Smart cities mission can aid in promoting the theatre, dance and crafts industry: FICCI - EY report

The Smart Cities mission provides a significant opportunity to promote creative industries in India, notes an FICCI-EY report titled Creative arts in India. Launched at the 'Smart cities, Art Cities', the report covers the opportunities provided by the Indian performing arts industry.

Creative clusters in Smart Cities, which are unique to the character, resources and the local community can serve as a focal point to brand a city's unique cultural identity and embrace its historic significance.

The report also includes a survey with eminent personalities in the industry to understand the challenges faced by the sector. Inadequate infrastructure has emerged as the top most challenge, with obtaining sponsorships and onerous regulations governing the sector completing the top three.

It also highlights the regulatory support the industry expects from the government, with easing out of permissions, rationalisation of entertainment tax and availability of credit emerging as the top three.

The report also highlights three key recommendations for the sustained success of the Indian theatre, dance and crafts industry:

- Form an association/ body of India theatre/ dance and craft practitioners that exclusively worked for the upliftment and promotion of the sector

- Involve the private sector to invest in the creative arts of the country by adequately incentivising them through tax incentives

- Develop creative clusters showcasing the region's local culture within Smart Cities to attract tourists and residents

This first ever report on the performing arts and handicrafts industry in India focuses on the current size of the industry, funding mechanisms, key opportunities and challenges faced by the industry, along with best practices followed in other countries and how they drive and fund creative arts.

This report is a result of over 30 interviews conducted by FICCI and EY of eminent theatre, dance and craft personalities to understand their perspective of the industry and its growth opportunities/ aspects, key challenges faced, support needed from the Government, and other best practices adopted.

Drawing on both secondary research and primary data collected through interviews, the report aims to provide recommendations to the Government on how the current status of the industry can be enhanced through adequate investment and funding measures.

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