“In recent years, Marseille has regained its position as Mediterranean’s great capital city. As the economic melting pot of southern Europe, it is transforming itself to become a centre of excellence, open to the greatest talents in the cultural and creative industries. At a time when this sector is undergoing profound changes that require all its players to build solutions and constantly innovate in order to reinvent themselves, we are proud to be hosting the CartoonNext event once again. A unique crossroads, a place to meet and exchange ideas, it offers professionals the opportunity to work together to imagine the future of their profession. Strongly supported by the city, which is honoured to have been chosen as the venue for this now unmissable event, it’s a unique occasion that we want to be of service to as many people as possible.” Benoît Payan • Mayor of the city of Marseille
Marseille, a creative city at the heart of the Mediterranean
Marseille, France's second-largest city and a major Mediterranean crossroads, is a land of inspiration where culture, innovation and diversity come together. With its thousand-year-old history and contemporary dynamism, the city of Marseille is a key player in the cultural and creative industries (CCI).
The city's cultural and creative industries ecosystem is booming. Structuring projects are emerging in the area, creating a new geography for CCIs that is more widespread and better distributed, particularly in the northern districts (Campus Méditerranéen de la Plateforme, la Tulipe, etc.). At the same time, an entire innovative entrepreneurial and creative ecosystem, covering all segments of the CCI, is developing rapidly, with more than 2,700 businesses and 3,900 associations listed in the city. The network of companies focused on sound and image creation and technologies is growing every day, with strong growth in the animation, video game and film sectors. In 2024, film shoots alone generated €83 million in economic benefits, of which €31 million was invested in employment.
Against this backdrop, the City of Marseille is determined to make the city a centre of excellence for the development of the cultural and creative industries (CCI), while at the same time contributing to economic dynamism and the reduction of territorial divides, as evidenced by its 2023-2030 economic roadmap.
With its sights set on becoming the Euro-Mediterranean capital of the cultural and creative industries by 2030, the city is increasingly supporting the sector, in particular with :
👉 Alongside its local partners, to steer the prefiguration of the “Territorial Cluster for cultural and creative industries promoting the structuring of local ecosystems", a program financed as part of the France 2030 initiative. Open to the Mediterranean and inclusive, this "Creation, Sound & Image" Cluster will offer a range of services largely provided by local operators, with the aim of stimulating, structuring and accelerating the development of the various sectors covered by the Cluster.
👉 The modernisation of the Pôle Media and the affirmation of its positioning and service offering to CCIs, making it the flagship for the reception of companies in the sector in Marseille;
👉 Support for various back-up structures contributing to the structuring and development of CCIs, while promoting the creation of jobs and value in the region. Particular attention is paid to initiatives that help bridge the social divide in France's second-largest city, by providing pathways to employment and cultural entrepreneurship for young people in Marseilles who are talented, capable of producing new narratives and willing to express themselves, but who do not always have the necessary means to do so (Trace Talents, Koutrajmé, les Têtes de l'Art, Sup de Sub and many others);
👉 Significant reinforcement of the City's support for associations working to animate and structure Marseille's audiovisual creation (AARSE, ARTS, La Réplique, LPA, MediaClub Méditérranée). Without calling into question the current model combining executive production and exogenous productions, which create jobs and generate significant economic benefits for the region, the City wishes to support a complementary model based on delegated production and local creation, which create jobs that cannot be relocated and iconic works with an offbeat view of Marseille;
👉 And there's much more in the pipeline, to be unveiled over the course of 2025.
As a place of exchange and encounters, Marseille is a key partner for those who want to shape the future of the creative industries, while drawing inspiration from its unique energy and exceptional light. Through CartoonNext, Marseille celebrates and reinforces its role as a creative capital, forward-looking and open to the world.
