Dr Peter Campbell PhD

My research concentrates on the social, political and economic implications of prevailing attitudes to 'creativity'. What is creativity? Why would it be seen as economically and socially valuable? Is cultural practice inherently creative? What role can government policy play in promoting such practice? How successful are such policies? To answer questions such as these requires a consideration of dominant ideological positions around economic change, the nature of the modern city, the social position of work, conceptions of 'entrepreneurship', and so on. In particular, my research has focussed on large-scale cultural festivals such as the European Capital of Culture and the Cultural Olympiad and the claims regarding 'regeneration' associated with such festivals. More broadly, I am also interested in attempts to use quantitative data to establish coherent, convincing evidence on which to base political interventions relating to these topics.