Research
Discussion Papers
Creative PEC’s Discussion Papers are a collection of publications designed to share ideas and foster debate among academics, policymakers and practitioners on creative industries’ evidence and policies. The papers follow an editorial approval process aimed at preserving a pluralism of views whilst maintaining the high academic standards of Creative PEC.
In addition to papers commissioned from our Research Fellows Network, Creative PEC welcomes unsolicited suggestions for Discussion Papers from interested creative industries researchers, policymakers and practitioners. Those wishing to propose a topic or submit a Discussion Paper for possible publication should contact the Editor of the Creative PEC Discussion Paper Series, Prof Giorgio Fazio.
The papers go through a selection and approval process within Creative PEC and may be reviewed by an external reviewer if they are of a sensitive nature, however, they are not classed as peer reviewed and can also be submitted to other academic outlets for consideration and undergo changes based on subsequent editorial and peer-review processes.
Disclaimer
All Discussion Papers are published subject to editorial discretion. Any views and interpretations expressed in Creative PEC Discussion Papers lie solely with the author(s) and should not be understood as being shared by Creative PEC, its staff (including the Editor of the Series), Newcastle University, the RSA, or the AHRC.
Demand for Creativity and AI Skills in the Post-ChatGPT Labour Market
This study examines the evolving relationship between employer demand for creativity and AI skills i…
Regional Trade Agreements, Cultural Provisions and Trade in Cultural Goods
Analysing the impact of Regional Trade Agreements on the bilateral trade of cultural goods from 1999…
International Trade Challenges and the Effectiveness of Support Measures for the UK’s Creative Industries
The formidable challenges confronting the UK’s creative industries in the realm of exports, st…
Northern England’s Creative Industries
The Creative Industries are already a driver of growth across the UK economy. Export-intensive and m…
Creative Destruction? Creative firms, workers and residential gentrification
A new study by Tasos Kitsos, Max Nathan, and Diana Gutierrez-Posada finds only a minor influence of …
Speaking with One Voice
A fundamental remit of the BBC, and other public service broadcasters (PSBs) like ITV and Channel 4,…
Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector
This discussion paper examines transitional pathways to sustainable theatre production in the UK. By…
Identifying and analysing UK fashion micro-clusters
The UK’s Fashion and Textiles industry contributed almost £20 billion to the UK economy in 202…
Net Zero as a catalyst in fashion micro and small enterprises
This report identifies examples of work taking place across three levels of change – social, e…
The Motives of Inbound Foreign Direct Investors in the UK Creative Industries
The UK’s creative industries have a global reach. British arts, technology, and design are internati…
Brexit uncertainty and international trade in services: Evidence from the UK creative industries 2014-2019
This discussion paper is based on one of the first studies to look at the impact of Brexit on the Cr…
Working Together – Cooperatives as a creative industry business model
This authors looks at how creative workers and students typically understand cooperatives, explore t…
Building sustainable regional music industry clusters
This report looks at the role the creative industries can play for the Levelling Up agenda, as well …
Crypto art and questions of value
Crypto Art is a novel, emerging creative form that is entirely digital, and native to the internet. …
Live music ecologies in the UK: A local perspective in the context of the pandemic
In 2019, the UK’s live music sector was valued at over £1.3 billion. After almost a decade of strong…
The role of the university in enhancing creative clusters
Universities are important for driving growth in their local creative industries. At the same time, …
Creative clusters and sparse spaces: Manchester’s creative industries and the geographies of deprivation and prosperity
The aim of this paper is to ‘take stock’ of the creative industries in Manchester and to explore the…
Creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns
Read our four page policy brief for key recommendations based on this research: Insights for Policym…
What distinguishes creative industry exporters? And does engaging in innovation, R&D and design matter?
Post-Brexit, the UK government is keen to accelerate UK exporting, including in creative goods and s…
The nature of foreign direct investment in the creative industries
For the host country receiving the investment, there is a wealth of evidence that FDI can increase p…
Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the arts and cultural sector: British newspaper reporting of the Culture Recovery Fund
Newspapers covered many of the impacts of COVID-19, from the psychological strain of lockdown isolat…
Culture in quarantine? Cultural institutions’ uses of Twitter during lockdown
Cultural institutions, such as museums and galleries, are important for local communities. They are …
The relationships between cultural organisations and local creative industries in the context of a cultural district
This Discussion Paper was commissioned by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) a…
Starving the golden goose? Access to finance for innovators in the creative industries
Please note: this paper has been accepted in Journal of Cultural Economics, DOI: 10.1007/s10824…
What is the public value of public service broadcasting?
This question has long been a subject of lively debate, bringing together the competing priorities o…
Pivot to digital: How museums and galleries responded to COVID-19
As the UK went into full lockdown in March 2020, museums and galleries were faced with the prospect …
Creative firms and trade
The implications for policymakers emerging from this work are explored in our Policy Briefing: …
A review of creative trade in the economics literature
This paper summarises the key research and models for creative trade. Starting with a general overvi…
The UK’s international creative trade: A review of the official data sources
There is a growing recognition among policy makers and governments around the world of the importanc…
Growth through skills: Lessons from the Thames Estuary Production Corridor
This discussion paper is a case study for how to drive growth within creative clusters through inves…
Do creative industries generate multiplier effects? Evidence from UK cities 1997-2018
A paper examing the long-term impacts of the creative industries on surrounding urban economies
The European Capital of Culture: A review of the academic evidence
A literature review & policy implications of the impact of the Capital of Culture on local economies
R&D, design and innovation: Examining the links in the creative industries
This paper provides policymakers, academics, and creative industry organisations with one of the fir…
The emergence of platform regulation in the UK
A discussion paper examining the emerging field of platform regulation in the UK
Creating value in place
The role, contribution and challenges of creative freelance work The creative industries are incredi…
The challenges facing freelancers in Scottish Film and TV
An analysis of 45 years of data from the Film Bang directory COVID-19’s effect on the creative indus…
Comparative analysis of pay and conditions: London’s West End and New York’s Broadway
This discussion paper feeds into our wider research on freelancers, considering the employment condi…
Evolution and trends of creative cluster research
A systematic literature review and future research agenda The geographical clustering of creative an…
International creative students: their significance for UK universities, regions and the creative industries
Assessing the value of higher education has become a divisive issue, in particular, the use of gradu…
A skills monitor for the Creative Industries
Workplace perspectives: skill needs, mismatches and development in the Creative Industries This Crea…
Relatedness between the Creative Industries and the wider economy: A primer
The Creative Industries are seen as an key part of the knowledge economy, and policymakers inve…
Measuring the creative economy: A guide for policymakers
Policy debates on the creative industries are mired in ambiguities and inconsistencies in terminolog…
Skills, talent and diversity in the creative industries: critical issues and evidence gaps
Following a nine-month evidence synthesis and scoping exercise undertaken by the PEC team leading on…
Immersive experiences in museums, galleries and heritage sites: a review of research findings and issues
Interest in immersive experiences in museums and heritage sites has increased in recent years in res…
Mind the gap: regional inequalities in the UK’s creative industries
Using official Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Economic Estimates, this Disc…
