Creative industries discussed in Kenitra

Morocco is engaging in a critical discussion about its cultural and creative industries at the first academic forum hosted by Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra. The two-day event seeks to diagnose the current landscape, analyze the relationship between culture and socio-economic development, and foster connections between academia and the professional world.

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Today we give it an academic character, especially to deepen the philosophical and cultural questions; the university is a space for thinking, and professionals are naturally present for discussion within a structured intellectual context.

Key themes include the impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on cultural industries, the need for enhanced training, and the future of cultural policies in Morocco. Participants are examining missed opportunities in cultural policymaking, questioning whether policies primarily serve society or culture itself, and exploring the interplay between cultural policies, media, and education.

Abdelaziz Rachedi, a member of the forum's scientific committee, noted that while the concept of cultural industries has been discussed outside academia, the university setting provides a crucial space for deeper philosophical and cultural inquiry. He emphasized that culture has shifted from a public service to an industry, raising questions about maintaining its humanistic value amidst commercialization.

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Cultural and creative industries are a major question in Morocco and the world; because culture has moved from public service to cultural industry, and there is a long debate about whether culture can remain at its human level if it enters the material aspect.

The forum, themed "Culture as a Lever for Economy, Integration, and Territorial Innovation," highlights the global shift recognizing culture not just as symbolic activity but as a productive economic sector. Morocco possesses a rich cultural heritage that could significantly contribute to the creative economy, but requires effective policies and advanced professional structures to translate this potential into tangible economic and developmental gains.

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Culture is no longer just symbolic activity or societal entertainment, but has become a productive economic sector capable of creating wealth, job opportunities, and achieving sustainable development.

Cultural actor Murad Kadiri stressed the need for a national cultural policy agreed upon by all stakeholders, including government bodies, elected officials, the private sector, and civil society. He lamented that the new development model missed an opportunity to integrate culture as a distinct sector, instead embedding it within broader social cohesion and economic prosperity initiatives.

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Morocco possesses a rich and diverse cultural and civilizational heritage that qualifies it to be a key player in the creative economy, but this heritage still needs effective cultural policies, advanced professional structures, and strategies capable of transforming culture into a productive industry integrated into the economic and developmental cycle.