As a small island country with a service-based economy, Seychelles relies heavily on international trade. Culturally rich, Seychelles has been working to foster its cultural and creative industries to expand the nation’s development prospects. 

Political stability, sweeping socio-economic reforms and dynamic international relations make Seychelles a fertile ground for the cultural sector to grow. To develop its domestic cultural market, Seychelles elaborated a Culture Department Strategic Plan 2011-2015, which includes the need to develop a creative industries policy.

The Strategic Plan also included a mapping study entitled ‘The General Overview of the Creative Industry in Seychelles’. This study revealed that creative industries were dominated by middle-aged men. To make the cultural sector more dynamic while also diversifying opportunities to a wider range of people, the Government was keen to find ways of attracting more young people and women into the industries.

While the study highlighted a flourishing music industry, it also disclosed a number of challenges: a low number of artists working full time; an industry that relies heavily on candidates without training or formal qualifications; low participation in professional associations (that fail to fulfill their role); costly logistics preventing industrial development; low promotion of cultural goods and services; technological weakness; and lack of information on the rights of artists about their creations.Based on the work already done, the Government of Seychelles sought, in consultation with key stakeholders and experts, expertise from UNESCO’s Expert Facility Programme on the Governance of Culture to build a cultural policy to develop a framework to assist entrepreneurs in creating and marketing their cultural goods and services at the national, regional and international levels.The consultative process involved engaging representatives of government ministries, professional and academic institutions, cultural organisations, arts associations, civil society organisations as well as private sector companies working in cultural promotion and marketing. The draft creative industries policy makes practical recommendations, such as how to insert more entrepreneurial teaching in primary and secondary schools, alongside training in the arts discipline.

Based on the work already done, the Government of Seychelles sought, in consultation with key stakeholders and experts, expertise from UNESCO’s Expert Facility Programme on the Governance of Culture to build a cultural policy to develop a framework to assist entrepreneurs in creating and marketing their cultural goods and services at the national, regional and international levels.

The consultative process involved engaging representatives of government ministries, professional and academic institutions, cultural organisations, arts associations, civil society organisations as well as private sector companies working in cultural promotion and marketing. The draft creative industries policy makes practical recommendations, such as how to insert more entrepreneurial teaching in primary and secondary schools, alongside training in the arts discipline.

Specific avenues to fast-track Seychelles thriving music sector were also explored. “The ability of most artists in Seychelles to record and perform in Kreol as well as both French and English, gives them a unique competitive edge that enables opportunities for commercial exploitation in English, French and Creole speaking countries around the world,” said Mr Standbury, an expert who participated in the drafting.  

The implementation strategy on the music sector addressed nine key results areas: 1) product and service supply; 2) organizational infrastructure; 3) investments; 4) domestic market development; 5) regional and international market development; 6) professional development and training; 7) regulation and policy; 8) linkages with other sectors, such as tourism; and 9) digital technology and multi-media.

The draft policy and strategy, considered as a landmark by government representatives, artists and entrepreneurs from across the island, was approved by the Council of Ministers in December 2012.