Module manager: Anna Zoellner
Email: A.Zoellner@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The cultural industries are those industries whose primary purpose is the production of culture, which naturally includes media industries such as television, film, music, publishing (books, newspapers and magazines), videogaming and so on. People often want to work in these industries because they offer the opportunity to be ‘creative’. But what does ‘creativity’ mean? And what kind of conditions do creative workers actually face? In order to explore these questions, students reflect on changes in the nature of work itself and the place of artistic and professional creativity in modern societies and explore the pressures, but also the pleasures, of creative work in the media. Students will investigate typical characteristics of cultural labour markets and creative work and consider the impact of recent industry developments such as the rise in temporary and precarious work and the emergence of new online production opportunities. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module aims to give students an introduction to key theoretical and historical issues about creative work in the cultural industries including ways to theorise and empirically analyse it.
The lectures introduce students to the principal debates and theoretical concepts regarding the organisation, management and experience of creative work and production in the cultural industries.
Seminars expand on this content through discussions of case studies and readings. This allows students to understand, clarify and evaluate contemporary developments in creative work including the ways in which creative workers conceive of and experience their work and to compare how these different dynamics operate across different cultural industries.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
Evaluate key debates, developments and theoretical concepts relevant to understanding creative work in the cultural industries
Critique textual material and evidence about labour and production in the cultural industries
Execute and analyse qualitative research interviews to investigate the conditions and experience of cultural work
Construct arguments about the organisation and experience of work in the cultural industries with appropriate use of theoretical concepts and evidence
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills outcomes:
Research, arguments and theories on the academic study of cultural production and work.
Contribute to contemporary artistic, cultural and policy discourses by incorporating ethically and socially aware perspectives.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lecture | 11 | 2 | 22 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 167 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 33 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students are required to prepare for each seminar (est. 10 hours per week) which involves the study of the weekly reading material and collecting material for seminar tasks. The remaining private study time should be dedicated to researching, preparing and writing the assessments including the required fieldwork and transcription for the research interview.
Student progress will be monitored via tutorials, participation in seminars and assessment.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 x 2,000-2,500 words | 50 |
| Report | 1 x 1,500 - 2,000 word interview analysis plus transcript* | 50 |
| Group Discussion | Work to create themed contributions for the module discussion board. Each contribution will be tied to a designated week of study and should be: 500-600 words in length. The aim of the contributions is to engage critically with a module theme or reading, and pose questions for your module peers to respond to. | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
*students are required to carry out a research interview with a media worker via video call. Assessment is based on critical analysis of the interview and submission of the interview transcript.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 03/06/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team