Movies, music work wonders for economy
WHO says creativity doesn't pay? The Wiggles made $45 million last year and topped BRW magazine's list of Australia's 50 richest entertainers in 2004, closely followed by Nicole Kidman on $40 million and Russell Crowe on $27 million.
But entertainment is just the tip of the burgeoning creative economy, which includes architecture, design, fashion, film and video, music, performing arts, publishing, games, television and radio. Worldwide it's being hailed as one of the fastest growing industry sectors, and there's a big push to ensure Australia doesn't miss the boom.
"Right now Australia's economy is doing fine due principally to global consumers buying up big, leading to high demand for our resources," says Helen George, director of Creative Economy, a business that takes creative ideas and innovation from concept through to commercialisation.
"But with Australia's primary industries shrinking and manufacturing under increased threat, the tide is changing. Australia needs to leverage its creativity to value-add to our industries to drive future economic growth."
The creative economy is estimated to be worth $2.2 trillion globally; in Australia it is worth about $11 billion and employs up to 400,000 people.
But the potential to develop the sector is enormous, according to Anthony Merrilees, Creative Economy's principal consultant.
"Australia's creative economy is a lot like the primary sector: we have become an area where foreign investors want to come and mine our talent. We end up exporting our creative people or their ideas and talents and we end up being net importers of creativity. We lose the income and the capacity to further develop our creativity."
Merrilees cites The Wiggles as an example of how to successfully exploit talent. "They have managed their intellectual property from the beginning," he says. "They own all their copyrights in sound recordings and songs, and have been able to merchandise and heavily brand what they have done. Then there is Mad Max. It was made on a budget of $350,000, which included $15,000 of Mel Gibson's own money, and reaped in excess of $100 million in revenue. And it was written, acted, directed and made by Australians."
George says despite Australia's reputation for ingenuity and invention, the nation is struggling to build on this reputation.
"Australia does not have a Nokia, an Ikea, a Samsung or even a Fisher & Paykel. Resmed and Cochlear have made good starts for Australia and similarly Billabong and Mambo are globally recognised brands of creativity, but unfortunately these are exceptions rather than examples of a strategic policy."
In the past five years, the UK, Canada, the US, Korea, New Zealand, Brazil, China and Taiwan have developed policies to strengthen their economies through creativity, and George warns Australia risks being eclipsed by these nations if it doesn't do the same.
However, Richard Florida, author of The Flight of the Creative Class, disagrees. Although creative industries in the US generate $960 billion in revenue annually, he says Australia is one of the countries around the world giving the US "a run for its money". He describes Sydney and Melbourne as "global talent magnets" and claims creative occupations make up half their workforces, well ahead of most US regions.
But Merrilees says Australia still struggles with the latter part of the three Cs that make up the creative paradigm: there's lots of content but little support for commercialisation and capacity (to manage the content and commercialisation).
"Government sees the creative industry as the arts, an elitist thing and not an industry that creates economic value," he says. "So there is not enough support for programs that assist in the development of content. But it's not just about government assistance, it's also about garnering investment from the private sector, showing them it is good business."
In 2001, the West Australian Government committed $5 million to develop musical talent. The result has been a huge leap in internationally successful WA bands, from The Waifs to Eskimo Joe. "[The WA Government] provides seed funding to create content, then assists the bands to showcase themselves nationally and internationally," Merrilees says. "The Australian music industry is a perfect example [of the problems encountered by creative talent]. The four major record companies in Australia are multinational companies, predominantly based in America. They only have a limited capacity to develop Australian artists. So if you can't find a spot with these four who do you go to?
"That is why someone like [WA guitarist/singer/songwriter] John Butler is an absolute phenomenon. He is a totally independent artist: self-financed, self-produced and independently distributes his music."
Butler's group, The John Butler Trio, this year made it onto BRW's rich list, earning $2.9 million in 2004.
And Butler is doing his bit to nurture the creative economy. A dollar from every ticket sold during the group's national tour next month will go to The JB Seed Arts Grants Programme, which "supports the development of genuine artistic expression".
He's discovered it's not only about putting something back into the creative economy, it's also good business.
The Australian www.australianit.news.com.au
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