Enterprise curriculum for creative industries students

Purpose This paper seeks to report on the current state and attitudes towards Enterprise Curriculum within higher education (HE) for the creative industries sector. It is based on preliminary findings from the Creative Enterprise Conference (2006) held at UCE Birmingham, which examined the role of HEs in developing future entrepreneurs in this important sector of the UK economy. Design/methodology/approach This paper explores issues related to enterprise curriculum development in HE through in‐depth qualitative analysis of plenary sessions, focused discussions and workshops. A number of stakeholders, including policy makers, academics, researchers and practitioners were invited to explore relevant issues appertaining to “creative enterprises” in the UK. Findings This paper presents a critical evaluation of the growing specialist literature, activity and research in creative industries, notably: research needs, paucity of pedagogical materials, characteristics of “creative entrepreneurs” as well as how, when, where and in what way should “creative” students be taught about entrepreneurship and self‐employment. Practical implications The study offers stakeholders a critical perspective on current attitudes and practices within creative industries. This paper offers interested parties an opportunity to consider and reflect on how HE can develop relevant curriculum and deliver enterprise education that is pertinent to students who intend to operate in this important sector of economic activity. Originality/value By capturing current attitudes and good practice in creative industries, this paper emphasises enterprise curriculum development and implementation in a relatively underdeveloped aspect of educational research. It makes tentative suggestions and recommendations on how HE and policy makers might respond to current and future enterprise education needs.