Creative Industries and Creative Communities:Policy Futures?
Creative Industries and Creative Communities
Institute for Environment, Sustainability and Regeneration
Staffordshire University, 11th November 2009
Calvin Taylor
Chair in Cultural Industries
Calvin Taylor
• Academic– Huddersfield Creative Town
Initiative (1998-2000)– Creative Yorkshire (2000-2002)– 40+ strategic and practical
projects in UK and abroad (RDAs, DCMS, British Council, UNESCO, WIPO)
• Director, Creative Industries Development Agency (2000-present).
– From Huddersfield to the world
- Design and deliver programs of mentoring, network development, skills and leadership development to business, community, citizens and artists
– New focus – creativity and innovation in service delivery CRECE, Manizales, Colombia 2005
The Creative Industries: Are we becoming sceptical?
1.Questions about the availability of robust and appropriate evidence
2.Questions about the instrumentalisation of culture
3.Questions about the social value of creative industries employment
Are we in danger of throwing out the baby with
the bath-water?
Do we need a new stand-point?
Where might one come from?
Four propositions:
1. Whether we like it or not, mobilising culture and creativity for regeneration or development is an inherently political process – and the politics have gone awry
2. There is a lot to be learned from the UK experience, despite valid critiques of some of the arguments
3. The arguments about the value of culture and creativity are not dependent on data – reality moves faster than data
4. The future of creative industries, creative communities depends on: knowledge, experience, some data but most important of all - getting the right mix of intervention at the right level
Lessons
So, where have we come from?
A growing global industry….late 1990s-early noughties
CountryCountry % GDP/GVA% GDP/GVA % Employment% Employment % GDP Growth % GDP Growth papa
AustraliaAustralia 3.33.3 3.83.8 5.75.7
CanadaCanada 5.45.4 -- 6.56.5
Great BritainGreat Britain 7.97.9 8.08.0 9.09.0
HungaryHungary 4.54.5 1.251.25 --
LatviaLatvia 4.04.0 4.44.4 --
New ZealandNew Zealand 3.13.1 3.63.6 --
TaiwanTaiwan 5.95.9 3.63.6 10.110.1
USAUSA 7.87.8 5.95.9 7.07.0
Sources: DCMS, WIPO, NZ Institute of Economic Research, Stephen Siwek, Allen Consulting Group, Taiwan Institute Sources: DCMS, WIPO, NZ Institute of Economic Research, Stephen Siwek, Allen Consulting Group, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.of Economic Research.
Until……..
………..A reminder of where we came from?
Municipal socialism
Greater London CouncilGreater London Enterprise
BoardPromotion of co-operative
enterpriseApplication to arts and culture
1. Social democratic cultural policy
2. Connecting culture to enterprise
3. Community development objectives
Local cultural production strategies: Sheffield, Red Tape Studios and the Cultural Industries Quarter
1. Infra-structure strategies2. Attention to working environments3. Basic clustering model4. Culture intrinsic to urban development
“This cultural policy is also an economic policy. Culture creates wealth. Broadly defined, our cultural industries generate 13 billion dollars a year. Culture employs. Around 336,000 Australians are employed in culture-related industries. Culture adds value, it makes an essential contribution to innovation, marketing and design. It is a badge of our industry. The level of our creativity substantially determines our ability to adapt to new economic imperatives. It is a valuable export in itself and an essential accompaniment to the export of other commodities. It attracts tourists and students. It is essential to our economic success”
Creative Nation: A Commonwealth Cultural Policy, Australia, 1994
Available at: http://www.nla.gov.au/creative.nation/contents.html
1. Don’t need to be shy about connecting culture to wealth creation
Creative entrepreneurship: Richard Caves:
7 economic properties
1.The nobody knows anything principle2.The art for art sake principle (craft, skill, virtuosity)3.The motley crew principle (project orientated with flexible, inter-changeable staff (Film industry one of the earliest, advertising, but also now more traditional art-forms)4.Product infinite variety – the ‘batch’ principle, short production runs, customisation, personalisation – ‘flexible-specialisation’ (Piore and Sabel)5.A List/B List principle – personalised branding, small differences in skill mean big differences in economic return6.The time flies principle – time does literally mean money7.The ars longa principle – some works achieve/maintain value long after their production – allowing economic rents to be derived from them.
See Richard Caves (2000) Contracts between art and commerce.
Also see Henry, C (2007) Entrepreneurship in the creative industries: international perspectives (especially Chapters 4 and 7)
1. Encouraged focused attention on need for intelligence and knowledge
The creative industries………..er, or is it creative economy…..?
1. Importance of definitions and data
Cycle of Creativity: Wood, P & Taylor, C ‘Big ideas for a small town: the Huddersfield creative town initiative’, Local economy,
Vol. 19 (4)
Models I 1. Understand the value of a localities cultural and creative attributes
STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS WEAKNESSESWEAKNESSES
THREATSTHREATS
Factor Conditions
Location & transport connectionsHuddersfield’s built environment (heritage & conversion uses)Competitive property prices
Factor Conditions
Location & transport connectionsHuddersfield’s built environment (heritage & conversion uses)Competitive property prices
Regional Sectoral Strengths
Critical mass of businessesPhysical & virtual hubs to anchor and animate SME baseRaised profile of Kirklees in region & nationally
Regional Sectoral Strengths
Critical mass of businessesPhysical & virtual hubs to anchor and animate SME baseRaised profile of Kirklees in region & nationally
Business Support Environment
Well established sector-specific agencies
Business Support Environment
Well established sector-specific agencies
Knowledge Infrastructure
Strengths in key disciplines at HE & FESupply of well skilled labourFormal & non-formal routes to employment establishedIndividual sector champions
Knowledge Infrastructure
Strengths in key disciplines at HE & FESupply of well skilled labourFormal & non-formal routes to employment establishedIndividual sector champions
Demand Conditions
Weak overall local demandParticularly in higher value / more challenging segments
Demand Conditions
Weak overall local demandParticularly in higher value / more challenging segments
Factor ConditionsIndustrial base relatively narrow (in activity, source of demand, business model)Makes cluster vulnerable to volatility of business cycle
Factor ConditionsIndustrial base relatively narrow (in activity, source of demand, business model)Makes cluster vulnerable to volatility of business cycle
ImageNegative image abides in some quarters of the region (corporate market and the media)
ImageNegative image abides in some quarters of the region (corporate market and the media)
Knowledge Infrastructure
Questions over political will to engage in strategic projects
Knowledge Infrastructure
Questions over political will to engage in strategic projects
Business Support Environment
Weaknesses of mainstream business support compared with other sub-regions
Business Support Environment
Weaknesses of mainstream business support compared with other sub-regions
Leadership & PartnershipLow level of joint working across the sector
Lack of focal point for promoting the sector
Perceived loss of momentum
Leadership & PartnershipLow level of joint working across the sector
Lack of focal point for promoting the sector
Perceived loss of momentum
Factor ConditionsFactor Conditions
Rising property costsRising property costsPressure on availability of Pressure on availability of suitable propertysuitable propertyPotential business Potential business climate/image as a centre for climate/image as a centre for ‘lifestyle’ businesses‘lifestyle’ businesses
Factor ConditionsFactor Conditions
Rising property costsRising property costsPressure on availability of Pressure on availability of suitable propertysuitable propertyPotential business Potential business climate/image as a centre for climate/image as a centre for ‘lifestyle’ businesses‘lifestyle’ businesses
Competition from the Rest of Competition from the Rest of the Region the Region
Challenge from businesses in Challenge from businesses in YorkYorkPotential change of attitude Potential change of attitude in Leeds towards early stage in Leeds towards early stage companiescompanies
Competition from the Rest of Competition from the Rest of the Region the Region
Challenge from businesses in Challenge from businesses in YorkYorkPotential change of attitude Potential change of attitude in Leeds towards early stage in Leeds towards early stage companiescompanies
End of ESF & ERDF End of ESF & ERDF FundingFunding
Significant beneficiary Significant beneficiary of European fundingof European fundingEnd of current funding End of current funding round round
End of ESF & ERDF End of ESF & ERDF FundingFunding
Significant beneficiary Significant beneficiary of European fundingof European fundingEnd of current funding End of current funding round round
OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES
Partnership & LeadershipImprove joint workingProvide more unified front to potential investors & partners
Partnership & LeadershipImprove joint workingProvide more unified front to potential investors & partners
Building on Success
Sector upbeat about future prospectsFurther potential to be unlockedKirklees can build on regional comparative advantage of Huddersfield cluster
Building on Success
Sector upbeat about future prospectsFurther potential to be unlockedKirklees can build on regional comparative advantage of Huddersfield cluster
Diversifying Business Base
Grow micros into small firmsDevelop non-Books & Press segmentsEncourage IP-based businessesImprove robustness & sustainability
Diversifying Business Base
Grow micros into small firmsDevelop non-Books & Press segmentsEncourage IP-based businessesImprove robustness & sustainability
Competitive Dynamics of Competitive Dynamics of UK Print & Publishing UK Print & Publishing
IndustriesIndustries
Sector heavily dependent on P&P for jobs & wealth creationLocal future in part contingent on spatial restructuring
Competitive Dynamics of Competitive Dynamics of UK Print & Publishing UK Print & Publishing
IndustriesIndustries
Sector heavily dependent on P&P for jobs & wealth creationLocal future in part contingent on spatial restructuring
Huddersfield’s creative industries: a swot analysis (2002)
Models II: The Creative Industries Cluster
1. Inter-linkages2. Embeddedness3. Policy levers
Levels of policy leverage
Source: Anamaria Wills, Creative Industries Development Agency
Simple and transformational Shanghai (2006)
1. Workspace expansion programme
2. External marketing – ‘created in China’
3. Local production clusters
NB: Long-term!
Simple and transformational: Ciclovia, Bogota, Colombia
1. The most impressive exercise in urban creativity
Tactical and practical: Tanzania (2005)
1. Recognising fragility, delicacy
Tactical and Practical:
-Workspaces-Regeneration-Creative skills-Cultural expression-Enterprise-Economic development-Social inclusion-City marketing
The Storey Creative Industries CentreLancaster (2009)
Complex and InvisibleFactory 798, Beijing,
China, 2007
1. The beginnings of a grassroots
culture of creative production
Complex and Invisible: Access-space
Free media labOpen access learning communityFrom e-consumers to digital producers
Sheffield1. Re-designing creative economics
Creativity re-discovering culture?Beijing, 2007
Some referencesCunningham, S. (2004) ‘The creative industries after cultural policy: a genealogy and
some possible preferred futures’. International journal of cultural studies, Vol 7(1), 105-115.
Henry, C. (ed.) (2007). Entrepreneurship in the creative industries: An international perspective. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Kong, L. & O’Connor, J. (eds.) (2009) Creative economies, creative cities: Asian-european perspectives. Dordrecht: Springer.
Oakley, K. (2004) ‘Not so cool britannia: the role of the creative industries in economic development’. International journal of cultural studies, Vol7(1) 67-77.
Scott, A.J. (2005). Creative cities: conceptual issues and policy questions. Paper presented at OECD International Conference on City Competitiveness, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain 3-4 March 2005.
Wood, P. and Taylor, C. (2004). ‘Big ideas for a small town: the Huddersfield creative town initiative’. Local economy, Vol. 19 (4).
Thank you!
