Deadline: 10-Dec-22
Nominations are now open for UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy Prize to reward exceptional initiatives that support young entrepreneurs in the field of the creative economy.
The creative economy includes sectors such as cinema/audio-visual, design, media arts, music, performing arts, publishing, visual arts. Today, culture and creativity accounts for 3.1% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 6.2% of all employment.
Creative entrepreneurship is one of the engines of the creative economy. It is the aptitude, energy and skills base, that – together with creativity – underpins the success of the creative sector. Creative entrepreneurs inhabit every sector of the creative economy. They provide business skills and analysis to creative endeavours, bringing them out of the sphere of personal reflection and expression, into the public domain and marketplace.
UNESCO recognizes the role of the creative economy in creating full and productive employment and decent work, supporting entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, encouraging the formalization and growth of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, stimulating innovation, empowering people, promoting social inclusion, and reducing poverty.
Objective: The Prize aims to recognise and reward exceptional achievement of an individual, institution, an entity or non-governmental organization who/which devised and delivered training programmes and other interventions that promote youth entrepreneurship with the age starting at 16.
Types of Projects
- The purpose of the Prize is to identify, recognise and reward activities that contribute to the development of wider business skills within the creative community. They recognise that these skills are critical if the creative economy is to thrive and achieve its potential in contributing to the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
- Many eligible projects will do this through a formal training process, but the Prize is open to other types of training where the learning opportunities are perhaps tangential but the impact, in terms of business skills and the viability of creative businesses, for profit and not-for-profit, is clear. Presenting evidence of both the approach and impact will be critical to the success of a nomination.
- They are also looking for innovative approaches. For example, they understand that formal learning strategies may be inappropriate or difficult to deliver within certain communities, perhaps because of gender bias or other forms of discrimination. Consequently, the Prize also aims to stimulate creative business opportunities within marginalised groups and communities, which can be hard to reach. The marginalisation of these groups means that there is a greater need to recognise the potential of creativity and cultural assets to provide a firm basis for sustainable development.
- Mechanisms that develop the skills of a creative entrepreneur are a key tool in ensuring that this will to be realised.
Prize
- The US $50,000 Prize is awarded on a biennial basis.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominations can be submitted by:
- Governments of UNESCO Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions for UNESCO, and relevant ministries working in the field of the creative economy
- NGOs maintaining official partnershipsm with UNESCO
- International, regional or national professional, academic and non-governmental organizations active in the field of the creative economy Self-nominations will not be considered.
- The Prize is open to:
- Individuals, institutions, organisations, entities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have made a significant contribution to the creative economy by devising and delivering innovative initiatives that promote youth entrepreneurship in the creative economy
- Initiatives, projects and programmes that focus on building the capacity and participation of women or disadvantaged groups, particularly from diaspora or migrant communities, are particularly encouraged.
- Work produced by a deceased person will not be considered.
For more information, visit https://www.unesco.org/en/prizes/bangladesh-creative-economy?hub=68238