Not all roads lead to London: insularity, disconnection and the challenge to ‘regional’ creative industries policy

The notion of ‘regional’ economic growth through the creative industries is rendered problematic by the socio-geographical complexities that characterise them. Addressing an important conceptual and empirical deficit in our understanding of the creative industries at and beyond the regional level, this paper develops a novel and detailed examination of the music economy in north west England. Uncovering a significant disconnection with the mainstream industry in London - an obligatory point of symbolic validation and passage to wider markets - the paper argues that policy is required to support professionals in developing socio-spatial networking strategies to cope with their disconnected status.