CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ON THE URUGUAYAN BORDER

REGIONAL DYNAMICS AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

This article presents a preliminary overview of the Creative Industries in the northern border region of Uruguay, focusing on the profiles of social stakeholders operating in Salto, Artigas, and Rivera. The study seeks to understand who these actors are, their educational trajectories, fields of activity, working conditions, and the main challenges to consolidating cultural practices in a peripheral and cross-border context. The theoretical approach is grounded in the concepts of Creative Industries and territorial development, as well as contributions on cultural networks and collaborative governance. The methodology is qualitative and exploratory, developed within the framework of the international project “Policies for the Creative Industry and Development in the Border Regions of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.” For data analysis, content analysis procedures were applied, with thematic categorization guided by three criteria: (i) identification of creative sectors; (ii) working conditions, institutional ties, and access to funding; and (iii) perceptions of collaboration networks and cross-border dynamics. The results indicate the predominance of autonomous cultural initiatives, weak institutional articulation, and fragile support mechanisms. They also reveal positive perceptions regarding the potential of networked collaboration and the role of the border as a space for cultural exchange and experimentation, although asymmetries persist across sectors in terms of access to resources and the sustainability of practices. It is concluded that the Creative Industries in the border region are configured as an expanding field, marked by the tension between structural weaknesses and innovative potential. Strengthening collaborative networks and implementing specific policies for border territories may enhance the sustainability of creative practices and their impact on regional development.