As the arts and culture fields in Malaysia move forward, there is an increasing need to see them as part of a larger ecosystem. One such aspect is sustainability, which is where the idea of building a creative economy comes in. But what exactly does this entail, and how can this be translated into the field in Malaysia? We speak to Tarek Virani, who is an expert on the field from the UK, on the subject; and with Florence Lambert from British Council Malaysia about how the British Council has been working with creative hubs globally with the aim of growing their local creative economies.