COVID-19 and the Creative Industries: The Early Policy Measures of BRICS Countries

This master’s thesis explores the support policies that the BRICS countries have implemented following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a deeper research was done on the case of Russia, where the it was identified future development vectors for the national government regarding its policymaking in the area of CCIs. As a result, recommendations were given. The research questions that were set according to the tasks set forward were answered using a multiple case study methodology consisting of desk research for the first goal and expert interviews for the second. Some of findings of this work have shown that Brazil, Russia, and South Africa have implemented more perceptible policies to support CCIs than China and India which included subsidies, grants, tax measures among others. However, in this regard it was also observed that the contextual factors and previous policy agenda play a role in why India and China responded in such a way. In the more through analysis of Russia, there were some best practices that Russia could use in the current stages of the pandemic such as structural change ones, but there are several issues that need be solved within the national CCI system which should take precedence.