Entrepreneurship in the arts and cultural sectors: the role of the intermediary

This chapter argues for a more socialized view of entrepreneurship in the context of the arts and cultural sectors. Often, we expect artists and cultural creators to follow entrepreneurial logics and develop their market capabilities, building enterprise identities. While this concern for economic sustainability is well intentioned, such an individualized view of entrepreneurial activity neglects the complex social and contextual dynamics characterizing creative work. By foregrounding the social relationships of entrepreneurship, we are better able to understand the social processes through which artistic and cultural production emerges. An ethnographic account is presented of a small rural town on the coast of Scotland, a location rich in artistic tradition. The chapter introduces and explores the role of the intermediary in this setting, an entrepreneurial agent connecting artistic creativity with the spatial and social aspects of place. Three examples of intermediaries are presented: the retailer, the festival, and the gallery. These intermediaries perform a role deeply embedded in cultural and spatial understanding, where entrepreneurship occurs across multiple individuals and interacts with multiple contexts. In viewing the relationships of the intermediaries, the chapter builds a socialized understanding of entrepreneurship in the context of the arts and cultural sectors.