Moral Economies of Creative Labour programme announced

Programme for Moral Economies of Creative Labour announced.

My abstract:

Creative labour and higher education

Noting a range of government policy reports (e.g. Creative Britain, 2009), that identify higher education as a key site in the formation and development of labour for the ‘creative economy’, this paper explores the possibilities of how creative media practice students can relate to themselves as workers in-the-making. Specific analysis addresses how students are able to articulate their passions and career aspirations alongside a recognition and responsiveness to the unethical and amoral aspects of work in the creative and media industries.

Drawing on empirical research with creative media practice students, this paper argues that extending concepts of ‘employability’ and ‘industry learning’ present ways to locate ethical concerns as relevant for students. The aim is not to overlook or dismiss the investments and understandings that students hold, but to utilize the higher education experience to locate these alongside grounded accounts of the challenges of the their future creative work contexts.