Arts Entrepreneurship in the Civic Sector
By Johanna K. Taylor, Arizona State University, USA, Johanna.Taylor@asu.edu
Abstract
Artists are pursuing entrepreneurial actions across the civic sector to influence societal structures that sustain daily life from transportation and parks to public health and education. While public trust in government is eroding and civic problems are increasingly complex, civic leaders and communities alike are seeking new collaborators and new interventions. In response, artists are collaborating with organizations across the civic sector using creative methods and approaches. This work takes many forms such as artists embedded in government agencies for time-bound collaboration, new approaches to civic work that includes arts engagement, and activist tactics to advance community change. This work introduces arts entrepreneurship in the civic sector by presenting its history and context, analyzing relationship and partnership models, and details specific fields where the work is happening with short examples. The discussion is focused on the US context and draws on literature across cultural policy, entrepreneurship, arts, and planning.
Cultural Entrepreneurship
This volume explores the concept of Cultural Entrepreneurship, illustrating how creativity, culture, and business come together in innovative ways. Starting with a working definition -- “entrepreneurship in or of culture, including entrepreneurship in the cultural industries and entrepreneurship in the cultural arena of artistic and cultural values” – the volume examines key themes in current research. These include balancing artistic creativity with economic viability, navigating individual agency versus structural constraints in creative careers, and adapting to new business models from traditional arts organizations to emerging digital platforms. Highlighting an interdisciplinary perspective, the volume considers the economic, sociological, and cultural forces shaping entrepreneurial activities in creative realms. It provides both theoretical frameworks and practical insights, presenting cultural entrepreneurship as a dynamic field that combines artistic innovation with economic strategies.
Companion
Foundations and Trends® in Entrepreneurship, Volume 21, Issue 4-5 Special Issue: Cultural Entrepreneurship
See the other articles that are also part of this special issue.