The Pro-Am Revolution
After the rise of the professional in the 20th century, we are now seeing this historic shift reversing in the Pro-Am revolution. Enthusiastic amateurs pursuing activities to professional standards, from astronomy to activism, surfing or saving lives, are an increasingly important part of our society and economy.
For Pro-Ams, leisure is not passive consumerism but active and participatory. It involves the deployment of publicly accredited knowledge and skills, often built up over a long career, which has involved sacrifices and frustrations. The 20th century witnessed the rise of professionals in medicine, science, education, and politics. In one field after another, amateurs and their ramshackle organisations were driven out by people who knew what they were doing and had certificates to prove it. The Pro-Am Revolution argues this historic shift is reversing. We're witnessing the flowering of Pro-Am, bottom-up self-organisation and the crude, all-or-nothing categories of professional or amateur will need to be rethought. Based on in-depth interviews with a diverse range of Pro-Ams and containing new data about the extent of Pro-Am activity in the UK, this report proposes new policies to support and encourage valuable Pro-Am activity.