In memoriam Alan Peacock: a pioneer in cultural economics

• Published in: Journal of cultural economics 2015-08, Vol.39 (3), p.225-238
• Main Authors: Rizzo, Ilde, Towse, Ruth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arts; Costs; Councils; Cultural Economics; Cultural heritage; Culture; Economic Policy; Economic theory; Economics; Economics and Finance; Economists; Editorial; Local government; Microeconomics; Music; Orchestras; Peacock, Alan; Performing arts; Personal profiles; Regional and Cultural Studies; Welfare economics
• ISSN: 0885-2545; 1573-6997
• DOI: 10.1007/s10824-015-9244-7

Alan Peacock had a long and very distinguished career in economics, as an adviser to the UK government, as a university administrator and as Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council. He remains a towering figure in cultural economics and was one of the earliest contributors to our subject, in which he worked for over 40 years. He became the first ACEI Distinguished Fellow in 1996, one among the many honours and awards that he received. There have been many obituaries of Alan Peacock and an account of his huge and varied contribution to economics and indeed of his other activities is beyond our scope. Therefore, we concentrate on his contribution to cultural economics and his activities in the arts more generally. The task is certainly made the easier as Alan was a dedicated writer on his interest in these topics, as many readers will know from his Paying the Piper (1993). He continued to do valuable work in cultural economics, particularly in the economics of heritage, until only a year or so before he died.