Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva spoke to Qazaq Culture about the importance of the Creative Industries Development Fund, the development of regional hubs, country branding, and the potential of the creative economy.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to the Creative Industries Development Fund office marked a significant milestone in the institutionalization of the domestic creative sector. Established at the direction of the Head of State, the Fund is intended to become a key support center for the industry, where talent, infrastructure, investment, promotion, and export initiatives are integrated into a single system.
The Fund's new space is presented as a full-cycle showroom, covering everything from conception and production to the sale and promotion of creative products. The President was shown thematic halls, including jewelry and carpentry workshops, music spaces, a carpet art hall, an artists' hall, and a fashion zone.
Particularly noteworthy was the Yurt Capsule, an immersive location where the traditional yurt receives a modern technological interpretation through digital art, multimedia content, and cultural storytelling. – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the office of the Creative Industries Development Fund.
What does this attention to the industry mean? – The Head of State's visit is of fundamental importance, as it demonstrates that creative industries are no longer viewed as an auxiliary cultural sphere, but as a full-fledged area of economic and social development.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev consistently emphasizes unlocking human capital, supporting proactive youth, developing entrepreneurship, and fostering new sources of growth. The creative economy is at the intersection of these objectives. It creates jobs, develops digital content, creates new products, enhances the country's tourism appeal, and helps to express national identity in a modern language.
For us, as the agency overseeing this area, it is important that the industry has received a clear institutional status. The creation of the Fund, at the instruction of the Head of State, signifies a shift from targeted measures to systemic work. The task now is to translate the President's attention into practical support tools for creators, regions, investors, and foreign markets.
– The Fund should become a key institution supporting the creative economy. What are the primary objectives it should address? – The Fund's primary goal is to overcome the fragmentation of the industry. Today, Kazakhstan already boasts strong creators, designers, musicians, artisans, and representatives of film, animation, fashion, digital art, and other fields.
However, many of them are developing separately, without sustainable access to infrastructure, professional expertise, investment, and promotion channels. The Fund should not be an administrative superstructure, but a systemic operator for the industry. Its role is to connect talent, production, promotion, the market, and external opportunities.
In other words, creators must understand where to approach their ideas, how to obtain support, how to package their products, how to find an audience, and how to expand beyond the local market. It is important that this work is carried out in accordance with the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.