New Demos Pamphlet on the UK Creative Industries – Free Download

Demos have just released a new pamphlet about the UK Creative Industries – So, What Do You Do? – available as a free download.

I picked up a copy of the print version at the launch event – it’s reassuringly slim and accessible. When I spoke to one of the authors, Shelagh Wright, she told me that she and co-author Charlie Tims deliberately wrote it to appeal to creative practitioners as well as academics and policy makers. Judging from the opening paragraph I think they’ve got the tone spot on:

So, what do you do? If creativity plays a big role in your life, it’s probably not an easy question to answer. If you work in the creative industries, it’s probably even harder. Reworking concepts, information, ideas and knowledge for a living often doesn’t lend itself to a job title that adequately explains what you do.Ifyou work in the creative industries, the chances are you work for yourself, for a small organisation or for a small team in a big organisation.You’re probably working in a close network of collaborators and associates. You probably find yourselfworking on several different things at the same time, and many of those activities are often one-offs not to be repeated. Your job makes sense to people you work with but explaining it to people at parties becomes almost like relaying a joke that you ‘really had to be there’to get.

Well I can certainly relate to that. It’s hard enough answering the question in terms of my coaching and consulting, let along whether to mention the poetry first or last (or leave it out altogether). I’m looking forward to reading the rest, would be interested to hear what you think of it.