Special Session RGS-IBG 2019 "Creative Economies in Africa: new research and policy perspectives": CALL FOR PAPERS

We would like to invite you to contribute to a special session we are organising as part of the next RGS-IBG Annual International Conference in London  (28 - 30 August 2019). The detailed call for paper is here below. 


​If you are interested in submitting a research paper or a policy case study, please email the following information by the 31st  January 2019 to Roberta.Comunian@kcl.ac.uk: TITLE of paper, AUTHOR(S) and ABSTRACT. 

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CALL FOR PAPERS

​In recent years there has been a growing interest in the role that cultural and creative industries (CCIs) play in the Global South- in terms of their economic contribution and connections to social change and cultural engagement (UNESCO, 2013). To contribute to this field and to support related policy agendas, this special session aims to bring together international researchers and policy makers engaged with understanding or developing creative economies in Africa. It aims to engage with the following research questions: what role can CCIs play in the development of African countries? What challenges and opportunities emerge with the development of CCIs in Africa? What role can policy (national and international) play in this context? The session (or sessions) will also feature a discussant to enable critical reflection on current research and policy initiatives. To explore these questions in greater detail, this session welcomes papers from diverse
conceptual, empirical and geographical perspectives which engage with the following and related themes:

• The role of education and career development opportunities for CCIs practitioners in Africa;
• The interconnection between creative and social economies in Africa context;
• The adoption and adaption of creative cities frameworks across African cities;
• The role of geography and mobilities in the development of CCIs in Africa;
• The emergence of co-working and networks to facilitate CCIs development;
• The roles and functions of various intermediaries in supporting CCIs in Africa;
• The role of policy (national and international) in supporting CCIs development;
• Connections between cultural and creative industries and youth employment and work;
• Connections between Africa and other countries in relation to CCIs via collaborations or policy transfer.

The special session builds on the work of an AHRC funded research network http://www.creative-economy-africa.org.uk . The session aims to contribute to a better understanding of the creative economies in African countries and to explore strategies to encourage and enable sustainable context-specific cultural, social and economic development. The papers and authors will be invited to share findings via the project blog and website or contribute to an edited book and policy report.  

Special Session organisers:
Dr Roberta Comunian, Reader in Creative Economy, Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London. 
Dr. Brian J. Hracs, Lecturer in Human Geography, Geography and Environment, University of Southampton