The disappearing arts: creativity and innovation after the creative industries

TLDR

Since the emergence of the creative industries a decade ago, scholars have linked cultural sectors to innovation policy while downplaying their ties to traditional arts and cultural policy. This paper questions that link and draws attention to the problems it has caused and may cause. The Arts Council concluded its consultation on 23 January 2009 to determine the best method for aligning creative industries with innovation policy. Keywords: creativity, innovation, creative industries.

Abstract

Abstract Since the birth of the 'creative industries' a decade ago, there has been a series of attempts to link the cultural sectors with innovation policy and to downplay the connection between them and traditional arts or cultural policy. The theory appears to be that innovation is where the big money is, and that the cultural sectors can only benefit by being rescued from the 'ghetto' of arts funding. This paper seeks to query this notion and to draw attention to some of the problems that have resulted and may result from it. Keywords: creativityinnovationcreative industries Notes 1. The Arts Council is consulting on the best method of doing this, the consultation ended 23 January 2009 (http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/consultation).