The artist and the creative economy

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The artist and the creative economy

• David Throsby
• Professor of Economics,
• Macquarie University
• Sydney, Australia

Forum for Creative Europe, Prague, 2627 March
2009
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Three questions

1. Should governments provide financial support for
   artists?
2. What is the role of artists in the economy?
3. What can we say about the arts and culture in
   long-term development processes?

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Creative artists

• Romantic view
• driven by a creative vision
• unconcerned about money

• Reality poor return to artistic practice
• low prices for works sold (writers, painters)
• work not available (actors, musicians)

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Yet artists make a significant contribution to
society

• creativity
• identity
• criticism
• diversity

These are public goods and, if they are
sufficiently valued, they warrant support from
the public purse.
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Creative economy

• different models of structure of the creative or
  cultural industries
• the concentric circles model puts the creative
  arts at the centre

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The Concentric Circles Model of the cultural
industries
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Culturally sustainable development

• long-term maintenance of cultural resources
• equitable access to cultural participation
• respect for cultural diversity
• recognition of interdependence between economic,
  ecological and cultural systems