In this paper we suggest that far too often economic geographic theory has been based on simple core-periphery dualism that mask the reality of creative work in rural or peripheral areas. We take a relational approach and suggest that being on the periphery does not necessarily mean isolation from the centre nor does it mean relegation to lower levels of professional and creative possibilities. The study examines a sample of female contemporary visual artists in the rural Swedish region of Värmland and suggests that affordability and work-life balance are the essential reasons for the locational choices of these peripheral artists. Once settled they employ two strategic coping mechanisms: embracing the creative possibilities of being on the edge; active creation of network spaces and relations. We suggest that for creative workers’ binary spatial divisions are not appropriate and that more nuanced relational geographies support both rural and individual creative careers. In particular, we emphasise one such binary: the presumption that whilst urban creativity is collective, rural creativity is individual and lacking the benefits of closeness and agglomeration. Rather than the dualism presented in the creativity literature, we suggest that the case exposes the importance of thinking relational, spatially and temporarily in terms of project and career life cycles. These artists are not making black or white choices between the social city and the isolated rural but attempting to mix the advantages of both together through translocal processes and networks.

This report examines key elements of the European regulatory environment for the cultural and creative industries (CCI) and is part of Work Package 3 (Policy, regulatory and governance matrix of the CCI in Europe) of the CICERONE‐project (Creative Industries Cultural Economy Production Network, Grant No.: 822778). The focus of the report is on regulation within the EU that effect CCIs and their production networks and does not specifically address the myriad ways in which trade regulations and regulators effect CCIs. The perspective is based on the concept of Global Production Networks which suggests that the regulatory environment along the entire value chain of cultural production, and the places involved, needs to be considered together. The regulatory environment covering the CCIs encompasses both policy and legislation as well as it includes frameworks that exist at local, regional, national, EU, and supranational levels. In this report we discuss six key areas: (1) policy hierarchies and scalar and sectorial complexity; (2) regulation of work and contracts, with a focus on small actors and protected designations;( 3) content and production regulation, including notions of quotas, arm‐length’s distance and the new political landscape in Europe; (4) intellectual property rights regulation; (5) competition regulation, monopolies, and platform economies; (6) and regulation for the digital single market. Throughout the report we highlight possibilities that may be considered in policy to further support the CCIs.

This paper attempts to blur the periphery versus centre binary by considering the emergence of a small, but vibrant, agglomeration of cultural industries in Galway, Ireland. Key agents in this story include postcolonial activists, Irish language supporters, Hollywood directors, and local politicians. This is an example of an industry agglomeration in a ‘peripheral’ setting and in the context of a threatened language. Language, culture and community are argued to be fundamental to the case and can be traced back to an underrepresented community finding a voice for itself. It is argued that studies of industry and innovation should not ignore small scale or peripheral cases; that being in the periphery can be an asset in terms of entrepreneurship, creative freedom and field formation; that periphery must be set in a relational framework; and that the medium of cultural production must be part of understanding industrial dynamics and innovation.

In this article we use big data methods to analyze the attention paid to the fashion industry on social media. The article argues that for the fashion industry, like many industries, the core product is a form of knowledge that is dependent on gaining and holding people’s attention. To understand this attentional economy, social media offers a unique window because it is increasingly a central space within which fashion knowledge is created and shared. Using long-term, geotagged big data from Twitter, we analyze the hitherto difficult-to-explore spaces and places of the global fashion industry. The article suggests that the data confirm the ideas that there are a series of global fashion capitals that are especially important to the industry and that attention paid to fashion is highly uneven and varied across industry functions, national origins, and companies. Evidence is presented that attention to fashion is a global phenomenon that does not always directly link to where fashion products are sold. Attention to fashion is both a market-making mechanism for the industry as well as an indicator of wider social and cultural processes of tastemaking and identity formation within which fashion is entwined. The article concludes by suggesting that such data offer geographers new ways of looking at and linking economic, social, and cultural spaces and geographies and that social media analysis can help bridge boundaries that divide geographers.

In this paper we trace the co-evolution of a set of industries and supporting institutions in the Film and television (TV) industry in one of Europe’s most peripheral regions. It is a comprehensive overview of the key stages of development, from inception to sustainability with key roles enacted by a diverse set of actors, from community activists to the current Irish President. This work contributes to the growing literature that is focussing attention on the growth of creative economy activity beyond the city. We pay particular attention to the role played by firms, institutions and geography and their co-evolution towards a cluster of cultural activity in Galway, Ireland.