Who's behind our cultural revolution

First we had the entrepreneurs, a very Eighties concept. Then came the enfantrepreneurs, those annoyingly smug whizz-kids with clever dotcom ideas.

That was the Nineties. So what now? Anyone remotely interested in qualifying as hip, aware or dinner-party-conversation-friendly needs to know the latest business buzzword: the 'culturepreneurs'.

The word has no dictionary definition as yet, but culturepreneurs are essentially brokers who peddle culture - art, cinema, music, literature, sometimes all together - to the masses. Theirs is the new cool profession. Remember when Damien Hirst kept going on about mixing art and business, insisting that artists should stop being so precious about their work, and start thinking about making some money? These guys are the overspill of that 'Cool Britannia' ethos. They know what the champions of dumbing down refuse to acknowledge - that culture sells.

They even have their own club called - somewhat unimaginatively, considering all the creativity involved - The Club. 'Our clients are intermediaries who sell culture and ideas,' explains Katie Kitamura, who organises the bi-monthly event at the ICA. These incorporate workshops with titles such as 'How to pitch an idea', and, more importantly, opportunities to network with the suits, the advisers and investors. Philip Dodd, the ICA's director, started The Club two years ago as a forum for creative types to exchange ideas and learn about the business world. It was aimed at people too commercial for the Arts Council, but too artsy for any business networking groups. Dodd, like most culturepreneurs, believes that 'you don't have to be solemn to be serious', and encourages art that crosses boundaries - the novelist Zadie Smith collaborating on a film with musician Tricky is his idea of heaven.

We've gathered together some of London's culturepreneurs because we believe that this lot are fast becoming the new art establishment. Take Victoria Hull, who used her literary-agent and TV contacts to start the Clerkenwell Literary Festival, 'because I was obsessed with writing but a hopeless writer myself'. Now in its fifth year, the week-long alternative arts-fest is looking for bigger venues. It brings together musicians, artists, and writers such as Will Self and Irvine Welsh - and is the perfect culturepreneurial example of a mix-up of media.

Similarly, Electric Stew blends live music, readings, art and DJing at the Great Eastern Hotel. Launched three years ago by Mo Morris and Paul Potter, the last event attracted more than 1,000 revellers. Their first compilation album, Electric Stew Afterhours, is out now and the next Electric Stew event is on 23 March. Likewise, The Idler magazine, which is edited by Victoria's husband, Tom Hodgkinson (who unfortunately fell off his bike and couldn't make the photoshoot to accompany this article), is also branching out with parties at places like the V&A.

But our culturepreneurial force-to-watch is 29-year-old Steve Slocombe, editor of Sleazenation, who is rather good at sussing out the next big thing (Sleazenation was first to feature New York rockers The Strokes). Slocombe's top prediction for the coming months? 'With most of the original Sixties hippies dead,' he portends, '2002 will be the next summer of love.' Newsnight Review has even approached him about becoming a regular pundit. Watch out, Germaine - this boy knows his stuff.

Contacts: ICA (020 7930 3647); Clerkenwell Literary Festival (020 7692 1581); Electric Stew (020 8354 3799); The Idler (www.idler.co.uk)