Portuguese leadership in the cultural sector?

Portuguese leadership in the cultural sector?

This inaugural Transforma Think Tank is intended to provoke discussion about the way ahead for the creative industries in Portugal. In Chapter 8 of the Portuguese Government’s high priority Technological Plan, Richard Florida is quoted as saying that Portugal ranks lowest in all of Europe in the creativity index league table. How can we lead the Portuguese creative industries out of this situation? What elements need to be in place in order to increase the chances for a successful renaissance of the Portuguese cultural sector?

The members of the international Transforma Think Tank come from various sectors. Why? Because…“Creativity and innovation are all about breaking away from established patterns,” As the writer William Plomer put it: ‘It is the function of creative men to perceive the relations between thoughts or things, or forms of expression that may seem utterly different and to be able to combine them into some new forms – the power to connect the unconnected.’”…[1].

My personal MA research investigated ‘When do we do what we do?’ or Tempus Operandi. In other words when do creatives do what they do? What elements appear to have to be in place in order to increase the chances for successful commercial and cultural collaboration?

For my proposed PhD research I intend to look at Locus Operandi, ‘Where do we do what we do’ as creative practitioners within an urban context and what influence or impact does our creativity or cultural production have on the various layers of our community?

For the purposes of this Think Tank I suggest we attempt to focus on Who does what we do? Who leads and who follows in the creative sector? Or Personae Operandi

Why now?

the cultural aspect to urban regeneration and the interest in instigating creative industry entrepreneurial clustering in economically depressed regions. The Creative Industries in the UK are worth 100 Billion euros a year..

the growing divide between the rich and poor in society and the seeming impotency of political structures to deal with the problem. Creativity cuts across all boundaries.

the historic lack of representation of socio-cultural diversity and in all creative industry sectors in Portugal. Mobile workforces are on the increase. The creative industries are part of that trend

the historic under-achievement by certain socio cultural echelons within the existing Portuguese education system. One cannot study creativity as a cultural or economic issue in isolation. It is a pedagogical issue too. Portugal also has no university in the top 250 world rankings.

the increasing importance of the value systems of brands for their target audience. The leaders in the cultural sector in Portugal like Transforma have quickly realised that the commercial sector needs associations with them in order to compete in a ‘noisy’ marketplace. It is no longer a question of patronage or sponsorship. It is about partnerships and relational or experiential marketing.

discussions on how to empower entrepreneurs within the creative industries sector especially those from the ethnic minorities and political attention to the powerful force of youth arts networks within local communities especially in terms of capacity building and social cohesion plus


What role can Transforma play in the promotion of leadership and commerciality in the Portuguese cultural industries?
Developing a competitive edge in comparison to other cities has become crucial in socio-economic terms. This Think Tank intends to explore
the role of creativity or culture within the development of the competitive edge of any given city and the potential importance of leadership,
and commerciality within the cultural sector.

Cultural association Transforma intends to drives these agendas in Portugal. This means that in Torres Vedras and Transforma can lead the trend from the cultural industries (and the subsidy mentality)
and towards the creative industries (and the investment mindset).

It could be argued that nurtruing strong cultural leadership is crucial to the future of Modern Portugal. Right across the cultural sector: From those running high profile institutions and business
organisations to those who are studying or just starting out. In the UK the relationship between the cultural and business sectors has been explored and structured and nurtured
by the charity Arts and Business. In the last year a cultural leadership programme has been established in the UK...

"we need to continue to invest in them, in creative talent, in our cultural infrastructure and in ensuring there is a supportive environment in which creativity
can prosper. the leaders in the creative and cultural sector, and we expect a great deal from them: not only sound management practice, but vision,
inspiration and dynamism, as well as a passion for culture and a strong commitment to promoting
its benefits to society and to the wider economy." Gordon Brown, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer.

In other words high quality cultural leadership is too important to the continued success of the cultural sector to leave to chance.





Michael DaCosta © Architects of Communication 2006 – All rights reserved
[1] Pg 209, “Design for a life” - Patrick Bateson and Paul Martin, Vintage, 1988.