The power in making "0.1 to 100": interview with Dr Xin Gu

Monash Arts

Dr Xin Gu of our School of Media, Film & Journalism, is leading an ARC Discovery international research project: Urban Cultural Policy and the Changing Dynamics of Cultural Production. The research explores the dynamics of the “cultural economy” and how changing industry relationships, urban development and policy dynamics affect cultural production. The research is focused on uncovering these dynamics across the inner Northern suburbs in Melbourne and Marrickville, Sydney, with international case studies in Berlin, Los Angeles, New York and Shenzhen. It aims to discover new insights into crucial urban manufacturing relationships to inform policy and innovation potential in Australia. What creative industry strategies does Australia have to consider for its resilience? How does urban cultural policy play into this? What industry links need to be fostered? In seeking answers to these questions, the research is already revealing much potential for Australia towards the development of knowledge, skills and practices to create new products, processes and work opportunities. And, through the international case studies, it shares lessons on what policies other countries are developing and how they are responding to the changing dynamics in the creative industries. We spoke with Dr Gu on specific issues to each city and some of the ideas already arising to solve these spanning policy protection, industry code re-categorisation, “maker/manufacturer” branding, the role of university innovation labs, investment in local manufacturers and potential for global trade. Dr Gu highlights, “as a country, it’s very dangerous if you only have the cultural consumption end of things because of the reliance of global networks and other countries; resilience requires us to be less reliant on other suppliers and this is where the creative industries can excel”. For more information on doing a higher degree by research, visit https://arts.monash.edu/graduate-research