Launch of a new agency promoting art, culture and creative sectors

Alysha Bibi

The Hong Kong government is taking steps to promote the city’s cultural and creative industries and pursue more business opportunities abroad.

For this purpose, the government yesterday established the Agency for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries.

The agency is an upgrade of the previous office of Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), which was established in 2009 to support the development of local creative industries.

The plan to create the new agency was announced in an October speech by CEO John Lee Ka-chiu.

The official launch ceremony was held yesterday at PMQ in Central. In a speech at the event, Secretary of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the agency marks an important milestone for Hong Kong’s arts, culture and creative sectors.

“The agency will establish a dedicated team to assist relevant industries in identifying overseas opportunities and organizing delegations to global shows,” Yeung said.

The aim is to promote and export Hong Kong’s vibrant cultural and creative offerings, foster new business opportunities and enhance the city’s international status, he said.

“In line with the principle of industry-orientation, the agency will help further promote the development of our cultural, arts and creative sectors in line with the 14th National Five-Year Plan, positioning Hong Kong as a center for international cultural exchanges,” Yeung said.

The agency will also work to facilitate the creation and production of cultural intellectual property, while exploring additional business and commercialization opportunities to generate greater economic benefits for the industry.

Yeung praised the efforts of the previous office, CreateHK, noting that over 15 years of operation, the eight major creative industries under its remit have seen a total increase in added value from HKD 38.7 billion to HKD 63.5 billion.

These eight creative sectors include advertising, architecture, design, digital entertainment, film, music, printing and publishing, and television.

Victor Tsang Chiu-hok, head of CreateHK and commissioner of cultural and creative industries, announced the signing of memoranda of understanding with three leading cultural and creative brands from the mainland, hoping to showcase more Chinese cultural and creative products, including Hong Kong’s Unique Charm.

Looking to the future, the new Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency aims to build on this progress and further elevate Hong Kong’s status as a center for international cultural exchange and a showcase for the city’s vibrant creative talent.