Introduction: Cultural and Creative Industries Sector in Southeast Europe

The concept of creative industries emerged in the 1990s, blending ‘creative arts’ and ‘cultural industry’ (Hartley et al., 2015). It is closely linked to social and economic transformations, marking the transition to a new post-industrial economic paradigm known as the ‘new economy’ (Hartley et al., 2015). Information technology and the information revolution have been central to this shift, fostering global connectivity and enabling the production, distribution and consumption of cultural content on an unprecedented scale. This environment empowers individual creativity and entrepreneurial initiatives, driving the commercialisation of human creativity. Creative industries are essential to the gig economy, as many creative workers are freelancers (Royal, 2018). Creative industries have become integral to the cultural, economic and political strategies of the 21st century. At the European Union (EU) policy level, they are recognised as dynamic economic sectors fostering cultural diversity, social cohesion and technological innovation. Initiatives like Creative Europe underline the EU's commitment to nurturing creative industries. Globally, creative industries are acknowledged as economic responses to social inequality and environmental crises, aligning with sustainable development by prioritising ideas and creativity over traditional resource exploitation of land, work and capital (Howkins, 2013). A creative economy encompasses various cultural and creative industries (CCIs), differing from traditional economic systems by emphasising ideas, imagination and innovation. In the EU, CCIs employ millions and contribute significantly to national economies, though Southeast Europe (SEE) has yet to embrace these trends fully.