Knowledge Relationships and Transactions in a Cultural Economy: Analysing the Creative Industries Ecosystem

Abstract

This paper addresses creativity in a broad organisational field of knowledge relationships and transactions in a cultural economy. In considering key issues and debates across this complex field, the paper concentrates on the generic problems of investigating, understanding and influencing this cultural economy. The paper locates its consideration of these knowledge relationships and transactions in a discussion of a pioneering in-depth study of the creative industries in a region of the United Kingdom. Significantly, this study found these creative industries to be inhabiting an ecosystem of creative space and also found that the development strategy for these industries needed to be ecological. The paper concludes with several key challenges for research and policy in the building of situated and strategic knowledge on cultural economies.

The spatialisation of the digital games industry: lessons from Ireland

“…In studies of cultural and creative industries there has been a renewed interest in the increased 'sensitivity' to spatial and locational factors (Pratt et al 2008, Pratt 2004, Lash and Urry 1994, Jeffcutt 2004) which have fed into state policy interventions and locational competition.…”

Innovation and Knowledge in the Digital Media Sector

“…Both Pratt (2004) and Jeffcutt (2004) highlight the role of regulation, organizational structures, non-traded dependencies and the interface between micro-enterprises and global distribution networks in the innovation process in media sectors. Pratt further argues that, in crucial respects, 'these processes are situated in particular places and times (here we include the regulatory specificities) and, significantly, in particular industries'.…”

“…This work has proved extremely popular with policy and planning officials involved in national and city economic development initiatives over the past two decades. Meanwhile, in a study of Belfast's creative industries, Jeffcutt (2004) contends that 'knowledge relationships involve the bringing together of diverse expertise (both creative and non-creative) in complex value circuits of symbolic goods that connect the originators of novel ideas with the consumers of novel experiences ' (2004, p. 71). In an explicit rebuff to the policy focus on creative industries he notes that, despite their designation as creative, the creative industries are not more or less (in principle) creative than other industries.…”

Uma cidade criativa de tipo relacional: Para uma cartografia das ligações em rede entre os setores público, privado e sem fins lucrativos nas indústrias criativas

“…Não obstante esse facto, optamos por uma visão lata no nosso estudo das redes no contexto da economia criativa do Nordeste, incluindo por isso as organizações de âmbito público, privado e sem fins lucrativos que integram a infraestrutura de apoio existente em torno da economia criativa a nível regional. Perfilhamos a tendência recentemente proposta por Potts e Cunningham (2008) no sentido de uma abordagem dos mercados de redes sociais, que considera que as indústrias criativas e culturais estão inseridas num ecossistema de produção (Jeffcutt, 2004) a que nem o setor nem a indústria impõem restrições. Levando mais além o argumento de Potts e Cunningham (2008), no entanto, incluímos neste mercado de redes sociais determinadas organizações e estruturas que facultam apoio e capital -semente à economia criativa a nível local.…”

“…É possível observar uma evolução dos estudos baseados em dados e no impacto económico para as abordagens de tipo relacional: veja -se as noções de 'ecossistema criativo' (Jeffcutt, 2004) e de 'socialidade das indústrias culturais' (Kong, 2005). Contudo, verifica -se ainda, na bibliografia disponível, uma lacuna -que o presente trabalho pretende ajudar a colmatar -no que se refere ao modo como as indústrias criativas funcionam e interagem ao nível local: "falta conhecimento estratégico sobre as relações e as redes que, numa economia do conhecimento, tornam possível o processo criativo e lhe dão suporte" (Jeffcutt e Pratt, 2002: 228).…”