ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the social bonds between cultural entrepreneurs, to investigate how relationships and networks function within close and highly localised contexts. It splits into three sections, each investigating an aspect of the relationships which the cultural entrepreneurs discussed during the interviews. First, the chapter draws on Birmingham as a space in which specific connections are made and nurtured, creating a sense of community with aspirations to do 'good work'. Second, it suggests that networking cannot be reduced to an instrumental or strategic activity. Third, the chapter presents key individuals with prominent positions in the network to explore the character and nature of relationships, including the tensions between structure and agency. It describes relationships amongst cultural entrepreneurs through the prism of Birmingham's cultural milieu. The chapter also draws on attention to the significance and nature of relationships, including key actors, amongst cultural entrepreneurs. It also suggests that the exchanges which take place between cultural entrepreneurs might have an emotional value.
