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The creative industries can be defined as "those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property" (CITF, 2001).
The creative industries combine traditional occupations such as designers, writers and producers with media, distribution techniques and new technology in order to achieve scale and distribute creative content throughout the service-sector (Hartley, 2002, p. 43). "The creative industries provide content products for the new knowledge economy" (Hartley, 2002, p.43). The technology is no longer in focus, but rather it's content.
Distribution and access of content to the market is often controlled by a few large organisations, but Leadbeater states that "the creativity comes from a pool of independent content producers" (Leadbeater, 2000, p.49).
The dynamics of the creative industries are closely linked to the "new economy", also called the information society and the knowledge economy, as well as the importance of clusters as drivers of creativity and innovation (Flew, 2005, p.115). However, the creative industries imply new ways to approach work, education, technology and the society in general. The concept of an entire creative economy is introduced.
There are many definitions of the creative industries, which again identifies different industries as creative. The creative industries can be divided up between the cultural industries (non-profit) and the creative industries (profit), and cultural industries are even considered as a part of the creative industries sometimes (Heart of the Nation Project Strategic Working Group, 2000, p.2; Hartley, 2005, p.30).
The UK Creative Industries Task Force identified the following industries as a part of the creative industries sector (CITF, 2001):
Traditional hierarchical work places are replaced with self-management and intrinsic forms of motivation, and can be described as no-collar workplaces (Florida, 2002, p. 12). The physical workplace is open, flexible and interactive in order to encourage creative workers.
The worker itself is increasingly in demand of a lifestyle built around creative experiences. Work and lifestyle is no longer seperated, but blended in search of own identity. The new culture represents burgeois and bohemian values and creative workers tend to identify themselves through many different creative activities.(Florida, 2002, pp. 12-3)
The typical creative worker will not work for a single industry throughout his or her career, not even spend a long time within the same company. They develop portfolio careers which are carefully adjusted to own motivation, capabilities and skills. (Hartley, 2002, p. 3)
It is a multinational workforce of creative workers, but they have no history of unionising. The nature of their structure, as many small providers, leave them with very little bargaining power in the market place. (Hartley, 2005, p.29)
Educators are also described as a part of the creative class, but do not necessarily respond very well to the new innovative, creative and adaptive demands of the new creative economy (Hartley, 2005, p. 3). Sir Ken Robinson states that "For this [the new economic circumstances] we need different styles of education and different priorities. We cannot meet the challenges of the 21st century with the educational ideologies of the 19th. (...) We must learn to be creative." (Quoted in Hartley, 2005, p.3)
Education is not only important because the creative industries needs "workers by brain", but universities educate persons which often can be characterised as early-adopters, trend-conscious and curious about the new (Hartley, 2005, p.24). These are also the characteristics of the consumer in the creative economy, and an important part of the reason why universities act as hubs for the creative sector (Hartley, 2005, p.25).
Florida claims the economy today is powered by human creativity and that creativity "is now the decisive source of competitive advantage" (Florida, 2002, p.5). He identifies creativity as a pervasive and ongoing process which is necessary in order to continually improve and enhance every product and process throughout a company. It is this pursuit for renewal which makes a company competitive in the new economy. (Florida, 2002, p.5)
Intellectual property is the currency of the creative economy, which mainly evolves around intangible assets (Howkins, 2005, p. 123).
Most of the companies in the creative industries are small and medium enterprises or micro-businesses with a flat management structure, working in a highly networked environment (Hartley, 2005, p.3). Flexibility is important for the creative company, which work on a project base. Each project needs a specific set of skills and the project team is constructed to meet the demands of the project. This is why clusters are so significant for the creative industries. (Hartley, 2002, p.44)
Creative industries are defined in many ways all around the world and this is mainly what the critics are concerned with. It is an ongoing tension about how to define the creative industries and in particular the divide between tradional arts and profitable industry. (Terry, 2005, p.138)
Some also argue that the term creative industries has been extended to the degree that it really is describing the services sector, and that the service sector is the actual industry facing the challenge of "using creative inputs to support core business' (Hartley, 2002, p.45).
Creative Industries Task Force (CITF) (2001) Creative Industries: Mapping Document 2001 Department of Culture, Media and Sport retrieved October 26, 2005, from http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications/archive_2001/ci_mapping_doc_2001.htm
Florida, R. (2002) The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life, New York: Basic Books.
Flew, T. (2005) New media: an Introduction, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195550412
Hartley, J. (2005) "Creative Industries" in J. Hartley (ed.) Creative Industries Carlton: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 1-40. ISBN 1405101482
Hartley, J. (2002) Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts, 3rd Ed, London: Routledge. ISBN 0415268893
Heart of the Nation Project Strategic Working Group (2000) Heart of the Nation Project: a Cultural Strategy for aotearoa New Zealand retrieved October 26, 2005, from http://www.mcdermottmiller.co.nz/projects/hotnation/hotn_summary.pdf
Howkins, J. (2005) "The Mayor's Commission" in J. Hartley (ed.) Creative Industries Carlton: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 117-125. ISBN 1405101482
Leadbeater, C. (2000) Living on Thin Air: The New Economy London: Penguin. ISBN 0140277935
Australian Creative Industries Cluster Study
Creative Industries in Australia and Queensland
UK Creative Industries Task Force
QUT Creative Industries Faculty
