James Davies discusses his latest paper co-authored with Jon Morris and Gazi Islam. The paper examines the working lives of freelance television workers and the attraction of ‘meaningful work’ to increasingly precarious work conditions. View the paper – Morris, Islam and Davies (2024) The search for meaningful work under neo-bureaucracy: Work precarity in freelance TV. … Continue reading “Passion and Precarity: How Creative Industries Leverage Motivation”
Author: James Davies
What Makes a Cluster and Who (and Where) Benefits?
Policymakers are once again focused on the potential of clusters to boost regional growth. However, as James Davies and Simon Collinson demonstrate, a cluster’s contribution to growth can cross regional, national or even continental boundaries. Policymakers, consultants and academics have focused on the potential of clusters to contribute to regional economic growth for a long … Continue reading “What Makes a Cluster and Who (and Where) Benefits?”
Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa
Dr James Davies and Dr Matt Lyons discuss how we can solve the creative skills shortage in the West Midlands. This blog and research is part of a project for the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. The phenomenon of skills shortages in the creative industries is well-known in the academic literature and policy debates. … Continue reading “Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa”
Digging Digbeth: The Relocation of BBC Midlands and the Seeds of Recovery
Dr James Davies examines the role the Creative Industries can play in helping areas to recover economically, like Digbeth in Birmingham, which continues to grow as a creative hub. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by the University of Birmingham’s … Continue reading “Digging Digbeth: The Relocation of BBC Midlands and the Seeds of Recovery”
Too Many Demands are Being Placed on Universities To Support Their Regional Economies, Without Sufficient Support and Partnership
Dr James Davies discusses the pressures on Universities to support the Creative Industries, whilst themselves lacking sufficient support, industry partnerships and clarity of purpose. This blog was originally written for the Creative Industries, Policy and Data Centre. The creative industries have long been heralded as a UK success story. The creative economy grew at twice … Continue reading “Too Many Demands are Being Placed on Universities To Support Their Regional Economies, Without Sufficient Support and Partnership”
The Legacy of Mega-Events: Birmingham’s Challenges in Securing Lasting Impact From the 2022 Commonwealth Games
James Davies and Simon Collinson examine the economic and cultural benefits for Birmingham and the West Midlands from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This article was originally published on the University of Birmingham news site. With the 2022 Commonwealth Games taking over the city of Birmingham this summer, it’s a perfect moment to consider the Games’ … Continue reading “The Legacy of Mega-Events: Birmingham’s Challenges in Securing Lasting Impact From the 2022 Commonwealth Games”
Comparing Creative Clusters in the West Midlands and South Wales
James Davies and Matt Lyons report on the importance of higher education institutions in the development of regional creative clusters and the questions that remain unanswered. This project, in collaboration with the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre, compares two UK regions with growing creative sectors and asks how can regions optimise their creative clusters. … Continue reading “Comparing Creative Clusters in the West Midlands and South Wales”
Meet James Davies, City-REDI / WMREDI’s New Research Fellow
I sincerely doubt there is such a thing as an ‘ordinary’ route into research, but perhaps my own path is more than a little unusual. I arrived (back) at Cardiff University in 2016 having spent over a decade as a touring musician. Starting a band in my early 20s with my friends, everything worked out … Continue reading “Meet James Davies, City-REDI / WMREDI’s New Research Fellow”