Govt advances vision for Orange Economy through landmark stakeholders consultation

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport successfully hosted the inaugural Orange Economy Stakeholders Consultation under the theme, “Orange Economy: Unlocking Guyana’s Cultural & Creative Industries Potential.”

The consultation brought together creatives, cultural practitioners, entrepreneurs, private sector representatives, policymakers, development partners and government officials for meaningful discussions on advancing Guyana’s cultural and creative industries as key contributors to national development, with a strong focus on job creation and sustainable employment opportunities for young people and communities across the country.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson MP, joined Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues MP, and Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs MP, in leading discussions focused on positioning the Orange Economy as a pillar of economic diversification, job creation, and sustainable growth.

In his opening presentation, Minister Jacobs highlighted the impact of the creative sector, noting that 2,284 creatives were actively involved in Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, demonstrating the depth and diversity of local talent. He further revealed that more than 38,000 persons attended the various Jubilee events, underscoring the growing public interest in cultural and creative activities and the sector’s expanding role in generating livelihoods and employment opportunities through large-scale cultural programming.

In her remarks, Minister Rodrigues highlighted the strong relationship between the tourism and creative sectors, noting that while they are distinct industries, they are deeply interconnected and complementary. She explained that tourism creates valuable markets and opportunities for creatives, while the creative sector enriches the tourism product by showcasing Guyana’s culture, heritage and unique identity. She further emphasized that the Orange Economy enhances visitor experiences by encouraging longer stays, higher spending and increased employment opportunities across hospitality, events, entertainment and creative services, through culture, art, music, festivals, gastronomy and other creative expressions.

Delivering the feature address, Minister Ramson emphasised the Government’s commitment to developing the Orange Economy as a key pillar of national development and economic diversification. He noted that the sector has the potential to significantly expand job creation across multiple sub-sectors, including film, music, fashion, events, media production and cultural tourism, while also attracting investment, driving innovation, expanding tourism opportunities and preserving Guyana’s cultural heritage.

He stressed that the stakeholder consultation marks a shift from dialogue to implementation, with a structured mix of immediate, short- and long-term initiatives aimed at advancing the creative industries and translating policy into real jobs and income-generating opportunities for creatives nationwide. Minister Ramson also highlighted Guyana’s growing capacity to support international-standard productions, citing a recent film project that invested approximately US$500,000 locally, generating employment for local cast, crew and service providers.

Providing a global perspective, the Minister referenced how countries such as Dubai, Nigeria and Jamaica have successfully developed specific segments of their orange economies, including film, music, festivals and cultural tourism, transforming creativity into major economic drivers, export industries and large-scale employment sectors. He noted that Guyana can draw lessons from these models while tailoring its own approach to reflect national identity and development priorities.

A major announcement during his address was Guyana’s historic first participation in the Toronto International Film Festival, which he described as a significant opportunity to showcase local talent, attract international partnerships and expand employment pathways within the film and creative industries.

Participants examined opportunities and challenges across a wide range of creative sectors, including film, music, fashion, visual arts, literary arts, performing arts, cultural tourism, festivals, gastronomy, media production, heritage and entertainment. Through interactive presentations and breakout sessions, stakeholders shared recommendations aimed at strengthening policy support, improving access to financing, enhancing skills development, expanding market opportunities and increasing the global competitiveness of Guyana’s creative products and services, with a central emphasis on scaling job creation within the Orange Economy.

The engagement forms part of the Government’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for creatives and cultural entrepreneurs while ensuring that culture remains an integral component of Guyana’s development agenda and a sustainable source of employment.