The Creative Development podcast series serves as IFC’s thought leadership outlet on how finance and economic development influence―and are influenced by―creative industries around the world. With a lineup of guests that includes Idris Elba and Youssou N’Dour, Creative Development helped IFC provide answers to the biggest question of all: how people, working together, can create meaningful change.
By shining light on the untapped potentials of the creative economy, this podcast further promotes IFC's agenda of advancing economic development through the creation of new markets and investment opportunities in developing countries.
Each episode brings together the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation, Makhtar Diop, and guests from a range of creative industries - including the visual arts, film, fashion and music. In intimate and engaging conversations, the host and guest discuss the value of the creative arts and how these industries contribute to job creation and development in emerging markets. Our guests offer revealing perspectives on how they engage with pressing global challenges such as climate change, gender equality, youth unemployment and public health. Ultimately each episode attempts to bridge the gaps between the creative world and the finance world, to reveal pathways of co-operation towards sustainable development.
These episodes are then promoted on social and digital channels of the IFC and the World Bank (3.4+ million followers on Twitter and 1.5+ million on LinkedIn).
Since its launch, Creative Development with IFC has attracted over 9,200 downloads globally, in addition to more than 38,000 views on YouTube. Episodes released in 2022 featured actors Idris Alba, Don Cheadle, Vidya Balan and Dia Mirza; musicians Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal and Sauti Sol, and fashion designer Selly Raby Kane, among others. We have recorded episodes in both English and French.
Hailing from the US, Africa and Asia, the selection of our guests and the multilingual nature of our podcast has allowed us to reach audiences around the world. Each episode is promoted widely across our IFC and World Bank social media channels (3.4+ million followers on Twitter and 1.5+ million on LinkedIn) targeting young people interested in the creative industries, as well as entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and our 20,000 World Bank Group staff located in 170 countries. Our audience engagement continues to grow as we reach listeners in the US, India, Kenya, Morocco, Indonesia and many other parts of the world.
