The Handbook of Cultural Work

Edited by Christos Carras, the Handbook of Cultural Work brings together leading experts, practitioners, and theorists from across Europe to discuss the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of cultural work. It explores how cultural work interacts with education, research, health, and addresses contemporary issues such as the climate emergency, sustainable development, discrimination, and inclusivity.

Each of the book’s six sections contains contributions from European scholars and practitioners, which draw from both practical experience and theoretical analysis. For this reason, the handbook serves as essential reading for students of arts and cultural management, management in other creative industries, and curation.

Moreover, it takes a deliberate European perspective, focusing specifically on the European Union (EU). This choice recognises the diverse conditions that influence cultural and creative sectors (CCS) work, which intersect with various social, political, and economic aspects. Europe, despite its cultural diversity, offers a shared framework due to the EU’s overarching political priorities, funding instruments, and cultural agenda.

The digital version of the Handbook of Cultural Work is available open access on bloomsburycollections.com. The open access initiative was funded by The Onassis Foundation, Greece.

Read it here.