the following definition: [Creative industries involve] “activities, based on individual and collective creativity, skills and talents, which by way of generating and utilizing intellectual property, are able to increase welfare and create jobs. Creative industries generate, develop, produce, utilize, display, disseminate and preserve products of economic, cultural and/or recreational value. See more.