In the past artists were supported and directed by patrons. Today it is clients and arts boards that dictate an artist’s output. During the Renaissance, pupils were taught by masters to whom they were apprenticed; now students learn by taking a selection of the myriad vocational courses run by thousands of institutions worldwide.
And as we dive into the deep blue sea of the 21st century, talk of the arts is being replaced with discussion about the creative industries. Pivotal to this discussion are initiatives like Creative Clusters – the new UK-based programme for “people working in the creative economy.”
