Notice of its intention to set up rules requiring agents to hold business certificates was issued by the Chinese Ministry of Culture at a national conference on grassroots cultural work held in Beijing from Monday to Wednesday, seeking the views of those who attended.
During the 20 years since China adopted its policy of economic reform, its cultural market has prospered. Statistics from MOC show that up to the year 2000, entertainment groups, film publication and distribution, performance and art handicraft exhibitions have reached 225,000 with a combined employment of 952, 400 people, which produced 13 billion yuan (US$1.56 billion) in added value. Experts predict the cultural industry will boom in the coming five years.
However, at present the cultural agent system is limiting market growth.
With China's entry into the World Trade Organization, its cultural industry faces increasing opportunities and challenges.
Training professional managerial personnel has become crucial.
According to Zhang Jianxin, deputy director of the Market Department under the MOC, an administrative scheme for cultural agents is under discussion. The scheme will set the relevant guiding principles, conditions, examining procedures and supervision.
China's institutions of higher education have already started training professional cultural agents. Last year, the first cultural agent training program was initiated in the China Opera Institute. Courses in this program include foreign languages, government laws and regulations, and marketing.
Zong Xiaojun, the first Chinese to receive a MBA degree in music and entertainment business management, started a program training professionals in art and music industry management last autumn at the China Central Conservatory. It provides training in aspects of project planning, market promotion, public relations and ticketing.
(China Daily April 26, 2002)
