Today’s creative economy is not only about creative industries. It is about an ecosystem of cooperation between the economy’s creative and other sectors that are conducive to improving enterprises’ competitive edge and final product quality, and to promoting them both locally and internationally. Now that Russian regions have ceased to be mere administrative units and are striving to find their own opportunities and development paths, they face the task of creating an ecosystem for developing a creative economy. Many regions have already designed their own successful strategies for developing and supporting creative industries. Today, issues are coming to the fore of coordinating these efforts and determining development specifics depending on the needs and unique features of individual regions. Russia’s Far East is located in the immediate proximity to global centres of cultural and technological development such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and China, so it possesses unique potential for developing creative industries. Cultural collaboration, geographic and mental proximity face us with similar cultural and educational development issues and objectives. These factors are conducive to an active exchange of cultural traditions and attraction of international partners, this creating additional conditions for developing a creative economy. What conditions and infrastructure are needed for a creative breakthrough? What influence do creative industries have on regions’ socioeconomic effect and investment appeal? What is the role of culture in establishing cooperation between Russia and Asia Pacific? Which Asia Pacific countries’ creative industry experience can be exported to Russia’s Far East and what are the prospects for cooperation between countries in a creative economy? To what extent should creative economy development strategies and support programmes account for a given region’s unique specifics and to what degree should they be universally applicable? Which regions in the Far East are today leaders in developing a local creative infrastructure? What are country specifics and differences in developing creative industries in Russia and the countries of Asia Pacific?

Moderator:
Yuliya Golubeva — Deputy General Director, Gazprom-Media Holding

Panellists:
Lyubov Agafonova — Art critic, founder, Vellum Art Gallery; Advisor to the Director of the Museum, House of Russian Abroad im. Alexandra Solzhenitsyn
Natalia Vesnina — General Director, Independent Media (online)
Ekaterina Gurova — Dean of the Faculty of Media Communications and Design, Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (RANEPA)
Zorikto Dorzhiev — Honored Artist of the Republic Buryatia
Igor Drozdov — Chairman of the Board, Skolkovo Foundation
Igor Namakonov —
Chakrit Pichyangkul — Executive Director, Creative Economy Agency (online)
Vera Podguzova — Senior Vice President, Director of External Relations Directorate, Promsvyazbank
Cui Shan — President, Russian-Sino Foundation of Developing Culture and Art
Elena Shumakova — Deputy Governor of Khanty‑Mansi Autonomous Area–Yugra
Zhu Chuansheng — Member of the Board, General Director for Project Development, Wuqiao Acrobats Association; Director, Golden Circus of Beijing

Every city has its own unique cultural identity and, if a city successfully re-conceptualizes this and transforms it into its trade mark, it will gain a competitive edge over other cultural centres. Film and music, gastronomic and ethnic festivals, and sports fests are an effective way of upgrading cities via culture, and an alternative source of revenue. A popular regional festival raises the local people’s awareness of a popular local product, helps develop local business and local agricultural manufacturing facilities, consolidates ties with local authorities, and provides an excellent venue for developing local residents’ creative potential and promoting the region on the tourist market. Owing to its association with a unique event, the territory develops its own brand, its own intangible asset that increases in value with every successful event. This brings more investment into the region, stimulates local tourism and helps shape continuity of values. What role do cultural events play in preserving and promoting local culture? How could festival organizers help preserve and promote a given city’s unique cultural traditions and legacy? Who and what ensures a successful event programme? Does the future belong to multi-format or niche festivals? Businesses and cultural events: sponsorship or partnership? What ways are there to find and attract audiences that share a given festival’s values? How do organizers choose cities and countries for holding their events?

Moderator:
Oleg Rakitov — Director-Coordinator of Social and Cultural Programs, VEB.RF

Panellists:
Egor Anisimov — Chef, Zuma
Natalia Borisova — Director, Autonomous Cultural Institution of the Republic of Buryatia “State Circus of the Republic of Buryatia named after the People’s Artist of Russia M.Kh. Zhapkhandaev"
Alexandra Dubovskaya — Director, Animur International Animated Film Festival
Daniela Pica — Member of the Board, Autonomous non-profit organization of initiatives and assistance to promote and popularize design and cultural development "Vladivostok Design"
Vladimir Rusanov — Minister of Tourism of Kamchatka Territory

Front row participants:
Philip Abryutin — Artistic Director, Golden Raven International Arctic Film Festival
Pavel Lopatin — Curator and Founder, Far East Music Forum; founder, BGW Music Label; booking agent, V-Rox Festival in Asia-Pacific countries
Natalia Ulanova — Artistic Director, Buryat Philharmonic Society; art Director, UU.Sound and Voice of Nomads festivals

Creative spaces, museums, libraries and modern cultural community centres are becoming a “third space,” i.e., part of public space unrelated to home or work, a space that generates meaning and opportunity, and shapes communities. As points of attraction, they can revitalize a city and transform it into a centre of cultural life and an integration point for businesses, residents and tourists. By offering local communities a venue for self-expression and for manufacturing local products, creative spaces help preserve human capital in the regions. What influence could public creative space have on urban development? What role could galleries, museums, creative communities and clusters linked in a “creator-business-city” triad play and what opportunities could they offer? Is it true that, if creative industries pool their efforts, they can achieve much more? What is the importance of “third places” in a highly urbanized world? What successful experience of operational creative clusters can be rolled out to Russia’s Far East?

Moderator:
Ivan Chaikin — Urbanist; director, Academy of Social Events

Panellists:
Olga Antipina — Creative Director, Labor Quarter cluster
Dmitry Barsenkov — General Director, Creative Industrial Cluster Octava
Roman Kolupaev — General Director, Development Fund of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra
Sergey Samoilenko — Scientist, Volcanologist, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences; founder, Vulcanarium Museum
Petr Strelec — Head, Center for the Development of Territories of the Amur Region

Front row participants:
Elena Vasilyeva — Curator of exhibition projects, Y.A. Gagarin Center for Culture and Contemporary Art in Yakutsk; Founder, Archetype Art Group
Evgeny Elfimov — Member, General Council of Delovaya Rossiya; Managing Partner, NIK JSC; First Deputy General Director, TI Hunter LLC
Dmitry Pavlov — Founder, Trepang Museum; head of the Tourism Development Committee, Primorsky Regional Branch of All‑Russian Non‑Governmental Organization of Small and Medium‑Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA

Experts estimate that the global visual arts industry is one of the biggest creative areas in volume and the absolute leader in the number of jobs it creates. The art market is a unique phenomenon differing greatly differs from other sectors. This uniqueness manifests itself particularly in the virtually continuous rise in the prices of works of art, which makes investment in art an alternative to traditional investment. In 2022, the global arts turnover totalled USD 67.8 bn. Asian states are rapidly taking the lead in this sector: in 2022, a quarter of all contemporary art auction sales were in China (about USD 50.6 m). With increasing frequency, international galleries take part in Asian art fairs thereby transforming national art markets into an international art market and having a positive effect on its overall development by helping advance its logistics, art work storage systems, business activities and emergence of new commercial actors. So it is all the more important to discuss the influence culture has on the development of the overall economic potential, the Far Eastern situation in particular, and possible interactions between international business and art. Cases to be considered will include international examples and art fairs, and the discussion will be held with a view to holding an art fair in Vladivostok. What is the share of the Russia and Asia national art markets in the international art space? How does development of culture and the art market in the regions influence the growth of local businesses and international collaboration? What development potential does the Russian art market have in the Far East? What are the unique features of the Russian art market and why is it important to support Russian art institutions? What support and infrastructure does the art market of Russia’s Far East and Primorye need? How can Russian artists advance on the growing Eastern art market?

Moderator:
Sofia Trotsenko — Founder, Center for Contemporary Art "Winzavod"; Chairman of the Board, Association of Galleries

Panellists:
Vera Glazkova — Director, Gallery «Arka» (online)
Yulia Klimko — Director, Enso Foundation for Cultural Initiatives
Elvira Nurgalieva — Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Andrey Severilov — Chairman of the Board, FESCO
Daria Stegniy — Vice Mayor of Vladivostok
Bao Yi Feng — Co-Founder, ART021 Art Fair (online)
Konstantin Khankhalaev — Founder, Khankhalaev Gallery

Russia’s Far East is a land of young, energetic and creative people, such people capable of generating innovations being well-known to be the principal resource of a creative economy. Such industries as design, music, filmmaking, games, fashion, etc. can be an important source of revenues and new jobs for the younger generation and talent professionals in the regions. Yet, this requires favorable conditions such as education offered at local universities, development of creative ecosystems, support provided by the state and by business community, and collaboration with global cultural centres. Solutions to these problems could create new opportunities for the younger generation and reduce the demographic outflow from Russia’s Far East. What ways are there to create favorable conditions for young talent in the regions? What methods and approaches could develop people’s creative potential on their educational path from school to university? What competences do today’s creative professionals lack? What stands in the way of scaling up creative business and how could educational institutions help? How could the younger generation choose their educational path? What role does culture play in developing human capital in Russia’s Far East? What ways are there to ensure competent cooperation between business and the state in educational programmes for creative industries?

Moderator:
Andrey Sokolov — Deputy Director General, Russian News Agency TASS

Panellists:
Borislav Volodin — Director, National Open Championship of Creative Competencies Art Masters
Edward Maas — Head of Digital Laboratory, Gazprom-Media Holding
Dmitry Mednikov — Managing Director, Russian Media Group
Vera Podguzova — Senior Vice President, Director of External Relations Directorate, Promsvyazbank
Nadezhda Prepodobnaya — Secretary of State - Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Pavel Drogovoz — Vice-Rector for Science and Digital Development, Bauman Moscow State Technical University
Sargylana Ignatieva — Rector, Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts

Effective measures for preserving linguistic and cultural heritage are central on the agenda of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. They involve supporting creative projects designed by indigenous peoples, protecting and expanding the practical significance of their intellectual property and traditional knowledge. Given that linguistic discrimination, including in digital terms, is inadmissible and given that the languages of the peoples of Russia need an opportunity to function fully in today’s world, we must admit that languages have to be digitalized, this requiring basic digital technologies for every language. At the same time, Russian, as an official UN language, has a connecting function serving as an intermediary for conveying the needs and interests of indigenous peoples living in the Russian Federation. Ultimately, it is apparently crucial to increase and bolster the significance of the Russian language both in Russia and internationally. With that goal in view, 2023 was declared the year of the Russian language as a language of international communication within the CIS, helping ensure its central role as a communication tool for all peoples living in the Russian Federation, including migrants, in order to guarantee mutual understanding, peace and harmony in society. What practices, experience and knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities could be useful for resolving today’s global problems? What indigenous language preservation projects already exist in cyberspace? What are the means for emphasizing the role of languages in diplomacy, peacemaking and socioeconomic development? What means are required for successful linguistic development in the informational and digital space? What are the means for digitalizing the linguistic and cultural legacy of indigenous peoples while protecting them against encroachment and distortion? In what ways do today’s information technologies transform sociocultural space? What needs to be done to expand exchange of experience between indigenous peoples’ organizations?

Moderator:
Anna Polezhaeva — Director, House of the Peoples of Russia

Panellists:
Rinat Alyautdinov — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to UNESCO (video message)
Igor Barinov — Head, Russian Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs
Dorothy Gordon — Chair, UNESCO Intergovernmental Information for All Program (online)
Andrey Grachev — Vice President for Federal and Regional Programs, Norilsk Nickel
Jandhyala Prabhakar Rao — Professor, Head of the Center for the Study of Foreign Languages, School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad (online)
Aleksei Tsykarev — Program Director, All-Russian competitive educational program "Indigenous Peoples. School of Public Diplomacy"; expert, The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
Elena Shumakova — Deputy Governor of Khanty‑Mansi Autonomous Area–Yugra
Mikhail Yurchuk — Deputy CEO for Government Relations, Atlas Mining

Front row participants:
Eduard Baldakov — Chief Executive Officer, Denis'School
Antonina Gorbunova — Vice-Chair, United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The diverse natural and cultural legacy of Russia, including Russia’s Far East and Arctic, has tremendous potential for implementing science and education projects. Studying and conserving rare animals, monitoring the environment, cleansing the natural environment of anthropogenic pollution, studying unique geographical sites, and ecotourism appeal to people in Russia and elsewhere. Non-profits constitute a particularly important element of international humanitarian cooperation. What can Russia’s non-profit sector offer to international audiences interested in studying Russia? What opportunities are there today for mutually advantageous humanitarian cooperation? What ways are there for building collaboration with countries of Asia Pacific and for engaging them in joint projects?

Moderator:
Andrey Petrov — Journalist, TV presenter of the program "Morning of Russia" on the TV channel "Russia-1"

Panellists:
Sergey Aramilev — General Director, Amur Tiger Centre Autonomous Non-Profit Organization
Elena Galaktionova — Deputy Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Ilya Gurov — First Deputy Executive Director, Russian Geographical Society
Innokentiy Dementyev — Deputy General Director, Presidential Grants Foundation
Daria Loyola — Lecturer, University Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne (University of Paris I); Chairman of the Commission for Work with Youth, Coordinating Council of Organizations of Russian Compatriots in France (CRC) (online)
Polina Nemirovchenko — Vice Rector, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)
Fahu Chen — Professor, Director, Institute of Tibet Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Science (video message)

Front row participant:
Vyacheslav Manuilov — Deputy Head of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations, Moscow Government