This course explores the institutions and practices that characterize London’s creative industries and the lives of people who work within and participate in them.
What are the creative industries and how do they contribute to the lives of Londoners and the economy of the capital city and nation? This course draws on methods from business studies, cultural history, cultural studies, media studies, sociology, and semiotics to consider:
- What is creativity and how is it channeled into and exploited by markets?
- How has creative labour and consumption in London evolved over time?
- How do London’s creative industries reflect and (re)produce individual and collective identities?
- How does Britain’s long history of colonization, empire, and industry impact today’s creative industries?
- How do inequalities within British society manifest in London’s creative landscape?
- How do London’s creative industries ‘fit’ within the global knowledge economy?
The class will make use of London’s creative spaces through a variety of site visits, and students will engage with a diverse array of creative professionals whose training and careers have brought them through the capital.
This course has an associated course fee. See the London Course Fees page for more information.
Department: Communications and Rhetorical Studies
Location: London
Semesters: Fall, Spring
Credits: 3