The current ubiquity of new and established creative industries programmes represents a shift in thinking at the highest levels, writes Dany Louise.
Underlying this is an attempt to wean artists and creative practitioners away from the grant subsidy culture and into financial independence through entrepreneurial self-reliance. There are considerable resources being invested in a variety of initiatives by local authorities, the Regional Development Agencies, European sources and the former Regional Arts Boards. For anyone thinking they can earn a living through their creative skills, now is the time to take the plunge, since there is more real support available than ever before.
The support varies between regions, but generally comprises a mixture of generic business management training coupled with sector-specific and personalised business support, aimed at equipping the artist (or cultural entrepreneur) with the knowledge and skills to access the necessary start-up finance and successfully run and sustain their own business. Creative clustering has many benefits. Individuals are able to network, share information and generally support each other; and in the locality or region it strengthens the infrastructure, provides a focus for the shopper/tourist and can aid the local economy.
Successful and large examples of creative clustering are the Custard Factory (see p6) in Birmingham and Dean Clough in Halifax, but there are other smaller initiatives in development, including in Knowsley. Knowsley is one of the more distressed boroughs of Merseyside, an already very poor area with Objective 1 status. It also has a particularly low rate of new business start-ups. But there is a wealth of creative talent in the borough. Our task is to nurture and develop the talented individuals to enable their economic and creative success.
A two-year pilot scheme will combine creative workspace with sector-specific business support and add-on programmes. A building and finance has been identified and the guiding principles are around being cheap, cheerful and practitioner-friendly. There will be easy-in, easy-out terms, and a sliding scale of rents, starting from a point low enough that no one will be turned away because they can?t afford a small space. We have decided against free rents, since we think it important in terms of ownership and commitment that practitioners make at least a small investment in themselves and the programme. It is experimental in that the mix of tenants is likely to be much wider than traditional studio space and possibly with competing needs.
It is fairly innovative from the local authority viewpoint too, as this will be the first time it has led on this type of entry level workspace which, to succeed, requires a genuine commitment to meeting the needs of this particular sector. It has needed some persuasion to shift thinking in the Economic Development Department, since they are more used to dealing with space for which they can charge £8.50/sq. ft. on a minimum five-year lease. However with a new creative industries strategy being adopted by the Cabinet, of which this project is part, the will is there and the commitment, I hope, will follow closely behind!
Dany Louise is Creative Industries Development Officer of Knowsley Borough Council. t: 0151 477 4032; e: dany.louise.dpd@knowsley.gov.uk