Extenda and the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions strengthen their collaboration in the external promotion of the sector

Collaboration agreement signed at Extenda headquarters

Both entities have signed an agreement that will promote 14 promotional and training activities, including trade missions, technical workshops, and participation in international trade fairs in 2017.

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La CEO of Extenda - Andalusian Agency for Foreign Promotion, entity dependent on the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge, Vanessa Bernard, and the director of the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions, Eduardo Tamarit, have signed an agreement in Seville aimed at promoting the internationalization of Andalusian companies of the different sectors of the cultural industries and promote Andalusian cultural products in the world.

 

This collaboration agreement signed at the headquarters of extend aims to improve competitiveness and positioning in the international market for Andalusian firms of the sectors of the cultural industries such as publishing, audiovisual, music, performing arts (circus, dance, theater, and flamenco), art galleries, and Spanish language teaching, in addition to the exploration and identification of new markets.

 

In this sense, this document consolidates the cooperation that both institutions deploy within the 'Action Plan for the Internationalization of Andalusian Cultural Industries', which has registered more than 700 participations from companies across various sectors in numerous activities scheduled each year since 2013. These include direct or reverse trade missions, international meetings, trade fair attendance, digital portals, technical workshops, and more.

 

Thus, the agreement, which will be valid until the end of the year with the possibility of being extended, will be materialized through the execution of a total of 14 actions: ten of them will be led by extend and the remaining four by the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions, although always within the framework of close collaboration between both entities. The actions contemplated in this agreement may be co-financed by 80% with funds from the European Union, charged to FEDER Operational Program of Andalusia 2014-2020.

 

Promotion actions

 

Specifically, extend will coordinate four reverse trade missions in 2017: one to promote the performing arts within the framework of Circada in Seville; another for the music industry during the festival. Monkey Week also in Seville; another one aimed at the publishing sector in which firms will be invited Latin America and that will take place in Malaga; and another for the audiovisual sector during the Seville European Film Festival.

 

Likewise, the participation of Andalusian companies will be organized in the Huesca International Theater and Dance Fair, in the London Film Production Finance Market, in the festival WOMEX in Poland, at the Guadalajara Book Fair (Mexico) and at the 4K (UHD) SUMMIT Business Meeting in Seville, as well as organizing a study mission to Morocco's cultural heritage.

 

For its part, the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions will lead four training initiatives aimed at promoting the professionalization of Andalusian cultural industries. These initiatives will focus on "Language Skills for the Internationalization of Creative and Cultural Companies," "Development of Internationalization Projects for the Audiovisual Sector," "Development of Internationalization Projects for the Performing Arts Sector," and "Preparation and Follow-up of International Bilateral Trade Meetings."

 

Exports grow

 

In reference to goods sold abroad and leaving aside exports of services that are not accounted for and that represent the largest number of activities in the cultural industries, according to data from extendAndalusian companies in the sector's foreign sales reached €16,7 million from January to November 2016, representing a 4,4% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth is practically comparable to the growth experienced by domestic exports (4,3%).

 

 

Sales of Andalusian companies in the sector abroad reached a value of 16,7 million euros from January to November 2016, which represents an increase of 4,4% compared to the same period of the previous year.

 

 

The provinces that achieved the highest sales during this period were Malaga, with 5 million euros (29,9% of the sector's total); Cadiz, which with 4,4 million (26,4% of the total) increased its sales by 80% compared to the same period last year; and Granada, which grew by 46% to reach 3,3 million euros, accounting for 20,3% of Andalusian sales.

 

On the other hand, the most in-demand products abroad from January to November were books, with 3,2 million, 19,4% of the total, and an 85% increase compared to 2015; followed by other publishing products, which accumulated 2,8 million (17,8% of the total) and grew by 85%; and printed materials, catalogs, and other graphic arts products, with 2,8 million (17,2% of the total). Musical instruments followed with 2,5 million, a 19,9% ​​increase, and audio-visual media, with 2,5 million, a sales growth that tripled compared to 2015.

 

Finally, the main markets for the Andalusian cultural industries in this period were United Kingdom, a country to which it was exported for a value of 3,6 million (21,8% of the total); Cuba, with 1,7 million exported (10,2% of the total); and Venezuela, where sales have multiplied by 36 to reach 1,6 million (9,7% of the total).

 

Extend with the cultural industries

 

Support from extend to the cultural industries of Andalucía within the 'Action Plan for the Internationalization of Andalusian Cultural Industries' It was launched in 2016 with the launch of a total of 81 internationalization actions, in which 164 Andalusian companies participated, generating 267 entries.

 

Among the most relevant actions carried out during 2016 were five direct trade missions organized by extend: two for the promotion of the performing arts sector France and New York, one aimed at the publishing sector Poland and Czech Republic, another for the audiovisual sector to London and a last one to United States for the sector ICT.

 

Likewise, five other reverse trade missions were carried out in the fields of flamenco, audiovisual, music, flamenco fashion and ELE, in which 54 companies from different countries participated; and the participation of numerous Andalusian firms in international events such as the Tanmia Forum and the 4K (UHD) SUMMIT Business Meeting.

 

In addition, Andalusian companies from the publishing sector traveled Mexico to submit your offer at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), While, on the other hand, progress was made in the formation of the business fabric with the organization of nine technical conferences on issues such as the characteristics of foreign trade in Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand or the ICT sector in United Kingdom, among others.

 

In 2015 they were counted in Andalucía a total of 767 Andalusian exporting companies in the field of cultural industries, whose main markets were United Kingdom, Cuba, Portugal, France and the United States.