Creatives after the crash

Abstract

We examine recent evidence concerning the fate of creative workers since the economic crash of 2007-2008. There is some consensus that the creative economy is an important economic driver and does represent a source of fundamental economic change. There is less agreement on what this change means for the creative worker and workforce. Some studies suggest that the creative workforce has weathered the storm much better than those in lower-order service and manufacturing occupations. Others challenge this finding and some studies point to the growing precariousness and vulnerability of creative work. What does seem clear is that the nature and degree of vulnerability is shaped and influenced by the wider macro-institutional architectures within which this economic activity is situated. © 2013 The Author.