Sixteen years ago, the UNESCO declared 27th October as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, to commemorate and raise awareness of the significance of audiovisual archives.
Audiovisual products such as films, sound and video recordings or radio and television programmes comprise a record of our collective memory, reflect the diversity of the world we live in and are a window to realities and events we otherwise wouldn’t have access to. And, why deny it, their power to transmit deeply moving, informative and entertaining stories make of audiovisual materials a crucial piece of our leisure time and a key part of our society as a whole.
The economic and cultural potential of the Audiovisual Industry fits with ASCAME’s motto of fostering an inclusive socio-economic development for all the Mediterranean. In this sense, iHeritage project, in which ASCAME is an active member, is something to celebrate. Set in the framework of ENI CBC MED, it provides new solutions to interpret the Mediterranean UNESCO cultural heritage, through the latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR). Therefore, ASCAME and iHeritage are using the power of audiovisual products to address shared Mediterranean challenges at a cross-border level, through active involvement of young people, women and NEETs (“Not in Education, Employment, or Training”) and by supporting collaborations between universities, SMEs, start-ups and spin-offs devoted to ICT.
The number of film directors and audio-visual creators that have chosen the Mediterranean as a background for their stories is endless and Mediterranean audiovisual productions and film festivals are highly regarded worldwide. Moreover, international streaming companies with a global impact are choosing Mediterranean countries to set their European productions hubs, therefore creating a direct positive effect on the economy.
Now more than ever, images and sounds shape the way we understand the world, which is why they are a priceless heritage that must be conserved. The audiovisual sector is a key factor in the promotion of cultural diversity at local and international levels, and ASCAME sees in it a tool to promote common values for the Mediterranean region. Similarly, ASCAME’s deep commitment to boosting employment and opportunities for the Mediterranean people and SMEs, make it crucial that we foster the Audiovisual Industry, as a sector becoming increasingly relevant for the recovery of regional economies in the post-pandemic context. In this sense, the creation of a common audiovisual regional market and of a Euro-Mediterranean market will prove decisive.
With this goal in mind, ASCAME will launch the 1st Mediterranean Creative Economy Forum in the framework of the next MedaWeek Barcelona, mid November 2021. The forum will examine the impact of COVID-19 on the entire value chain of the audiovisual industry, as well as the challenges faced by Mediterranean audiovisual products. To do so, this forum will bring together the main Euro-Mediterranean radio and television stations, audiovisual and cultural operators, and institutional representatives of the region. Together, they will tackle relevant synergies, systemic changes linked to the growth of digital technology, the creation of a common regional market with international weight, the need for coordinated strategies that involve all stakeholders and new forms of creativity, innovation and development. This is of the outmost importance for projects such as iHERITAGE, since its partners believe in innovation and digitalisation to get into a new digital dimension, thanks to the AVR technologies.
The addition of the Creative Economy Forum goes hand in hand with the essence of MedaWeek Barcelona. ASCAME and MedaWeek are set to help the Mediterranean basin move forward by creating a common innovative, sustainable and inclusive space for all the countries in the region. The Forum will take place on 17th November. You can check the programme and the list of speakers here. And don’t wait to register !