Conceptualising children’s creative labour: Children as participants, performers and producers in the cultural and creative industries

Contemporary debates about child influencers have revived longstanding concerns around children’s status as workers in the creative economy – one of the few sectors where child labour remains both highly visible and culturally accepted. However, these discussions often lack a clear conceptual framework for understanding the nature of children’s work in the creative industries, and the conditions under which it takes place. This article develops a conceptual analysis of children’s creative labour as a type of work distinct from other forms of child labour, characterised by its potential to affirm as well as compromise children’s rights. Drawing on the scholarship about creative labour, the article considers how existing insights apply and intersect with the history of debates about child performance, showing how public concern has been the dominant force in shaping regulatory frameworks, resulting in a mismatch between protection and practice. The analysis concludes by arguing that a more comprehensive understanding of children as participants, performers and producers is essential to developing coherent regulatory frameworks responsive to their needs.