The Work Behind the Scenes: The New Intermediaries of the Indie Crafts Business

Abstract

Shultz B. The work behind the scenes: the new intermediaries of the indie crafts business, Regional Studies. This paper examines cultural intermediaries through the lens of the independent arts and crafts movement. Functioning without intermediaries who traditionally serve as the marketer, promoter and distributor of cultural content, independent producers must accomplish those tasks on their own. While playing the role of both creator and intermediary presents significant difficulties, producers form professional support networks to manage the workload and actively engage in self-promotion via social media to stand out from the crowd.