Kreativwirtschaft in Kasachstan: Mapping kulturelle Initiativen und Nomadentum
ASTANA – Irina Kharitonova, research expert on culture and creative industries in Central Asia, spoke about the three postulates for the development of the creative economy – a high level of education, state support, and freedom of speech. In an interview with The Astana Times, she explained why Kazakhstan is becoming an attractive destination for creatives, discussed the concept of nomadism in a modern interpretation, and provided an overview of international practices in strengthening the creative economy.
Last year, Kazakhstan introduced the concepts of creative activity and creative economy through amendments to the Culture Law and Entrepreneurship Law. Today, the creative economy is considered part of the country’s private business sector and requires government support. In his State of the Nation Address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of developing the creative industry and tasked the government with creating all the necessary conditions for its flourishing.
In June, the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports (formerly the Ministry of Culture and Sports) presented a list of 43 creative activities, including cinema, animation, contemporary art, jewelry, IT and game development, television programs, photography, architecture and fashion, music, and cultural heritage.
Kazakhstan is implementing its cultural policy within the framework of the Creative Economy Development Concept for the period 2021-2025, which aims to create jobs in technology and venture entrepreneurship with a focus on the younger generation.
This year, the Kazakh tourism company and the Almaty Management University (AlmaU) launched the first master’s program in creative economy management. „Kazakhstan should train professionals to comprehensively develop the country’s creative economy. The key idea of the creative economy is to monetize talent and transform creative units into commercial communities,“ said Kharitonova. She believes this will also increase investment attractiveness.
Currently, Kazakhstan is building its first art museum in Almaty, at the intersection of the city’s two main streets, Al-Farabi and Nazarbayev. The museum will showcase top-quality art and present the works of the country’s art professionals. The construction of the museum is funded by the Nurlan Smagulov Foundation, with support from the London-based architecture firm Chapman Taylor and the global cultural consulting practice Lord Cultural Resources. The opening is planned for next fall.
„We have many public cultural institutions, including theaters, libraries, and museums. From time to time, it would be great to transform these spaces into creative platforms to generate current cultural content and engage the public,“ said Kharitonova. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that art spaces are not temporary but permanent and maintained in collaboration with creators. According to her, live communication is crucial for creatives, as many collaborative ideas are born in real art spaces.
The domestic IT community is growing not only in Astana and Almaty but also in Karaganda, the Kazakh mining city. The Terricon Valley project, initiated by the city’s residents, provides space for the development of technology startups, collaboration, educational training, and creative events. The IT hub has become a rapidly growing networking platform for digital creatives. Over the next five years, it aims to attract 10,000 professionals.
On the first day of the recent Digital Bridge forum held in Astana on October 12, a panel discussion was held to address the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the creative industry. The event, moderated by Kharitonova, highlighted the need for comprehensive development of the industry in the context of advancing digitalization and globalization.
In September, Kazakhstan participated for the first time in the Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair in Turkey. Nomadism was the central theme of the country’s booth. In the era of globalization, the concept of nomadism has become popular not only in tourism but also in contemporary art. Historically, people in Central Asia lived a nomadic lifestyle.
„Nomadism is our unique code that offers unlimited possibilities for creativity and attracts the interest of other countries. This is an interesting topic for the international art scene. As I began to explore the origins of nomadism, I realized that nomads actually cared for the planet’s ecology. They had a friendly attitude towards people and great respect for the environment,“ said Kharitonova.
Kharitonova emphasized that the Kazakh steppes have historically offered boundless spaces for creativity. „Kazakh artists are not afraid to address politically and socially important trends in music, art, cinema, or design. Their ideas always find an audience,“ she said.
Speaking about the popularization of nomadism, Kharitonova mentioned two unique cases from the foreign fashion industry. In 2021, Salehe Bembury, an American shoe designer, collaborated with New Balance, a well-known US shoe company, to create a new model – Yurt 574. Its uniqueness lies in the word „Yurt“ written on the sneakers, symbolizing the traditional round tents used as dwellings by Central Asian nomads. Bembury is known for his collaborations with fashion brands such as Moncler, Crocs, Yeezy, and Versace in the realm of luxury streetwear.
„There is an unusual twist on the sneakers. The popular advertising campaign, which later became so popular, was filmed against the backdrop of our nomadic yurt,“ noted Kharitonova.
In December 2022, Louis Vuitton opened a yurt-shaped pop-up store in the Swiss town of St. Moritz for the winter season. The French luxury
