Supporting the Creative Economy|En

Supporting the Creative Economy – Online Learning Programme

To take part in the programme, please complete the online application form by 15 May 2026. Participation is free

Supporting the Creative Economy: a programme for policy makers is a four-week immersive self-taught online learning programme for sector professionals working in the cultural and creative industries. The program was developed by the British Council in collaboration with Cultural Oxford Associates (UK)

The programme is open to participants from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It will build professionals’ understanding of the creative economy, providing insights, case studies and practical knowledge to inform their policy development work. The programme will give participants new ideas and tools to support the creative and cultural industries in their city/region/country, as well as extend their professional networks within the UK and internationally.

The online programme will run for four weeks from 25 May to 22 June 2026 and will be augmented by three live sessions for participants that will involve peer-networking and cross-border ideation.

Participants who complete the full programme will receive a certificate of completion from the British Council and Cultural Oxford Associates.

TIMELINE

15 May 2025

Deadline for applications

20 May 2026

Successful candidates notified

25 May 2026

Programme & live sessions start

22 June 2026

Programme ends

COURSE STRUCTURE

Two modules with 16 recorded lessons

Three live online sessions with regional creative economy experts.

Each module will take no longer than two hours to complete, including core content and learning activities.

Module 1

Understanding Cultural and Creative Industries

The impact of creative industries and the role of government support
Key concepts in defining and valuing creativity
The role of intellectual property and local creative ecosystems

Module 2

Supporting Creative Industry Growth

Investment models and industry-government collaboration
The role of creative hubs, branding and innovation
Creative economy links to tourism and economic development

live-sessions

Three live sessions with experts in the regional creative economy

Information about the live sessions will be published after 25 May 2026.

SPEAKERS

John Newbigin OBE

worked across the film, television, and theatre industries. As Special Adviser to the UK Secretary of State for Culture, he was at the heart of the team that developed the world’s first definition and mapping of the creative industries, adopted by the UK Government in 1998.
He was a co-founder and the first Chair of Creative England, and for five years served as Chair of the Arts and Creative Economy Advisory Group at the British Council. He is a member of the International Steering Committee of the World Conference on the Creative Economy and serves as the Mayor of London’s Ambassador for Creative Industries.
He is also a Visiting Fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Laura Callanan

Laura is a Founding Partner of Upstart Co-Lab. Prior to launching the organisation in 2016, she served as Senior Deputy Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Earlier in her career, Laura was a leader in the Social Innovation Practice at McKinsey & Company; Executive Director of the Prospect Hill Foundation; and Associate Director at the Rockefeller Foundation, where she managed a $3 billion endowment and was among the pioneers of impact investing.
She has been a Visiting Fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; a Resident Fellow at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business; a Visiting Fellow at the American Academy in Rome; and a recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship.
Laura serves on the boards of the GlobalGiving Foundation and Upriver Studios.

Daniyar Amanaliev

Co-founder and Group CEO of ololo, Kyrgyzstan. ololo comprises a network of 10 creative hubs (the largest in Central Asia), the John Galt business accelerator, the Liberterra property management company, the ololoEvents and ololoMedia agencies, as well as the ololo Creative Impact Fund.
He is a co-founder and member of the Supervisory Board of KG Analytics, Chair of the Teach for KG Public Foundation, co-founder of the Creative Industries Association of Kyrgyzstan, and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Creative Industries Park tax regime.

Download the programme

ELIGIBILITY AND HOW TO APPLY

We welcome applicants from professionals:

Industry professionals working in the cultural and creative industries

Specialists employed in the public sector

Representatives of the education sector (including educators and researchers)

Students of creative and related disciplines

Anyone interested in the development and improvement of policy, as well as in advancing the cultural and creative sector

THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA MUST BE MET

The participant is based in one of the following countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan or Turkmenistan.
The participant works in the cultural and creative industries and the creative economy.
The participant is able to commit to the learning programme from 25 May to 22 June 2026
The participant is over 18 years old.

ASSESSMENT

Applications will be assessed by a project team consisting of representatives from the British Council and Creative Kazakhstan agency.
The team will assess applications on the applicant’s eligibility and the quality of information provided in the application form.
Due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.

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