Ellen Loots

This article examines how digital fundraising reconfigures cultural entrepreneurship among DIY musicians. Through interviews with Dutch DIY musicians who have successfully used crowdfunding and representatives from two platforms, we demonstrate how crowdfunding enables musicians to mobilize Bourdieu's alternative forms of capital and convert them into economic capital. While social capital remains a key driver of economic capital in crowdfunding, our study highlights how fan communities, rather than peers, now provide the favors that support music production. Crowdfunding campaigns not only generate buzz but also serve as a reputation qualifier for programmers and funders, converting symbolic capital (recognition) into future economic returns. The involvement of backers, sometimes as cocreators, reinforces this process by signaling market demand. However, we also identify the hidden costs of building a fanbase, where sustained engagement can lead to the forgoing of economic capital.

Distant disciplinary interactions between artists, scientists and technologists have been a topic of interest. However, systematic knowledge on how diverse collaborative structures form and function is limited. The current study seeks to address this gap by investigating the social ecology of collaboration between artists, scientists and technologists engaged in inter/transdisciplinary (ITD) creative and cultural practice. The study explores the collaborative experiences of 42 participants with the use of Q-methodology. From the data, five thematic narratives emerge. Three narratives reveal collaborative styles grounded in embodiment and experimentation, fostering cultures and methods suited to co-creating ITD knowledge marked by uncertainty and serendipity. A fourth narrative highlights how artworks critically engage with science and technology, while a fifth, bipolar theme captures conflicting views on the mediated ‘third space’ in art–science–technology collaborations. This research reveals the influence of art on ITD research and science domains through creative collaborations. The findings support the development of transformative structural models for designing and facilitating collaborations across distant disciplinary knowledge cultures.

Governments are increasingly reducing funding for (arts) non-profits or attaching conditions to access public support. Consequently, arts non-profits seek to advance their artistic and social missions while increasing financial independence. The literature is divided on whether these objectives complement or substitute for each other. We analyse this relationship using an earned revenue embeddedness framework that assesses earned income activities based on their connection to an organisation’s core mission. Using data from 100 financial statements of 24 Dutch dance non-profits, we examine the relationship between earned revenue embeddedness and financial independence from government grants. We find that the level of earned revenue embeddedness matters: higher levels of embeddedness have a positive impact on financial independence, implying that mission and money are mutually reinforcing. Commercial activities embedded within the mission strengthen both organisations’ missions and financial independence. We introduce three real-world indicators of financial independence that capture subtle distinctions of commonly used measures.

In arts and culture, funding depends on a wide range of stakeholders forming a complex ecosystem, including the artists themselves, market agents, politicians, policymakers, and, more recently, online platforms. Co-funding mechanisms offer alternatives to fund-seekers needing extra revenue sources, additional donations or ways to share the costs of cultural production among different parties. One type of co-funding mechanism is called “matchfunding”, in which different partners or donors match each other’s contributions. More recently, matchfunding has integrated crowdfunding platforms where the crowd’s contributions are matched with an institutional (public or private) donor. This chapter explores different matchfunding arrangements, provides examples for each type, and discusses the benefits and constraints of channelling public and private funding through (mainly online) matchfunding schemes.

Despite the growing interest in success measurement beyond purely financial indicators, the literature on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is dominated by financial performance measures. To understand the link between EO and success in terms of both financial and non-financial performance, we use survey data on a unique sample of 157 popular-music artists. We measure firm performance using a subjective entrepreneurial success (SES) achievement scale consisting of three components: self-assessed financial success (for the music group and individual members), recognition (awards, positive reviews, fanbase), and symbiosis (the mutually beneficial and prolonged association between the individual musicians). We use innovativeness, risk-taking and proactiveness to measure EO. Because we find that this EO-conceptualisation primarily captures the role of EO in the creative process of artists, we also add competitive aggressiveness (CA) as an EO-related dimension that is more market-oriented. Using a combination of regression analysis and partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we identify links between EO and SES and between CA and SES. SES and its components recognition and symbiosis are significantly and positively related to EO. We also find a link between CA and SES as a multidimensional construct as well as between CA and recognition. Responding to a call for contextualisation of EO research, the present study is among the first to explore EO in a creative industries context. Practical implications and future research directions are also discussed.

What are contemporary practices of collaborative funding and financing for artists, and how are institutional funders involved? To address this question, we map contemporary funding models in the Netherlands. We identify three ways in which governments and other (semi-public or private) entities engage in collaborative funding and financing: cooperating funds, which are similar to traditional subsidies but cater to artists who do not fit into a single category; pooled funds, newly created resources aimed at marketable initiatives with the potential for revolving structures; and matching funds, which come in three variants with an expected flywheel effect. With upfront matching funds, governments can incentivize each other. Hubs are physical spaces with incubator qualities that encourage additional funding. And platform-supported matching funds rely on technology to crowd in resources from both institutional funders and fans. The implications of our study suggest that collaborative funding models can increase financial resources for artists and promote productivity and inclusivity, although they may also involve coordination costs that reduce net funding. For policymakers, it is essential to design and coordinate these models carefully to ensure they remain fair, effective, and capable of providing sustained support over time. We conclude by speculating on the future role of artificial intelligence in artist funding, based on insights generated by artificial intelligence itself.

Social identity theories explain how identities intertwine with individuals' choices and behaviours. Simultaneously, an institutional context imposes constraints on people's agency due to the norms, habits and expectations it engrains. This is the case in the artistic realm, where numerous categorization norms remain implicit. In the present paper, we examine the links between identity and professional activities in the creative crafts sector, which exhibits characteristics of both contemporary arts and traditional crafts. Employing a mixed methodology that combines survey data and a focus group, we explore the ways in which different identities and professional activities within the market for creative crafts are interconnected. We show ‘how’ creative crafts practitioners self‐identify (as an artist, craftsman [ artisan ], designer, maître d'art and creative entrepreneur) and reveal contradictions between—what we label—individuals' self‐attributed identity (self‐identification) and positioned social identity (the categorization by others). Notably, the identity of the ‘artist’ emerges as the most prominently promoted one, while that of the craftsperson is found to be more comfortable. Specific instances of identity struggles and juggles are identified. To explain the identity positioning issues faced in this sector, we invoke the nomenclative habits and market activities that prevail in creative crafts. Our empirical data allow us to disentangle two distinct identity strategies, which we label ‘rooted identity strategy’ and ‘floating identity strategy’. Our contributions lie in a more in‐depth exploration of identity perceptions within cultural and creative industries, by showing how creative people deal with multiple, sometimes conflicting, identities and discussing how this can affect careers.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of matchfunding from public and/or private funders on the success of online crowdfunding campaigns. We explore the signaling effects and crowding-in potential of institutional funding in the cultural and creative industries. Study Design: Using a unique dataset of 2,032 arts-related projects from a Dutch crowdfunding platform, we employ stepwise multilinear regression analyses, including moderation and mediation models, to test our hypotheses. Findings: Matchfunding significantly increases the total funding raised and ensures campaign success. Contributions from public partners and early-stage funding demonstrate stronger positive effects compared to private partners and later contributions. While matchfunding may not increase the number of backers, it boosts the average donation size. Contributions: This study advances the literature on alternative finance and cultural funding by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of matchfunding via crowdfunding platforms. We introduce new independent variables related to institutional funding, addressing a gap in the context of alternative financing. Implications: Demonstrating that ‘matchfunding matters’ can encourage institutional partners, campaigners, platforms, and backers to leverage online matchfunding. It offers a cost-effective method of pooling resources to support arts, culture, and creativity through crowdfunding platforms.