New policies for the new cultural economy

Learning from the UK ‘creative industries’ policy

experience.

Andy C PrattDepartment of Geography &

Environment /LSE Urban Research Centre

Learning from the UK ‘creative industries’ policy

experience.

Andy C PrattDepartment of Geography &

Environment /LSE Urban Research Centre

Aims and Objectives

Examine the changing field of culture and the cultural/creative industries (CCI)

Policy ‘out of sync’, the need for a new rationale

‘English’ CCI policy Challenges and lessons from the English experience

The times, they are ‘a changing 1.

The new economy Declining manufacturing Redirection of youth, identity, culture Knowledge economy Creative class

Globalisation National/regional competition Clusters Foreign direct investment Innovation

The times, they are ‘a changing 2.

Culture changed (see later : CCI changed) ‘Marketisation’ of culture Massive growth in consumption Changing spending patterns Redrawn divisions of high/low; culture/non-culture

The state Neo-liberal/ small state

Regulation not investment Reduction in spending

Especially, arts and culture

Cultural policy for ‘old times’ State protection of the ‘good life’

Rationale Market failure

Public goods, welfare economics Baumol’s cost disease

Cultural elitism ‘corruption of culture by the market/masses’

Governance Cultural cohesion

Result State budget (subject to variation, uncertainty, to cuts)

Idiosyncratic selection of what is culture (elite)

Separation from commercial culture (by definition)

Conservative/ not dynamic/ backward looking

English Creative industries Policy 1. Devolution: nations and regions

Historic role of urban authorities in CCI Concepts

Tensions of: Cultural/creative Commercial/Non-commercial Formal/Informal Production/Consumption

Breadth and Depth “Mapping”

‘Evidence based policy’, evaluation Output measures (what we need) Institutions and Organizations

Capacity, sustainability, appropriateness

English Creative industries Policy 2.Investment Sources: Departments, Regions, Local authorities, LotteryCapital and Revenue funding Training National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA)

‘Arms length bodies’ Arts Council

Museums and Libraries Film Council Crafts Council BBC

Regional development agencies/ Regeneration Tensions of instrumental v. dedicated policy

English Creative industries Policy 3.

Strategic guidance Education Creative Economy Programme British Council

Trade partners UK Department of Trade

Regulation Content

Ofcom Business

Competition Commission

The times, they are ‘a changing. 3

Characteristics of the CCI; what we know now (but need to know more) Missing middle, informal intermediaries Ecosystem Project based companies Overlapping networks Winner takes all Rapid turnover/ innovation/ product cycle

Massive market uncertainty Content regulation v. Competition regulation

Cultural policies for ‘New times’ 1. Commercial v non-commercial boundary

How to govern it New skills and agencies: institution building

Industries converging and changing State agencies lack skills

a third/ new sector? Funding/Support justification

Old: market failure New: Exports, IPR, cultural value...?

Employment status Precarious and freelance labour Social welfare issues

Cultural policies for ‘New times’ 2. Lack of substantive understanding of the industry/-ies Institutional, regulatory, governance Reliance on generic policy

Role of situated, collective/ social knowledge Reputation Learning and Innovation Excellence Market/Audience/Consumer development

Andy C Pratta.c.pratt@lse.ac.uk