PR92727

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), a leading cultural think

tank in the region, commissioned three reports to better understand the

evolution of the cultural and creative industry in the Saudi, regional and

global context. The research takes the pulse of the public on their creative

and cultural experiences at a time when the sector is undergoing a radical

transformation and is slowly recovering from the effects of COVID-19. It

consolidates Saudi and global experts' perspectives, highlighting key insights

on the production, consumption and role of government and other enablers of the

sector.

The three reports by Ithra titled "Culture in the 21st Century", "Charting the

transformation of the Saudi cultural and creative industry" and "How COVID-19

is impacting the cultural and creative industry" uncover several theme-specific

trends related to cultural demand and consumer preferences across the MENA

region, with History and Heritage emerging as the most popular theme, followed

by Film and Television.

Despite the overarching positive cultural participation across the region, the

research points to accessibility as a key barrier to cultural engagement.

Fatmah Alrashid, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at Ithra, stressed the

importance of activating cultural participation in the region by focusing on

"making cultural participation available to all" in terms of quality and

economy, providing the necessary platforms, and contributing to the

implementation of initiatives that will make culture part of the public

education programs and curriculum.

Given the above barriers to cultural engagement and general Cultural Creative

Industry trends across the MENA region, the study recommends several directions

and policy measures to accelerate cultural participation, including:

Policymakers and service providers need to focus on making cultural

participation more inclusive by addressing information barriers and supporting

the participation of low-income groups

Governments and communities may implement initiatives to promote life-long

cultural learning (e.g., through greater emphasis on education curriculum)

Cultural institutions in MENA can learn from each other's distinct strengths to

help boost participation across the region

A summary of the report can be found on Ithra's website on the following link:

Cultural Report | Ithra[https://www.ithra.com/en/cultural-report/], and for

more information on Ithra and its programs, visit www.ithra.com.

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source: King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra)