Transcript 2014 CHADWICK FELLOWSHIP: Cultural Economic Development Policy in Hackney and Lewisham (London, UK) Richard G Maloney, PhD Director ad interim, Arts Administration Graduate Program.

2014 CHADWICK
FELLOWSHIP:
Cultural Economic
Development Policy
in Hackney and Lewisham
(London, UK)
Richard G Maloney, PhD
Director ad interim,
Arts Administration Graduate Program
The Project
• Building on previous research I conducted in cities and towns
in Massachusetts, I traveled to London to interview local
government officials and cultural administrators to better
understand the creation, development, and outcomes of local
cultural economic development initiatives in the boroughs of
Lewisham and Hackney.
• Specifically, I am interested in the role local government plays
in helping (or hindering) the local cultural and creative
industries
• This project enabled me to incorporate a comparative
perspective into my work and generated original research that
will potentially help policy makers construct more effective
cultural policies. I have also been able to use my experience
to develop new teaching materials for my classes.
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Lewisham and Hackney (London)
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A Little Background
• What is Cultural Economic Development?
•
Government (and their partners) invest in the cultural industries to encourage the development of
additional cultural activities, products, and services to stimulate local demand, fulfill the needs of
tourists (export), improve the quality of life of local residents, and stimulate other sectors of the
economy.
• What are the Creative and Cultural Industries?
•
•
“Those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent which have a potential
for job and wealth creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property”
(Department of Culture, Media and Sport, UK, 2001).
Advertising, architecture, art and antiques, computer games, crafts, design, designer fashion, film
and video, music, visual and performing arts, publishing, software, TV and radio. (Department of
Culture, Media and Sport, UK, 2006)
• Why is this important to study now?
•
•
As state and federal aid has diminished, municipal leaders are seeking to identify undeveloped local
assets which can be leveraged to attract or develop rapidly growing industries.
In the eyes of many city planners and economic development officers, the creative and cultural
industries have emerged as a potential local asset which is, in many cases, ready to be developed.
• Why do we need to understand how it works?
•
Studying attempts to use culture as a local economic and community revitalization tool produces
insights that can help local leaders (government officials, urban planners, arts administrators, and
members of the business community) design effective public policies and improve the quality of life
of local residents.
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Findings
• Borough leaders tend to act as:
• Facilitators – providing opportunities to artists to allow the
cultural sector to flourish.
• Help artists locate studio space, housing, places to exhibit
and/or perform, and help them start commercial arts business
• Enablers – nurturing and supporting the overall cultural
sector
• Brokers – developing and supporting partnerships among
cultural producers, government agencies, and the private
sector
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Findings (con’t)
• In London, unlike in Massachusetts, it is well accepted that
the cultural and creative industries can play a major role in the
local economy
• “Cultural and creative industries have replaced manufacturing as
the prime industry in the borough and the economic impact of this
sector should not be underestimated” (Creative Hackney, p 8)
• In Hackney and Lewisham, local government plays a far more active
role in developing cultural initiatives and supporting artists than in
Massachusetts
• The 2012 Olympics in London enabled both communities to increase
their support for the cultural industries as part of the Cultural
Olympics program (will Boston do the same if selected for 2024?)
• With the recent rapid increase in London housing prices, local
government is actively working with developers to prevent local
artists from being priced out of their neighborhoods. However, this is
a difficult problem and local government has not always been able to
resolve these issues successfully.
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The End