Hugh Brown

Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Creative Industries

University of Leeds

Speaker Biography

Hughie Brown researched and taught at several Australia institutes of higher education across topics including creative industries, politics, ethics, business, and communication before joining the University of Leeds in 2022. His PhD investigated the business models available to self-publishing creatives using 21st century technologies and he continues to research best practice in building self-publishing music careers. In 2018 Hughie spoke at TEDx QUT about developing the cultural industries from the grass-roots up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_QvY9C1JDY&t=4s

Hughie is passionate about supporting grassroots cultural practices, particularly music and specifically songwriting. He founded Magpie Studios in Armidale, Australia, to help develop emerging local songwriters and musicians. He writes, records, plays and publishes music when time allows.

Hughie’s research interests centre on the the value(s) of culture, especially with reference to creativity. Adopting a Cultural Economics perspective, he is working towards a Unified Theory on the Value of Culture: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. The first parts of this have recently been published in academic journals. His current research specifically examines four things (in order of increasing specificity):

1) The value(s) of culture and creativity
2) The practice(s) and management of creativity
3) The music industry – especially self-publishing musicians
4) Songwriting as a means to professional and creative development

Hughie is a co-Investigator in the ACHTAX project, funded by AHRC and DCMS, and led by Historic England. This project aims to create a taxonomy of the Arts, Culture, and Heritage that can help to inform valuations of the cultural sector by the UK government.

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