Creative Industries and Place
Last updated:
17 March 2026
About the project
Convened by: Dr Patrycja Kaszynska and Prof Graeme Evans
Funder: Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre
Creative Industries and Place: Configurations and Scales is a research network project that seeks to develop new research and policy agendas.
The network examines the relationship between the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCSs) and innovation through a place-based lens. It explores the notions of scales and configurations in existing interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research on CCS.
This approach prompts new research questions and helps to identify barriers, blind spots and evidence gaps in current research and policymaking.
Project aims and approach
The network addresses key questions in place-based decision-making involving cultural and creative activities, primarily:
- How different characteristics of places — such as history, heritage, architecture, urban design, local culture and other territorial features — combine and interact to shape how CCSs develop over time.
- How the scales of data collection (local, regional, national) and the scales at which places are constructed as policy objects shape our understanding of how CCSs function and how decisions are made.
The project builds on earlier collaborative work between the conveners, including:
- OECD, The Role of Culture-led Regeneration and Place Transformation (PDF 8.8MB) – a review of policy guidance and evaluation evidence, with international case studies.
- Future Trends: Coventry City of Culture – a study highlighting key learning points from Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.
Delivery and outputs
The programme is delivered through online events and discussion fora. It includes a webinar series with presentations by Fellows and responses from invited speakers.
An in-person event in April 2026 will present the network's findings to support policy development and consolidate future research agendas. The event will bring together key stakeholders from local and regional authorities, cultural institutions, creative universities, and policy and decision-making bodies.
Outputs will include:
- report summarising the findings
- conference papers
- jointly authored journal articles and publications reflecting the network's multidisciplinary scope.
Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre
Funding for the project’s network is provided by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC).
Creative PEC is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). It is led by Newcastle University Business School with the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
Network members
- Geoffrey Crossick, Distinguished Professor of Humanities, School of Advanced Study, University of London
- Salvatore Di Novo, Lecturer in Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London
- Abigail Gilmore, UKRI Policy Fellow (DCMS Place-making and Levelling Up, to 2025) and Professor of Cultural Policy, University of Manchester
- Avril Joffe, UNESCO Chair of Entrepreneurship and Cultural Policy and Research Associate, University of the Witwatersrand
- Ricky Lawton, Director of Economic Evaluation, Public Affairs, Ipsos (specialising in economic valuation of intangible assets and cultural capital accounting)
- Diana Marcela Rey Vásquez, Individual Specialist, UNESCO Institute of Statistics and United Nations Development Programme, Saudi Arabia
Network conveners
- Dr Patrycja Kaszynska, Senior Research Fellow, UAL
- Prof Graeme Evans, Professor Emeritus of Culture and Creative Economy, UAL