The Values of Cultural Work: ethics, interests and motivations in the cultural and creative industries

The aim of this critical review is to explore how different values inform and shape processes of work and production in the cultural and creative industries. It examines how various ethics, concerns, interests and motivations are brought to bear on the kinds of 'cultural work' undertaken by artists, musicians, web-designers, film-makers and a whole range of other identifiably creative or cultural workers. In doing so, it hopes to show especially how cultural work, in its varied complexity, can influence workers' own (and wider public) understandings of the character and signifiance of one particular kind of value - cultural value.

While studies of cultural value often focus on the discrete qualities of cultural objects, texts or commodities, or how they are consumed by audiences, this tends to obscure the cultural work processes which have led to the creation of those objects and already part-shaped their particular form and public meaning. But cultural work - and the worker - are at the very heart of the matter of cultural value, since without workers to produce cultural goods, there is nothing for publics and audiences to actually value. What role do workers play in terms of bringing their own (cultural, social, political or other) presuppositions and interests to the creation of cultural goods? And how does this then affect the wider public uptake, value or meaning of such goods?

More centrally, however, while cultural workers draw from existing repertoires of value, and create new value, and invest their work with purpose and meaning which influences its public circulation and consumption, they also undertake cultural work 'for themselves', for their own internal purposes, rewards and values. What might these be, precisely? Through detailed review of the existing range of interdisciplinary literature on the empirical contexts of cultural work, this project draws out the value of cultural work for workers themselves. In doing so it questions conventional assumptions that suggest cultural workers are only primary motivated by 'artistic' or even 'economic' interests, and more fully explores the complex 'moral economy' of cultural industry production. By investigating cultural work as one particular set of conditions and contexts under which cultural value is being imagined and produced, the project moves to open up a wider discussion of the particular ethical character and purpose of the cultural and creative industries.

The review has the potential to generate significant benefits for users, beyond those academic beneficiaries already referred to. These include the wider policy community which is currently engaged in significant discussion about the role and contribution of cultural workers, not only in developing the creative economy, but in contributing to the public life of communities and nations. These include the DCMS, the DBIS, Arts Council and NESTA, but also externally facing institutions such as the British Council. Industry support bodies such as the Sector Skills Councils, but also trade unions such as the NUJ, Equity and BECTU have policy interests in using academic findings to develop more effective strategy and advocacy in promoting 'value' through enhancing worker profiles and campaigning for worker interests. The many museums and galleries that have strong interests in work and labour issues, and promotion of artistic work as a value in itself, might also draw from the findings. Recognising the plurality of values embedded in cultural work has the potential to impact on both policy debates in flux, but also discussions amongst workers themselves about how best to conceptualise, as well as practically effect, better institutional support and public recognition for their varied values and interests.

These groups will benefit through the provision of a new (or expanded) way of thinking and talking about value, and a putative model for understanding the relationships between cultural work and wider cultural value evaluations and assessments. That these findings might be disseminated and generate the impacts envisaged, is guaranteed by the established links between the applicant and the bodies and institutions outlined, invovlement in other ongoing research networks amongst the governmental policy-making community, collaborations with trade unions, and the strong profile of the applicant's research centre, which will support the dissemination and promotion of the review both during and after the immediate research period.