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UNESCO Transcultura panel addresses opportunities for young Caribbean creators in the production and distribution of cultural content for TV and radio
On 18 May 2023, the UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union, organized the online event Innovative Financing for Television and Radio Cultural Content, with the participation of young creators, specialists and content producers from the Caribbean and Europe.
During the exchange, panelists reflected on the challenges and opportunities for young Caribbean creators in the production and distribution of cultural content for television and radio and shared innovative approaches, policies, models, strategies, tools and platforms to finance it.
As various media outlets are being used to access cultural content more than ever, their role in ensuring the diversity of cultural expressions also becomes crucial. It is essential to produce programmes in different languages and to ensure the representation in cultural and media content of different social groups, including ethnic minorities, women, disabled people and LGBTIQ+.
In a context of accelerated digital transformation and increased consumption of audio and video content on global streaming platforms, participants addressed the preponderance of Global North countries in the distribution and licensing of content such as films, TV series or music, and how the absence of developing countries in this sector limits their capacity to generate income, create new cultural and creative products or support innovation.
With the technologies available today, everybody can be a storyteller. The possibilities created by online platforms and digital tools can support the democratization of production and distribution.
Speakers insisted that the digital divide in the Caribbean still represents the main challenge to equal participation in this environment, hence traditional media play a key role in the dissemination and access to cultural content, as well as in guaranteeing its diversity.
We need to use the technologies at our disposal to represent who we really are: our traditions, our cultures, our values. We must be inclusive and tell stories with a message.
The meeting also allowed debating the protection of cultural and creative goods through intellectual property. On this issue, they referred to the insufficient protection of intellectual property in the digital environment, the low compensation for reproduction on major streaming platforms, the lack of training opportunities to harness new technologies and the reluctance to pay for artistic content and services online.
In addition to facilitating the exchange of knowledge and innovative practices for the benefit of young Caribbean creators, the event aimed at strengthening regional and inter-regional collaborations through cultural television and radio networks.
