Economic Expedience Of Glagolitic Script In Publishing Sector Of Creative Industry

Creative industries are a new appearing sector in western societies. Various EU documents, such as ESSnet Culture (2012), Eurostat (2011) and DZS (2013), define nomenclature categories of various components of this sector, hence publishing sector as well. The Glagolitic script, as well as Glagolitic tradition, is a Croatian cultural phenomenon unique for its linguistic, graphic, ethnological, anthropological and semiotic characteristics (Lukic and Horvat, 2013). What differentiates Glagolitic from other scripts is the fact that its creator is known (St. Ciril Constantine), as well as its mission (promoting Christianity) and vision (simultaneous acceptance of both script and faith). It is the only script which justifie its regional, global and economic purpose already in the 9thcentury. These and other unique characteristics of the Glagolitic script are prerequisites of economic expedience as well as may be utilised for the exploitation of the Glagolitic script and tradition in various components of creative industries. From the standpoint of a cultural property, Glagolitic tradition and monuments testifying to its existence potentially generate those components of creative industries which have been, through cultural and religious tourism, oriented towards the consumption of existing cultural properties (seeing museums, churches, exhibitions, breviaries, etc.). Besides tourist connection, Glagolitic artefacts contain economic gain reflected in the production of new cultural properties inspired by original, authentic Glagolitic artefacts (the business concept of the brand Croata, boutique Mara, novel AZ, etc.). This paper aims at researching the economic expedience of the Glagolitic script within and outside of creative industries. Main results suggest that intangible cultural heritage could be both protected and exploited through publishing. In this sense, the paper puts forward the concept of the "production" of books as cultural products based on intangible cultural heritage, i.e. on its exploitation in the context of publishing. Further, the paper implies methodological inconsistencies in statistical nomenclatures referring to creative and cultural industries. The research impetus of this paper may be summed up in the following short syntagm: cultural consumption (of the publishing cultural product) invigorates and broadens national culture and its cultural identity.