Cultural and Arts Entrepreneurship: The Importance of Being Aesthetic

Abstract

The very soul of cultural and arts entrepreneurship (CAE) is aesthetic. However, what is the importance of being aesthetic in CAE? An understanding of aesthetics substantially improves both our comprehension of CAE and our capacity to theorise about entrepreneurship and creative industries. Furthermore, when seeking to understand CAE, the authors expand their knowledge about aesthetics, an ordinary but complex and neglected kind of knowledge. The authors mobilise three perspectives in organisational aesthetics theory (sensible knowing, connection, and judgements) to develop and propose initial ways to connect aesthetics to CAE. These perspectives help to explore and explain the vital importance of aesthetics in CAE and its innovation process. Aesthetics is a source of innovation in CAE, and the authors propose to perceive entrepreneurial innovations as aesthetic learning, persuasion, and flow.

Citation

Marins, S.R. and Davel, E.P.B. (2023), "Cultural and Arts Entrepreneurship: The Importance of Being Aesthetic", Hill, I., Elias, S.R.S.T.A., Dobson, S. and Jones, P. (Ed.) Creative (and Cultural) Industry Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century (Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship Research, Vol. 18A), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 31-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-72462023000018A003