The Rise of Creative Industry in China

Anyone who has been paying attention to creative industries in China over the past few years will have noticed a significant boost in its prominence and influence.  From grassroots creative bazaars to large scale, government-organized expos, creative industries and the people fueling them are starting to make an increasingly large impact on society.

To help put the growth of creative industries in a broader context, PSFK friend Zafka Zhang recently posted on his experience at the government organized eARTS festival and the larger factors behind the growth of creative industries in China.  As a sound artist and the leading authority on virtual worlds in China, Zafka is well positioned to comment on this important trend.

Below is a brief summary of the major factors pushing the creative industries in China forward:

Economic Transformation

• shift from manufacturing to non-manufacturing industries, including creative industries

Government Support

• provision of commercial art and public spaces for creative culture events

Education

• government encouragement of creative industry education (i.e. 100,000+ university students majoring in animation, game design, etc.)

Internet

• access to pirated software for content creation (Photoshop, Audition, etc.)
• creative-focused websites (Neocha, Douban, etc.) & p2p file sharing (Emule, BT, Xunlei)

Change in Values

• growing acceptance by parents to let children pursue careers in creative industries
• growing confidence in the China brand and growing individualism

Growing Demand

• consumption of creative culture in the form of indie concerts, DIY designers, etc.

China Youthology: Creative Industry and ‘Creative Generation’ in China