Research commissioned by the British Council in Iraq
Iraq’s nascent creative economy is thriving, nourished by a talent pool of creatives, entrepreneurs and businesses across the country. The creative economy presents a unique opportunity for Iraqis to create jobs and diversify the economy, while providing the means to tell their own stories. However, the sector is relatively new, undocumented, with limited coordination efforts and awareness of its importance and potential.
In 2022, the British Council commissioned a mapping of the creative economy in Iraq. The research aimed to map and profile the state of Iraq’s creative economy for the first time and understand the sector’s opportunities and challenges and chart the areas needing support and investment. The mapping research involved one year of consultations with over 600 creatives from more than 10 cities across Iraq’s creative economy and engaged with a diverse and inclusive cross-section of Iraqi society. Iraq’s creative industries were assessed by the themes of skills, policy, market and sales, finance, infrastructure and coordination. The assessment of these themes was conducted across the sub-sectors of screen, writing and literature, music, theatre and performing arts, cultural heritage, visual art, handicrafts and advertising and digital media. Barriers and opportunities under each theme and sub-sector where identified.
The research report that resulted from the mapping exercise is the first of its kind in Iraq for the creative sector. The research presents key recommendations for how to support Iraq’s creative economy at the grassroots ecosystem level, enterprise level, leadership level, and policy level in a progressive ziggurat approach.