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Despite no evidence of difference in the creative abilities of men and women, female artists remain underrepresented and unequally recognised across the creative professions. Research on this topic has emphasised how audiences, critics, and other gatekeepers discriminate against women, but it has not fully explained the complex relationship between gender and creative production.

Our research found that the co-presence of female artists can simultaneously enable and constrain male creativity. These results suggest a collaboration-association trade off, shedding new light on the role and consequences of gender diversity for the creative careers of both men and women.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the arts and cultural industries throughout the UK and continental Europe. For much of the UK’s creative sector the nightmare of closed venues and out of work cultural producers, performers and technicians is being exacerbated by the absence of a ‘cultural passport’ in the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) negotiated by the UK government with the European Union. Simultaneously, and accelerated by the lockdown, the continuing ‘digital shift’ is effecting radical changes to the way in which we produce and consume culture.

Against this complex background, what can and should we expect after the pandemic? What will be the effects on cultural production and consumption? What are the biggest emerging challenges facing the cultural sector and the broader ‘creative industries’, in a post-Covid world?

An event from the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths, in association with the Creative Industries Federation and the PEC. Supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Is the pandemic the catalyst the sector needs to build a more equal future? What questions should we be asking and how can we accelerate the pace of change?

This event is the first research webinar from the COVID-19 national research project, led by the Centre for Cultural Value in collaboration with the PEC and The Audience Agency.

The creative industries can be a catalyst of innovation across all sectors, enabling transformative new products and services which can drive regional economic growth, wellbeing and quality of life. In particular, the integration of technology and creative industries (‘Createch’) can satisfy consumer demands and solve societal challenges. Perhaps harnessing virtual production, VR or AR and theatre practice to areas as diverse as mental health training, dementia support and pain control.

Given the potential of this emerging creative sector, the West Midlands is keen to be a thought leader and early adopter of Createch to maximise the economic and social value it can bring to the region’s people and its perception on the national and world stage.

Commissioned by the PEC, a recently released report by AEA Consulting explores the relationships between cultural organisations and local creative industries in the context of cultural districts in the UK.

Using the findings and recommendations of this report as a starting point, this conversation brings together a panel of cultural and creative sector practitioners to explore key questions about cross-sector collaboration, innovation and mutual growth within cultural districts.

CREATe, the UK Copyright and Creative Economy Centre based at the University of Glasgow, recently started work on a number of ambitious projects for the next five years. While they conceived this 2019 Symposium as work-in-progress, they are committed to an interdisciplinary and long-term perspective. In these uncertain times, we need to look both backward (where do we come from?) and forward (where might we go?).

An upcoming event from one of the PEC's commissioned research projects, titled 'The UK live music industry in a post-2019 era: a globalised local perspective'. The project is led by Aston University in collaboration with Dr Adam Behr from Newcastle University and Craig Hamilton from Birmingham City University.

Co-organised by King’s College London and the PEC, this event explored data and issues concerning gender barriers and inequality in creative work. It considered current research on the theme of creative work and gender, and engaged both academic and policymakers in current knowledge, reflecting further on policy implications.

Watch the recording of the event.

The event was the first of a two part series. Listen to the audio recording of the second event: Creative industries and intersectional barriers

This event, co-organised by King’s College London and the PEC, explored issues concerning intersectional barriers in the creative industries. It considered current research on themes including social mobility, class and race, and asked academics and policymakers to engage in current knowledge and reflect on the policy implications.

Listen to the audio recording of the event.

The event was the second of a two part series. Watch the recording of the first event: Creative work and gender: barriers and activism