Researching the creative city and cultural policy

Researching the Creative City

REDDITCH

Town

Redditch History

• Nicknamed ‘The Ditch’• People’s perception of Redditch;

- many roundabouts- very green- quiet- ‘chavvy’

• Population of approximately 84,471• Emerged as New Town during 1960s• Redditch was responsible for the production of 90% of the

world's needles

Forge Mill Needle Museum

“Urban space is also a ‘place’, and a place expresses an identity through signifiers of

memory, historicity, tradition; it only does this effectively mediated by innovative design”

(Vickery, 2004: 46).

Vickery, J (2004). The Emergence of Culture-led Regeneration: A Policy Concept and Its Discontents.

… innovative design“a legible city would be one whose districts or landmarks or pathways are easily

identifiable and are easily grouped into an over-all pattern” (Lynch, 1959: 3).

Lynch, K (1959). The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Represents needle and thread

The key ingredient for a creative class is human capital.

The Three ‘T’s

Florida, R (2004). The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. London: Basic Books.

TALENTEDUCATION

Heart of Worcestershire (HoW) CollegeFirst School/ Middle School /High School

ART AND CULTUREPalace Theatre

Redditch Youth & Community EnterpriseArrow Valley Country Park

LEISUREKingfisher Shopping Centre

CinemaGym

POPULAR CULTUREHarry Styles was born at the Alexandra Hospital

Freddie Starr lives in Mappleborough Green, just outside RedditchTony Martin singer, Black Sabbath frontman

TECHNOLOGY• ‘Redditch Community’ Facebook page

TOLERANCE• Creation of The Hub; Redditch’s new dining and leisure

experience 2015

• More passenger trains to run between Redditch and Lichfield

• Redditch's Threadneedle House sold by council for 82 bedroom residential development

Conclusion• Redditch implements cultural policy as a plan of

action/strategy• Focus on cultural industry as a supplier of non-

economic outputs;- Establishing the town’s geographical place as

a quiet town with close connections and collaboration with the bigger city of Birmingham

- Maintaining sociality through facilitating leisure ventures eg/ Abbey Stadium, The Hub

- Nurturing history by creating historical monuments across the town.

This also contributes to economic production by boosting the town’s commercial performance

Holocaust Memorial, Church Green

War Memorial