The Hiba Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the European Union and the French Institute in Morocco, in the presence of the Federation of Cultural and Creative Industries, is organizing the second edition of the Moroccan Forum for Cultural and Creative Industries in Rabat from December 4 to 8, 2024. Activities of this event will be held in a number of symbolic places downtown the capital, Rabat.

This course marks a major turning point in the structuring and development of the cultural and creative industries in Morocco. This annual forum is part of a national strategy aimed at making the cultural and creative industries sector an engine of economic growth and a lever for job creation. By 2030, industry players aspire to contribute 2% to 3% of GDP.

Every year, the forum brings together professionals from the cultural sector, associations, students, entrepreneurs and all those interested in the cultural and creative industries. This year, the Forum will welcome more than 80 participants from inside and outside Morocco to dialogue and exchange views on three main themes aimed at exploring the sector’s major challenges: financing and export strategies, training and employability and the relationship between culture, territorial development and tourism.

In this context, Younes Boumehdi, President of the Hiba Foundation, stressed “the need to free the sector from restrictions that are no longer suitable for this time, and called for simplifying administrative procedures and placing confidence in Moroccan youth, as this has an impact on the country’s competitiveness, cultural sovereignty and international influence.” He added that “we need great awareness in this area, starting with the awareness of national, regional and local authorities of the strategic importance of culture and arts centres.”

Patricia Llombart Cussac, Ambassador of the European Union to Morocco, said: “Culture is both a space for the expression of identity, for meeting people and for economic development. Therefore, the EU is committed, together with Morocco, to supporting concrete initiatives in this area, such as the Moroccan Forum for Cultural and Creative Industries, which plays an important role in structuring the creative environment and launching new initiatives for talented young Moroccans.”

In the same context, Christophe Le Courtier, Ambassador of France to Morocco, stressed “the importance of creativity and pointed to the need to value creativity in cultural industries and to adopt an approach based on creating values with attention to the marketing aspect and thinking about ways to disseminate them. This is what the Forum is doing well through its multiple workshops.”

The Forum proposes two complementary parts aimed at promoting exchange and encouraging innovation and cultural entrepreneurship.

– A Scientific part: panel discussions, sectoral sessions, backstage workshops and quick strategic challenges of the cultural and creative industries and to personally accompany entrepreneurs and project holders.

– A Technical Part: A market for contractors to discover the products and services of cultural contractors, a fashion show, a closing ceremony and the award of excellence on December 7, where a concert will be held by the band “Aïta Mon Amour”.

The forum is part of the “Backstage” programme, the Moroccan incubator for cultural and creative industries launched by the Heba Foundation in partnership with the European Union. This programme aims to:

– Promote professional integration in the cultural sector;

– Support project holders through a comprehensive approach that combines training, financial support and strategic tracking;

– Enhance the skills of cultural entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into high-impact concrete projects.