Nourishing “cultural clusters” produces enduring economic benefits, parti- cularly as it expands local growth. Existing examples of cultural clusters include the film industry in Hollywood, reggae music in Jamaica, textile fabrication in India, and contemporary art clusters in places ranging from Brooklyn to Port-au-Prince. These cultural clusters also indicate that cultural economics are increasingly intertwined other policy domains, including education, politics, and, as this paper demonstrates, employment. Creative industries also increase demand for cultural tourism and there- fore become strategic assets for local economies.

 

Following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Haitian government announced a series of strategies for “cultural

reconstruction”. The government partnered with artists, cultural professionals, NGOs, and international organizations, which together aided the Ministry of Culture and Communication in drafting a national policy for the country’s cultural industries. UNESCO then provided the Haitian government with technical assistance and capacity building policies, at first focusing on a strategy for Haiti’s book industry (UNESCO, 2016).

 

In 2014, Haiti’s Ministry of Tourism announced it would be adding “Creative Industries” to its tourism industry to promote diversity and the evolution of craft work, grow craft production by developing characteristics of each region, and supervise groups of artisans to enhance the country’s creative industries (Villedrouin, 2015). These combined policy plays are indicative of Haiti’s rich cultural history, and its move towards monetizing the sector demonstrates real potential to increase jobs therein. Despite its rich cultural history and potential for a rise in creative employment, the LAC region, including Haiti, is woefully behind vis-à-vis all other regions. Creative and cultural in- dustries employed 4.7 million people in North America, 7.7 in Europe, 12.7 million in Asia-Pacific, and 2.4 million in Africa and the Middle East (EY, 2015. p. 17).

 

The CCI offer tremendous potential for job growth, particularly for youth. This sector has proven exceptionally resilient in times of financial crisis and has witnessed sustained positive growth of 50% over the past decade. The growing global art market provides an opportunity to spur job growth in Haiti, a country wracked by vulnerability. The best method to leverage innovation, boost creativity, and create sustained employment is HARTÏ.