The creative industries refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information. They may variously also be referred to as the cultural industries (especially in Europe) or the creative economy, and most recently they have been denominated as the Orange Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Howkins' creative economy comprises advertising, architecture, art, crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, R&D, software, toys and games, TV and radio, and video games. Some scholars consider that the education industry, including public and private services, are forming a part of the creative industries. There remain, therefore, different definitions of the sector.
The creative industries have been seen to become increasingly important to economic well-being, proponents suggesting that "human creativity is the ultimate economic resource", and that "the industries of the twenty-first century will depend increasingly on the generation of knowledge through creativity and innovation".
Various commentators have provided varying suggestions on what activities to include in the concept of "creative industries", and the name itself has become a contested issue – with significant differences and overlap between the terms "creative industries", "cultural industries" and "creative economy" l.
Lash and Urry suggest that each of the creative industries has an "irreducible core" concerned with "the exchange of finance for rights in intellectual property". This echoes the UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) definition which describes the creative industries as:
"those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property"
the DCMS definition recognizes nine creative sectors, namely:
Advertising and marketing
Architecture
Crafts
Design: product, graphic and fashion design
Film, TV productions, TV, video, radio and photography
IT, software and computer services
Publishing
Museums, galleries and libraries
Music, performing and visual arts
To this list John Howkins would add toys and games, also including the much broader area of research and development in science and technology.