Creative Entrepreneurship Cluster (CEC)

We offer modules that are rooted in the ‘entrepreneurial experience’. This relates to how entrepreneurship is ‘lived’ and learned in the creative industries drawing on ideas such as understanding creativity, developing arguments and solving problems, and the psychological experience of entrepreneurship within the music and film industries. The Creative Entrepreneurship Cluster offers education for students at every stage of their undergraduate studies which is:

• Research-led
• Outcome focussed
• Academically rigorous

The modules might be thought of as an undergraduate extension of the highly successful MA in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship. The lecturers in the Creative Entrepreneurship Cluster offer dissertation supervision to a handful of MA CCE students each year, as well as undertake PhD supervision and CHASE placement mentorship.

CEC Lecturers

Dr George Musgrave FRSA

Dr George Musgrave is an academic and musician who researches the psychological experiences and working conditions of creative careers. His current research focuses on mental health and wellbeing, and he is the co-author of the largest ever study into anxiety and depression in the music industry – ‘Can Music Make You Sick?’. He is also a musician who has worked with Mike Skinner of The Streets, been supported by Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding and Plan B, and signed major recording and publishing deals with EMI/Sony/ATV.

Dr Michael Franklin

Dr Michael Franklin works in the disciplines of creative industries management, economics, and philosophy with a particular research focus on the film industry, and internet studies. He works with organisations such as the British Film Institute, British Screen Forum, DCMS, Film London and the Sundance Institute on policy, investment and data related issues. His recent examination of risk and market devices in film is being published as a book by Routledge.

Associated with

• Siân Prime - MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship 
• Adrian De La Court - SYNAPSE
• Entrepreneurial Fellows

Module options

Year 1 Students 

IC51002B Perspectives On Capital: Cultural, Social, Financial, and Critical – 15 credits

This module gives students a foundational understanding of different capital types, how they can be considered, and applied for learning about economic systems, societal issues, creative industries, and cultural concepts.  The course examines how different resources are acquired, maintained, enhanced and exchanged, and the role that, increasingly digitally mediated networks, evaluation materials and legal systems play. This gives students critical tools to analyse businesses, organisations and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Year 2 Students 

IC52014D/IC52014V Building Creative Businesses: Models, Markets and Meaning – 30 credits

This 30-credit module, spread over two semesters, challenges students to think critically about developing a creative business idea. The interdisciplinary module brings together insights from consumer psychology, economics, cultural studies, sociology, anthropology and more to develop key skills for students rooted in developing coherent arguments, critical evaluation and narrative storytelling. This leads to the development of a business plan. Outstanding projects in the past have included: sustainable children’s fashion brands, arts and wellbeing initiatives, and charities to tackle knife crime in London.

IC52013D Understanding Creativity: From Creative Thought to Action and Impact – 15 credits

A detailed focus on creativity – on how can we develop and harness it, and its role in industry and society is provided through this interdisciplinary course. Leveraging concepts from art, philosophy, management, creative industries, and science and technology studies this module provides students with a range of methods and frameworks that support creative thinking and problem-solving. These are then applied to the students’ own entrepreneurial ideas for a creative project, practice or business in the future.

Year 3 Students 

IC53267A/IC53267B You as Your Future: Developing Creative Careers – 15 credits

This final year module is a novel mixture of critical readings of key creative labour debates - from the impact of thinking of ourselves as brands, the mental health implications of creative work, and the role of London in the future of work - and the reflexive application of those to the students own lives. Students are encouraged to reflect on how the themes of the module apply to their own lives and their futures, ultimately leading to a reflective piece where they consider the next stage of their careers as they leave Goldsmiths.

Reasons to choose the modules

• Employability: There are key links between the module learning outcomes and the application of the ‘entrepreneurial experience’ to the challenging and competitive graduate jobs market. This takes place both in terms of understanding what employers in the creative industries are looking for and value, but also in terms of developing models and understandings of self-employment.
• Professional practice: Students who are undertaking creative work themselves (musicians, filmmakers, artists, filmmakers etc) can strongly develop their professional artistic practice as well better understand the challenges of self-employment
• Varied content: The modules are highly interdisciplinary, drawing on music, film, economics, law, anthropology, sociology, psychology and more, with diverse readings being drawn from across the humanities and social sciences
• Better learners: Student feedback collected from SMERF’s has suggested that these modules have helped students become better learners and improved their essay writing in other subject areas.
• Flexible Assignments: The assessments in the modules allow students to explore their areas of interest.
• Feedback: Feedback collected suggests, we are pleased to say, that students really enjoy these modules!