In March-April 2024, Professor Justin O’Connor launched his book Culture Is Not An Industry in a series of talks across the UK and northern Europe. Professor O’Connor also gave a lecture on the book to UniSA students and lecturers just prior to his booked-out Adelaide launch.

This recording of the approximately hour long lecture, highlights the key elements of the book.

About the book: Culture is at the heart of what it means to be human. But twenty-five years ago, the British government, adapting Australia’s “Creative Nation” policy, rebranded art and culture as ‘creative industries’. They were now to be valued for their economic contribution, and treated as an industry generating jobs, growth and innovation. Where does that leave art and culture now? Facing exhausted workers and a lack of funding and vision, culture finds itself in the grip of accountancy firms, creativity gurus and Ted Talkers. At a time of sweeping geo-political turmoil, culture has been de-politicised, its radical energies reduced to factors of industrial production. This book is about what happens when an essential part of our democratic citizenship, fundamental to our human rights, is reduced to an industry.

Published by Manchester University Press, Culture is not an industry argues that art and culture need to renew their social contract and re-align with the radical agenda for a more equitable future. Bold and uncompromising, the book offers a powerful vision for change.

The book launch was co-presented by UniSA Creative and the Creative People, Products and Places Research Centre (CP3).