Whether you are interested in a creative field like film or music – or you are pursuing your passion in your spare time – creativity is an essential part of your life. You recognize that it is the cultural fabric of the planet. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone felt this way? When you become an ambassador to your peers, you are in the unique position to convey the importance of creativity and the roles we all play in ensuring a future that supports a vibrant creative economy. You can invite them to work with you to spread the word in your community.
Piracy is a huge and growing problem that directly affects all creatives. It isn’t just students sharing files. Nearly all pirate sites are for-profit, criminal enterprises that make their money from advertising or selling “premium access” subscriptions processed by major credit card companies.
Since pirated music became available online, there has been a 25 percent decrease in the number of musicians who make a living as an artist according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of independent movies released by the studios has dropped 63 percent from the high in 2007.
After learning about these harrowing statistics, students like Erin Burbridge and Joann DiBuono of Emerson College realized this was an important message for their peers:
“The first jobs that are going to go because of piracy are the ones that we want. Our big motto is ‘The job you could be saving is your own.’ I think it’s important to make people aware that if they’re going to break into this field they should know that piracy is going on, and we need to find ways to prevent it or at least educate people so they don’t do it.”
The CreativeFuture Youth Outreach team worked with Erin and Joann to engage their peers to be ambassadors for change!
Email us at college@creativefuture.org and join the movement today!
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