What is: a Creative Social Enterprise?

As part of the Creatives, Communities and Economies research project, we’re working with artist and academic Grace McQuilten to learn about creative social enterprises in Merri-bek and the sustainability of the social enterprise model for creative businesses.

Creative work is produced and consumed in an economic system, so depends on money for its creation and the livelihood of its makers. In this sense, creative work can be understood as an enterprising activity. But there may be tensions between non-economic and economic values leading to exploration of alternative economic models of business.

Creative social enterprises leverage their products or services to create social and economic benefits for community benefit, particularly marginalised communities. For example, The Social Studio is part educator, part retailer, part production house and all about people (and also co-founded by Grace!). Their not-for-profit social enterprise in Collingwood uses fashion and creativity to create work and learning opportunities for Melbourne’s refugee and new migrant communities.

Profit-making is often not the goal of artists, and this is where social enterprise may provide a model for alternative forms of economic organisation in the arts. A social enterprise model enables greater creative and critical freedom because it reduces reliance on a single source of financial support (for example government, philanthropic or market). A social enterprise model can address inequities in the art system itself, including the financial insecurity faced by many artists and arts organisations and the conditions of work for artists and art workers.

Stay tuned for a recap of our workshop with local creative social enterprises to learn about their experiences – if this is you or you know someone who might like to get involved, please contact us, we’d love to hear from you!