Final Report Published online

We are delighted to announce that the final report from the AHRC funded international research network "UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTING CREATIVE ECONOMIES IN AFRICA" has now been published and is available to download online from:
https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-048
The report provides a summary of the research journey undertaken, including the methodology and data collected across the three cities involved in the network activities: Nairobi, Lagos and Cape Town. 
It presents a critical discussion on the role of creative intermediaries, focusing specifically on their contribution to the development of creative economies in Africa.
Eight case studies of creative intermediaries at work are presented under four headings: Creative intermediaries and the role of higher education; creative intermediaries and creative workforce development in action; creative intermediaries, co-working, finance and networks and finally creative intermediaries, communities and development agendas.
The report concludes by highlighting the key role those creative intermediaries can play in connecting development agendas (cultural, social and economic) in Africa. It also presents five cornerstones for policy considerations to enable creative economies to thrive. This includes (1) recognising the value that creative economies bring to communities, society and the economy; (2) recognise the role of creative intermediaries in bringing together policymakers, communities and entrepreneurs; (3) investment in higher education collaborations and partnerships; (4) strengthening continental and international collaborations through research and network building to support knowledge sharing and (5) creating accessible and inclusive infrastructure to support creative economies that are open to everyone.

We are very grateful for all the support received throughout the project that enabled the research and fieldwork, especially from colleagues in Africa. In particular: Ogake Mosomi and Professor Lilac Adhiambo Osanjo at the University of Nairobi; Professor Duro Oni at the University of Lagos and Professor Jen Snowball from Rhodes University. Thanks also to Elsardt Kigen, student at the University of Nairobi Creative Arts Department for the design work undertaken for the report. 
 
If you have any feedback about our research and if the report is useful in anyway to your work in the future, please let us know, we really appreciate your feedback 

Finally, we invite anyone interested in understanding these issues in more depth to engage with the books we recently published:
Comunian, R., Hracs, B.J. and England, L. eds., 2021. Higher Education and Policy for Creative Economies in Africa: Developing Creative Economies. Routledge.
https://www.routledge.com/Higher-Education-and-Policy-for-Creative-Economies-in-Africa-Developing/Comunian-Hracs-England/p/book/9781003127802
Hracs, B. J., Comunian, R., and England, L. eds., 2022. Developing Creative Economies in Africa Spaces and Working Practices. Routledge.
https://www.routledge.com/Developing-Creative-Economies-in-Africa-Spaces-and-Working-Practices/Hracs-Comunian-England/p/book/9780367481940

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