The co-founders of Culture Unleashed Emre Erbirer, Assoc. Prof. Gökçe Dervişoğlu Okandan, and Dr. Mustafa Gül, served as Digitalization Sub-Working Group of Diversity of Cultural Expressions Expertise Committee under Turkish National Commission for UNESCO from March 2023 to April 2024. The team conducted a preliminary study on the digital roadmap for cultural and creative industries based on UNESCO’s “Open Roadmap for the Implementation of the Operational Guidelines to Promote the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment” and the Monitoring Framework of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005 Convention).

In this study, digitalization was approached not merely as a technical tool but as a transformative process with the potential to reshape the core structures of cultural and creative industries. The key objectives included enhancing access to culture from a rights-based perspective, strengthening the skills of creative producers, and making cultural policies more inclusive.

Shaped by data and insights gathered through desk research, one-on-one interviews, and local and international case studies, the study adopted a four-pillar approach for its action proposals:

Rights-Based Approach: Promoting a rights-based perspective to protect cultural diversity in the digital realm.
Competence: Enhancing the qualifications and capabilities of individuals and institutions in cultural and creative industries for digitalization.
Participation: Increasing methodological diversity in data generation, dissemination of digital opportunities, and audience development.
Strategy and Implementation: Ensuring that cultural institutions and organizations working in the creative field address the preservation of cultural diversity in the digital realm strategically.

The findings and recommendations gathered during the study were compiled to inform future work in these fields and provide a basis for discussion. These action proposals were also linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to serve as a reference for more comprehensive research.

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