Intersection of 4IR and creatives may hold the key to Africa’s future
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is an interrupter and a catalyst of new industries and new ways of thinking, forcing us to reconsider how we have done things in the past. UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA), and Andani. Africa, a creative industries research and insights company, has embarked upon a process of knowledge production on how 4IR and the creative sector intersect, particularly in South Africa and the African continent. “While many industries are considering how 4IR will affect operations and ultimately the sustainability of economies, we recognised the necessity of a robust discussion and curious exploration of 4IR within the context of the creative sector. The creative economy and indeed the creative industries are well placed to be enablers of 4IR. They help to ease the adoption of new technologies and provide practical ways in which these technologies could be applied and understood,” says Pieter Jacobs, Head: UJ Arts & Culture. To initiate such a discussion, the inaugural Futures & Beyond Forum was held by UJ Arts & Culture and Andani.Africa in June 2021 with a focus on the creative industries’ role in the continent’s future and to develop Africa-led strategies for creativity and innovation in technology. Speakers from across the continent engaged on various topics that interrogate where creativity meets 4IR. The subsequent Futures & Beyond Key Research Findings Report is an exploratory introduction into the current local and international debates on the intersection
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