Policy debates on the creative industries are mired in ambiguities and inconsistencies in terminology. Policymakers speak interchangeably of creative industries, cultural industries and creative economy. Cunningham (2009) compares the creative industries to a Rorschach blot, “being invested in for varying reasons and with varying emphases and outcomes.” While the inconsistent use of terminology likely reflects a number of factors – including genuine differences in policy emphases and desired outcomes in different countries – it presents a significant impediment to an understanding of what, by any definition, is a segment of the economy that is becoming more important in many countries.
The topic is of practical interest to policymakers as it is important to be able to critically assess the many studies showing the size and composition of the creative industries. These studies have been conducted in many countries and used to argue for the importance of the ‘sector’ to decision makers. The UK case is interesting in this regard, as researchers here have made particularly strong efforts to develop more systematic approaches.
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