Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada’s Creative Economy

Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada’s Creative
Economy examines the culture sector as a cornerstone of the creative
economy.

Arts and culture industries play a vital role in attracting people,
business, and investment, and in distinguishing Canada as a dynamic and
exciting place to live and work.

The Conference Board estimates that the economic footprint of
Canada’s culture sector was $84.6 billion in 2007, or 7.4 per cent of
Canada’s total real GDP, including direct, indirect, and induced
contributions. Culture sector employment exceeded 1.1 million jobs in
2007.

Technology is revolutionizing business models in the creative
economy, altering the way culture is created and consumed. Consumers
are becoming “prosumers” who actively create and customize content.

The “long tail” business model of many niche markets is altering how
arts and culture industries sell their products and services.

The culture sector bridges geographical distances and creates greatly expanded social networks.