Get creative! Artists are key to regeneration
26 August 2009 by Chrisanthi Giotis

‘All people have innate creativity, so there is a huge talent pool and many of them in estates that need regeneration because otherwise they would never have a chance’

NMP managing director Danny Meaney said the creative industry had grown at twice the rate of the economy as a whole over the past decade. He pointed out artists were often a catalyst for regeneration – as the reputation of a ‘cool’ area can attract more established creative companies.

‘Social enterprise can play a really important role in the pipeline of talent development that can enrich and regenerate a downtrodden area,’ said Meaney.

He said that the challenge would be to retain a mixed community as gentrification took place and to make sure there were jobs created for the indigenous community. Otherwise public money invested in the creative industries and regeneration ‘is in danger of being simply an investment which lowers the risk to developers’.

NMP advises on the creation of digital media complexes, like the Sharp project in east Manchester, which has seen an old factory transformed into a space for creative companies. Some of its funding is from Manchester City Council. In Salford, MediaCityUK is under construction, which will house BBC staff as well as other media-related businesses.

‘The Sharp project in east Manchester is a good example of public money being used to develop the skills of the east Manchester community with the intention of developing a supply of talent that will also work in MediaCityUK in Salford,’ said Meaney.

He said there was ‘no panacea’ and the use of creative industries in regeneration was ‘complex and in need of imagination’ which was why social enterprise had an important role to play.

He added: ‘The creative industries is not the only game in town, but it is particularly relevant to social enterprise as there are low set-up costs. All people have innate creativity, so there is a huge talent pool and many of them in estates that need regeneration because otherwise they would never have a chance.

‘Social enterprise should have the right model and access and trust of those people to create opportunities.’