USE THE THEORIES OF LIBERAL PLURALISM, CRITICAL

How have the cultural industries evolved in the last twenty-five years?

1.How have the cultural industries evolved in the last twenty-five years? How can we understand these changes? Use the theories of liberal pluralism, critical political economy and cultural studies to analyze the changes you describe.

For the UK to operate as a high growth, competitive, global leader in the creative economy, the development of a highly connected fabric of cultural and creative infrastructure is required. Infrastructure working group of the Creative Economy Programme, 2006 An understanding of the changing context within which creative activity generates wealth is essential if we are to appreciate the role of publicly- funded culture as part of the mix. The first assumption that needs to be challenged is the idea that the 'knowledge transfer' model - that is, a linear progression from artistic R&D to profitable exploitation in the creative industries marketplace - provides an adequate account of reality. (in the arts and creative industries) are constituted on the one hand, and how that knowledge becomes available and used by business on the other, by seeking to force it into the knowledge transfer model constructed by science and technology.

A more sophisticated approach will involve looking not only at how the markets for creative industries' outputs function, but how people involved in making a living from their creative endeavours navigate the world of opportunity in which they find themselves. How markets are changing New technology has changed the way that markets function. The old model was one where a creative idea was monetised by passing through the hands of a gatekeeper, whose powers of distribution and ability to control access to the market for the product were crucial to the creation of value. (Alston, Richard 2001, Pp. 13)

Examples include:

•Music: The Beatles created the product, the Cavern Club provided opportunities for live performances, records were copyrighted by major record labels, and physical discs were sold in high-street shops where there was limited space for stock. At every point, distribution was limited both by physical capacity and through the decisions of those who stood between producer and consumer.

•Advertising: A limited number of terrestrial channels had a monopoly on TV advertising. Film: Consumers' only access to film was through a visit to the cinema, where distributors exercised tight control over what was shown, restricting mainstream distribution to a small proportion of films produced. To reach an audience, film producers had to pass through checks of censorship, local authority licensing and the commercial judgement of large corporations.

In spite of the fact that the UK is home to large multinational distributors who are significant global players (such as EMI and WPP), as a nation we have significantly failed to become a dominant global force of ownership in distribution in any of the creative industries (the games distributor Eidos was bought by the US company SCI in 2006).

Instead of controlling the 'gatekeeper' end of the spectrum, the UK has developed mainly ...