New Deal of the Mind conducts research and engages in advocacy in boosting employment in Britain’s creative sector. Our publications, seminars and conferences provide an arena for fresh thinking in the creative industries and stimulate debate at all levels of society.

We tackle the issue of creative industry unemployment by developing practical solutions based on sound evidence, and engage with those holding power so that new ideas can be put into practice.

Publications

Do It Yourself: Cultural and Creative Self-Employment in Hard Times

“Do It Yourself: Cultural and Creative Self-Employment in Hard Times” was published by NDotM along with Arts Council England in July 2009. In the report, we raise questions about the Government’s current employment schemes and recommend a return to a Thatcher-era initiative.

NDotM calls for an Enterprise Allowance Scheme for the 21st century. Under Margaret Thatcher’s government, the EAS gave people £40 a week, advice on developing a business plan and access to free postage. More importantly though it allowed people to come off the dole and forge an identity as an artist or entrepreneur.

Download publication PDF.

Creative Survival in Hard Times

Creative Survival in Hard Times looks at the obstacles facing young people who want to pursue a career in the arts and creative field. The report, produced by New Deal of the Mind, was commissioned by Arts Council England and launched on March 30th, 2010.  The report lists a series of recommendations and concludes that struggling artists would rather have a helping hand than a hand out. Young artists and creative entrepreneurs interviewed for the report wanted work space, access to information, mentoring and business skills. Small interventions that could make a big difference were far higher on their list of priorities than money.

Download publication PDF.

Seminars

Future Jobs Fund Seminar

Over 20 arts organisations attended the NDotM Future Jobs Fund seminar held on September 11, 2009 at the Southbank Centre in London. The seminar panel was chaired by NDotM’s Managing Director Karen Freyer, and included NDotM’s Founder and Chief Executive Martin Bright,  Nicola Thorold representing the Arts Council, NDotM’s Chairman Richard Greer, Natalie Bell of SE1 United and Amanda Davey of East London Dance.

The seminar succeeded in provoking discussion and developing ideas about how the £1bn Future Jobs Fund could help create jobs within the creative and cultural industries. Martin explained how the Fund works and the ways in which NDotM can act as a facilitator for those arts organisations who wish to make a bid.

Watch a video of the seminar here.

Think Tank Clash

NDotM organised a Think Tank Clash on February 9, 2010 for the Southbank Centre. The opening event of the Centre’s Election 10 series, it was hosted by Rory Bremner and based on the model of a sound-system clash where the leading minds of the UK’s think tanks compete to impress the audience with the power of their ideas. Policy Exchange, The Fabian Society, ResPublica, Progress, Demos, Royal Society for the Arts and Public Policy Research all signed up. Calling on star witnesses to support their arguments, topics included the environment, education, social policy, Europe, civil liberties and the economy, and were discussed in a series of tightly timed sessions.

Sunder Katwala has a good account of the event on his Next Left blog and Reform’s Dale Bassett covered it for Conservative Home. Jonathan Rowson, who spoke for the RSA on the night, points out that his organisation is not strictly speaking a think tank, but calls for more such events.

There was much talk in the green room after the event about taking the show on the road, so watch this space. Joe Dyke has a comprehensive report on Total Politics. And there’s an altogether more spiky version of events at Arbitrary Constant.

The event also allowed us to discover the delights of Winkball, a website which employs students (dressed in a canary-yellow uniform) to record mini-interviews at public events.