Introduction to the Creative and Cultural Industries
The creative and cultural industries (CCIs) have existed as long as humanity itself. They provide a means for societies to express and entertain themselves. Nowadays the CCIs- advertising, architecture, the visual art, crafts, fashion and textiles, design, performing arts, music, photography, film and video, computer games, radio and TV, writing and publishing, heritage, software/electronic publishing and cultural education- are recognised for their economic importance and cultural significance. Philosophers and sociologists, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer coined the term cultural industries in 1944, in their prose, “Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception”. Here they argued that commodification of culture jeopardises independent thinking and criticism, asserting that it leads to the commodification of human consciousness.
Whilst still relevant, the thinking around the cultural industries has developed a lot since Adorno and Horkheimer’s analysis, especially from the 1990s onwards. Today CCIs are gaining recognition from a variety of national and international agencies who each interpret them differently. The United Kingdom (UK) in particular is paving the way in this field.
Creative and Cultural Industries in the UK
In the 1990s the UK moved towards introducing what is known as the creative economy. This is an extension of the creative industries, centering creativity in the innovation process to increase the value of an idea. John Howkins further developed this concept in 2001 to describe economic systems where value is attached to a novel idea opposed to resources such as land, labour and capital. The United Nations Conferences on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has since introduced the concept of the creative economy to the world economic and development agenda as it provides an interface between creative, culture, economics and technology.
In 2001 the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) defined the creative and cultural industries as, “those industries which have their origins in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.” The development and increased prevalence of digital technologies in our everyday lives has undoubtedly influenced the CCIs, causing a paradigm shift. The term creative and digital industries is now adopted in the UK due to the significance of digital content and online services for the creative sector.
Within the UK context, creative businesses make up almost one in every eight businesses. These are predominantly, but not exclusively, made up of small companies and micro-businesses, often with fewer than ten employees. 95% of creative businesses in the UK employ fewer than ten employees. Additionally, many in the sector are self-employed or work freelance. However, the National Trust, the BBC and ASOS are examples of big employers within the CCIs.
The UK economy benefits both directly and indirectly from CCIs. In 2019, The Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) reported that the arts and culture industries supported £48 billion in turnover, £23 billion in GVA and £13.4 billion in employee compensation. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, museums, galleries and libraries and music, performing and the visual arts employed 89,000 and 296,000 people respectively in the UK. The UK is also home to four of the ten most visited museums in the world: The Tate Modern, the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum which generates significant capital and employment opportunities. However, the CCIs have more than a purely economic benefit.
CCIs: beyond the economic significance
The European Commission asserts that the cultural and creative industries “are important for ensuring the continued development of societies and are at the heart of the creative economy.” Not only do they generate economic wealth, but they are also fundamental to creating a shared sense of identity, culture and values. The Government of the UK recognises that cultural and creativity have the potential to be used as soft powers to shape perceptions by promoting values and understanding. Exploiting them to advance the UK’s national interests by projecting a positive image of the UK to support growth and trade.
The UK has therefore invested heavily in promotion of their arts and culture overseas. In 2014 the DCMS and Arts Council England announced a new £18 million fund to help promote the best of English arts and culture overseas. Further, the GREAT Britain Campaign was launched in 2012 which aimed to promote and strengthen “the UK’s international competitive position by harnessing British creativity, innovation and cultural assets to enhance our reputation overseas and ensure maximum impact for the UK.” The UK frequently partners with other countries such as Mexico and China in cultural exchanges.
By 2014 the GREAT Campaign had generated an investment return of over £500 million. Seeing this benefit of their investment, the UK Government demonstrated their commitment to the promotion of CCIs by increasing their financial support to the GREAT Campaign in 2014/15 and 2015/16. The UK has recognised the benefit of investing and promoting CCIs, not just economically, but also culturally and socially and they are now reaping the rewards. With the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport saying, “We are one of the top destinations for media and entertainment investment in the world, and that’s because of the global reach of our culture, creativity and expertise”. There is also a case to be made that CCIs benefit health and well-being, this will be considered further when we look at CCIs during the COVID-19 pandemic and their role in the post pandemic recovery.
Emily Forbes
