SEACCN: Creativity a Necessity in the Economy

South East Asian Creative Cities Network (SEACCN), an organization by the so-called “second cities” of Malaysia (Penang), Thailand (Chiangmai), Indonesia (Bandung) and the Phillippines (Cebu) seek to acknowledge the booming creative industries and educate them about copyrights, entrepreneurship, value for their products’ worth and their part in their country’s economy.

In their introductory forum held last June 25 at the City Sports Cebu, representatives from each nation showcased each cities unique contribution to their countries.

Cebu Business Month 2015 Chairman, Francis Dy welcoming everyone into the Forum

“We do not compete, we cooperate, we explore possibilities in the bigger Asian market,” Francis Dy, Chairman of Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2015 said during his welcome message in light of the SEACCN unity.

In his keynote speech entitled “Copyright, Culture and Creativity at the Heart of Creative Cities”, Mr. Dimiter Gantchev -Deputy Director and Head, Creative Industries Section Copyright Infrastructure Division under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)- emphasized the value for the Creative Industries’ products by urging them to have their ideas or creations patented or copyrighted. “Creators should be aware of exploitation,” Gantchev warned.

Deputy Director of Chiang Mai University Science & Technology Park (CMU STeP) and Secretary of Creative Chiang Mai of Thailand, Dr Kasemsak Uthaichana introduced the SEACCN as a network of creative cities and clusters all over Southeast Asia.

From L-R: Cebu Creative Council Philippines, Ms. Debbie Palao; WIPO, Mr. Dimiter Gantchev; Creative Chiang Mai Thailand, Mr. Martin Venzky-Stalling; Think City Malaysia, Dr. Neil Khor; Creative Chiang Mai Thailand, Dr. Kasemsak Uthaichana; Bandung Creative City Forum Indonesia, Dr. Dwinita Larasati.

From Thailand, Creative Chiang Mai’s founding member Mr. Martin Venzky-Stalling talked about the “The Strength of Crafts” which touched on the country’s booming traditional and contemporary –graphic design and such- arts. Dr. Neil Khor, the Chief Operating Officer of Think City -which is based in Penang, Malaysia-, discussed about the preservation of culture, heritage and history through renovating “old” cities in his talk of “The Strength of Heritage”. General Secretary of Bandung Creative City Forum (Indonesia) and the Head of Creative Economy Committee for City of Bandung, Dr. Dwinita Larasati talked about “Learning Communities Role in Developing Bandung Creative City.” Creative Cebu Council’s Ms Debbie V. Palao –the creative and designing partner in Design Ventures- talked about her hometown, Cebu, as “The City of Creative Entrepreneurs.”

This forum was supported by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Trade and Industry, Cebu Creative Council, and the SEACCN.