11,000 already employed in Western Region’s creative economy

“It makes economic sense to support creativity”

When international comparisons are factored in the Western Region has the potential to create at least an extra 2,000 jobs in the creative sector according to Gillian Buckley, Chief Executive of the Western Development Commission. Ms. Buckley was speaking at the launch today (16th of February 2009) of the WDC’s report “Creative West: The Creative Sector in the Western Region”, the first study of its kind conducted in Ireland. She added, “There are 4,779 creative businesses operating in the Western Region, directly employing over 11,000 people or 3% of all employment in the region. This generates an annual turnover of €534m and directly contributes €270m to the Gross Value Added of the regional economy. It is therefore a major economic contributor to the region that we believe can be grown significantly, even in these difficult economic times.”

The creative sector refers to those businesses which rely most on human creativity to generate economic value, ranging from TV production, music, theatre, architecture, graphic design to the running of art galleries. Ms Buckley added, “With an average annual growth rate of 8.7% in world trade of creative goods and services, the creative sector will be to the forefront in building Ireland’s Smart Economy in that it offers the opportunity to develop thriving indigenous enterprises. If we are to fully realise this potential we must begin by understanding the current situation in the region and the challenges facing the sector’s future growth. This is why the WDC commissioned this research to investigate the size of the region’s creative sector and to identify the key issues which people working in the sector face”.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D. said, “The Western Development Commission is keen to promote the creative sector in this part of the country, not just because of the inherent importance of the arts in our nation’s psyche and identity, but because it also has the potential to contribute to the sustainable longterm development of this predominantly rural region. Simply put, it makes economic sense to support creativity”.

The report shows that creative businesses in the Western Region tend to be small scale. 39% are selfemployed indicating a high level of entrepreneurship among creative people. Typically, these people are highly skilled with a study of the EU showing that 47% of those employed in the sector hold a university degree, which is a significantly higher share than in the general workforce.

Also speaking at the launch was designer and award winning inventor Damini Kumar who has been selected as EU Ambassador for the Year of Creativity and Innovation who said, “I am hoping to stimulate a greater interest in creativity and an appreciation of its role in innovation throughout this Year of Creativity and Innovation especially among younger people. I believe this is critical to the future and growth of the economy.”

In addition to measuring the size of the Western Region’s creative sector, the “Creative West” report also highlights critical issues facing the sector. These include broadband quality, the lack of promotion of the sector, access to export markets, low levels of networking between businesses and the eligibility criteria for certain funding sources. The WDC has engaged with its partners in the sector in the identification of these issues and the report sets out a series of recommendations as to how these can be overcome.

Ms. Buckley concluded, “What we have learnt is that the Western Region is perfectly positioned for further expansion within the sector as the region, by virtue of its natural beauty and quality of life, has inspired a culture of creativity. We believe the region can continue to attract creative people from all over the world who, from their home in the West, can feed the increasing world appetite for design, music, film, digital media and the arts.”

11,000 duine fostaithe cheana féin i ngeilleagar cruthaitheachta Réigiún an Iarthair

“Baineann ciall eacnamaíochta le tacú leis an gcruthaitheacht”

Nuair a ghlactar cúinsí idirnáisiúnta san áireamh tá an fhéidearthacht ag Réigiún an Iarthair 2,000 post breise ar a laghad a chruthú in earnáil na cruthaitheachta, dar le Gillian Buckley, Príomhfheidhmeannach Choimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair. Bhí Ms. Buckley ag labhairt inniu (16 Feabhra 2009) ag seoladh thuarascáil an WDC “Creative West: The Creative Sector in the Western Region”, an chéad staidéar dá short a rinneadh in Éirinn. “Tá 4,779 gnólacht cruthaitheach ag feidhmiú I Réigiún an Iarthair, agus breis is 11,000 duine fostaithe acu, sin 3% de den fhostaíocht ar fad sa réigiún,” a dúirt sí. Gineann sé sin láimhdeachas bliantúil €534m agus cuireann sé €270m go díreach leis an Ollluach Breise i ngeilleagar an réigiúin. Cuireann sé go mór dá bhrí sin le geilleagar an réigiúin, agus is féidir leis fás suntasach a dhéanamh, fiú agus géarchéim eacnamaíochta againn faoi láthair.”

Baineann earnáil na cruthaitheachta leis na gnólachtaí sin a bhraitheann ar chruthaitheacht an duine le luach eacnamaíoch a ghiniúint, ina measc léiriú teilifíse, ceol, amharclannaíocht, ailtireacht, dearadh grafach agus dánlanna a rith. Dúirt Ms Buckley freisin, “Le fás bliantúil 8.7% ar an meán i dtrádáil náisiúnta earraí agus seirbhísí, beidh earnáil na cruthaitheachta ar thús cadhnaíochta maidir le Geilleagar Glic na hÉireann a thógáil, sa mhéid is go gcuireann sé deis ar fáil chun fiontair dhúchasacha a fhorbairt. Má táimid leis an bpoitéinseal iomlán seo a bhaint amach ní mór dúinn cúinsí reatha an réigiúin a thuiscint mar aon leis na dúshláin atá le sárú ag an earnáil. Sin a fáth a ndearna an WDC coimisiúnú ar an taighde seo le hiniúchadh a dhéanamh ar mhéid earnáil na cruthaitheachta sa réigiún agus leis na príomhdhúshláin atá le sárú ag oibrithe san earnáil seo a shonrú.

Agus é ag labhairt ag an seoladh, is é a dúirt an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, An tUas. Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D., “Tá Coimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair meáite ar earnáil na cruthaitheachta a chur chun cinn sa chuid seo den tír, ní hamháin mar gheall ar

thábhachtach na nealaíon i sícé agus i bhféiniúlacht an náisiúin seo, ach mar gheall go mbaineann an poitéinseal leis an earnáil cur le forbairt inmharthana fhadtréimhseach an réigiúin seo, ar réigiún tuaithe den chuid is mó é. I mbeagán focal, baineann ciall eacnamaíochta le tacú leis an gcruthaitheacht.”

Léiríonn an tuarascáil gur gnólachtaí beaga den chuid is mó iad gnólachtaí cruthaitheacha i réigiún an Iarthair. Is daoine féinfhostaithe iad 39% díobh, a léiríonn leibhéal ard fiontraíochta i measc daoine cruthaitheacha. Den chuid is mó, is daoine ardsciliúla iad na daoine sin agus léiríonn staidéar a rinneadh san AE go bhfuil céim ollscoile ag 47% díobhsan a bhíonn fostaithe san earnáíl, céatadán atá i bhfad níos airde ná figiúr i measc an ghnáthlucht saothair.

Labhair an dearthóir agus an cruthaitheoir iomráiteach Damini Kumar ag an seoladh freisin, duine a bhfuil gradaim bainte amach aige agus a roghnaíodh le déanaí ina Amabasadóir ar son an AE do Bhliain na Cruthaitheachta agus na Fiontraíochta agus is é a dúirt sé, “Táim ag súil le spéis níos mó a chothú sa chruthaitheacht i gcoitinne agus sa ról atá ag an gcruthaitheacht sin sa bhfíontraíocht i rith Bhliain seo na Cruthaitheachta, go háirithe i measc daoine óga. Creidim gur rud ríthábhachtach é sin do thodhchaí agus d’fhás an gheilleagair.”

I dteannta méid earnáil na cruthaitheachta i Réigiún an Iarthair a thomhas, leagann an tuarascáil, “Creative West”, béim freisin ar na dúshláin atá le sárú ag an earnáil. Orthu sin tá caighdeán an leathanbhanda, easpa cothaithe san earnáil, teacht ar mhargaí easpórtála, leibhéil ísle líonraithe idir gnólachtaí agus na critéir incháilitheachta d’fhoinsí áirithe maoinithe. Chuaigh an WDC i gcomhairle lena chuid comhpháirtithe san earnáil chun na saincheisteanna sin a shonrú agus leagann an tuarascáil seo amach moltaí faoin gcaoi ar féidir iad sin a shárú.

Mar fhocal scoir, is é a dúirt Ms. Buckley, “Is é atá foghlamtha againn ná go bhfuil réigiún an Iarthair sa riocht ceart do leathnú breise san earnáil seo mar gheall go bhfuil cultúr na cruthaitheachta spreagtha ag an réigiún de bharr na háilleachta nádúrtha agus chaighdeán an tsaoil a bhaineann leis. Creidimid gur féidir leis an réigiún seo leanúint air ag mealladh daoine cruthaitheacha ó ar fud an domhain, daoine ar féidir leo, óna mbaile san Iarthar, an spéis bhreise atáthar a chur sa dearadh, sa cheol, sa scannánaíocht, sna meáin dhigiteacha agus sna healaíona a chothú.”

Chun tuilleadh faisnéise a fháil, déan teagmháil le:

Gillian Buckley, CEO, WDC, 087 223 6982
Ian Brannigan, WDC, 086 604 8012
Joanne Grehan, WDC, 086 856 5802

Western Development Commission 094 986 1441
Fiosruithe ó na meáin chumarsáide: Angela Bane 087 286 5217

Nótaí d’eagarthóirí faoi Choimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair (WDC)

Is comhlacht reachtúil é an WDC a chuireann forbairt eacnamaíoch agus shóisialta chun cinn i gcontaetha Dhún na nGall, Shligigh, Liatroma, Ros Comáin, Mhaigh Eo, na Gaillimhe agus an Chláir.