Overview

"Recognising that creativity is a major driving force in the post-industrial economy, the Chinese government has recently established a range of ""creative clusters"" -- industrial parks devoted to media industries, and arts districts -- in order to promote the development of the creative industries. This book examines these new creative clusters, outlining their nature and purpose, and assessing their effectiveness. Drawing on case studies of a range of cluster models, and comparing them with international examples, the book demonstrates that creativity, both in China and internationally, is in fact a process of fitting new ideas to existing patterns, models and formats. It shows how large and exceptionally impressive creative clusters have been successfully established, but raises the important questions of whether profit or culture is the driving force, and of whether the bringing together of independent-minded, creative people, entrepreneurial businessmen, preferential policies and foreign investment may in time lead to unintended changes in social and political attitudes in China, including a weakening of state bureaucratic power. An important contribution to the existing literature on the subject, this book will be of great interest to scholars of urban studies, cultural geography, cultural economics and Asian studies."

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9780415603966

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Reviews

Keane's latest book on 'creative clusters' raises important questions, and these questions alone make this a valuable and durable study for researchers and professionals working on China. - Thomas J. Berghuis, University of Sydney, Australia; China Information 2012 26: 381

This is an insightful addition to the literature on culture and creativity in China. Based on intensive fieldwork in China, Keane takes us into the world of creative parks, zones, bases, and clusters in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, and shares his keen observations on, inter alia, the governance and epistemic communities that shape these clusters. Building from these grounded empirical observations, he offers clear theoretical insights into the relationships between culture, creativity and innovation. Lily Kong, Professor of Geography, National University of Singapore In every discussion of China, Michael Keane's name stands out unrivalled for his knowledge of China's history and his sensitivity to China's interplay of culture, creativity and innovation. John Howkins, Director, John Howkins Centre on Creative Economy, Shanghai Keane's latest book on 'creative clusters' raises important questions, and these questions alone make this a valuable and durable study for researchers and professionals working on China. - Thomas J. Berghuis, University of Sydney, Australia; China Information 2012 26: 381

Author Information

Michael Keane is an ARC Centre Fellow at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. His research interests include China’s cultural and media policy, creative clusters in China and East Asia, and East Asian cultural exports.

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