Tartu

Creative industries development in Tartu and in Estonia (Summary from the first seminar (May 2007):
Estonia has conducted a creative industries mapping study in 2005. The study was compiled by Estonian Institute of Economic Research and Estonian Institute for Futures Studies.
Creative Industries mapping study - the aims of the mapping were:

• to map the creative industries sector and to evaluate the economic impact of creative industries in Estonia
• to get information for planning state policy for creative industries development and to work out a funding policy.

The study included the following sectors: architecture, broadcasting, design, performing arts, IT (leisure software), publishing, art, museums, music, advertising.

The study included analysis of turnover, number of enterprises, employment, import, export, strengths, weaknesses, development potential.

Conclusions:

• The mapping of the creative industries showed that in 2003 more than 20 000 people were working in the field of creative industries, accounting for 3% of the active population.
• More than 2300 companies were engaged in creative industries in Estonia, constituting about 6% of all the operating businesses in Estonia in 2003. The operating creative industries companies were in majority micro-companies (fewer than 10 employees); medium (50-249) and large companies (250 and more employees) accounted for only 8% of all of them.
• In 2003, the average number of staff working in a company was 8 people.
• The sales of the creative industries companies and individual creative people was more than 9 billion EEK (ca 575 million EUR) in 2003, making up 3% of the net sales of Estonian companies. Presuming that this sector creates as much added value as other economic sectors it may be estimated that creative industries give about 3% of the Estonian GDP.
• In addition to those creative industries mapped under this research many other people in Estonia are directly or indirectly related to this sector. For example, the survey did not cover hobby artists, hobby musicians and dancers, handicraft makers, networks of hobby groups, culture houses and children's music and dance schools.

According to mapping in December 2005 (2003 data) creative industries accounts for 3% of working population, 6% of total number of companies, 3% of GDP (not including handicraft, cultural tourism).

The economic impact of creative industries is not as high in Estonia as it is in Western countries, but it is still relevant. The economic impact is highest in publishing, advertising and architecture. The number of creative industries enterprises is rising more quickly than the Estonian average. The awareness of creative industries is quite low. The clustering between creative industries enterprises is also quite low.

There are 117 million EEK (ca 7.5 million EUR) planned in EU structural funds measure 1.9 for the creative industries in the period 2007-2013. At the moment there is no specific state policy for creative industries development. Creative industries are part of Estonian State Budget Strategy 2007-2010, EU Structural Funds National Strategic Reference Plan 2007-2013 and Ministry of Culture Strategy 2007-2010. The creative industries development is also part of the Tartu's culture strategy for the period 2008-2013.

Estonian priorities in developing creative industries:

• developing environment for creative entrepreneurship
• education - developing entrepreneurial skill of creative people
• new technologies - digitalisation
• statistics and awareness - as prerequisite for future development

What is special about Tartu in creative industries context?

• more than 20 000 students
• Tartu University, Tartu Art College, H. Eller's Music School and the branch of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
• many visual artists, musicians, writers and handicraft makers
• a number of popular festivals around the year - Art Month, Student Days, Drama Festival etc.
• Historically Tartu has been the centre of culture and education, from where many cultural innovations have started.
• Tartu has a good and creative work and life environment.

This is the second project on creative industries for Tartu. The aim of the first project was to get an overview of what other European countries have done to develop creative industries. Study visits were made to the Netherlands, Denmark and UK.

During this project Tartu is planning:

• to conduct a creative industries mapping research in Tartu region
• to find out what the strongest sectors in Tartu are and what is special about Tartu in creative industries context
• to work out a strategy and action plan for creative industries development in region.

Status in September

Mapping of the creative industries enterprises in the region. The results come in October.
Interviewing headmasters/teachers of Tartu Art College/Eller Music School.
Survey among the students/graduates of the same schools.
Ongoing meetings/brainstorms with representatives of creative industries fields.

Comment from Petra Nilsson (Nordic Innovation Centre):
You need to include people from all creative industries branches to these meetings. More cross-department/organisation movement is necessary.
Petra Nilsson suggested to come to Tartu on October 17th and talk to a strategically chosen group of people (from the government, city departments, regional departments, Chamber of Commerce, Tartu businessmen and investors etc) about creative industries in the Nordic countries and present six major creative industries projects that Nordic Innovation Centre finances this year.

Comment from Cultural Department:
Tartu is in a situation where we have to tell people what creative industries mean and why we need it. We are explaining to people why we need an incubator. So it is early days yet.