What the creative industries need to thrive and not just survive
COMMENT There is clearly a disconnect between the benefit of the creative industries to the UK economy – worth £116bn a year – and the funding and support they receive.
Rising costs, lack of fit-for-purpose space and reduced funding have been rampant within the sector. Last year’s Acme Artist Tenant Survey found that one in three artists could not afford to stay in the industry, 40% could not afford to contribute to a pension scheme or save money, and many had to cut back on heating and food to be able to afford creative materials.
What is being done to alleviate this issue? We have seen the government commit £1bn in support of creative industries, in tax relief and grant funding for select groups. This is welcome, but it won’t be enough to enact real change. However, the onus cannot be placed solely on the public sector. There is plenty that the private sector – and in particular property developers – should be doing to protect our cultural institutions and economy.
COMMENT There is clearly a disconnect between the benefit of the creative industries to the UK economy – worth £116bn a year – and the funding and support they receive.
Rising costs, lack of fit-for-purpose space and reduced funding have been rampant within the sector. Last year’s Acme Artist Tenant Survey found that one in three artists could not afford to stay in the industry, 40% could not afford to contribute to a pension scheme or save money, and many had to cut back on heating and food to be able to afford creative materials.
What is being done to alleviate this issue? We have seen the government commit £1bn in support of creative industries, in tax relief and grant funding for select groups. This is welcome, but it won’t be enough to enact real change. However, the onus cannot be placed solely on the public sector. There is plenty that the private sector – and in particular property developers – should be doing to protect our cultural institutions and economy.
As developers, our job is to help reimagine and transform spaces for the better, creating new and exciting destinations where people want to work, live and visit. As custodians of place, we provide much more than bricks and mortar, and as such we must facilitate culturally enriching spaces which are accessible to all.
Free for all
One of the ways we have strived to do this at Greenwich Peninsula in London is through partnering with world-class curators who specialise in creating meaningful community events and programmes. We have seen first-hand the value in working with creative giants such as Wayne Hemingway, founder of HemingwayDesign. For the past nine years we have worked together to create one of London’s best annual free festivals, Urban Village Fete – a celebration of music, art and culture. There were more than 30,000 visitors to the fete last year.
We are not alone in these efforts – there are plenty of fantastic examples across London and the UK. With the ongoing cost of living crisis affecting a large proportion of the population, it has been imperative to us that our temporary activations and events are free to attend, as well as being accessible to all. Experiencing arts and culture should not come with a heavy price tag, and private sector investment not only helps to reduce that price tag, but also allows investment in emerging artists, providing them with a platform to showcase their work to a large audience.
Last year we commissioned a new public realm artwork, A River in Verse, by emerging artist Marwan Kaabour. The artwork has been installed on the Tide, London’s first elevated linear park, and celebrates the rich global identity of the peninsula’s communities. Our collection of free-to-see public art also continues to grow, with works by artists such as Damien Hirst, Morag Myerscough and Ian Davenport appearing across the peninsula.
Bridge the gap
Investing in arts and cultural programming is just one of the ways in which developers and the private sector can step up. Beyond that, we can also offer purpose-built commercial workspace. Early in the development of the Greenwich Peninsula masterplan, in partnership with the mayor of London, we recognised the dearth of flexible, fit-for-purpose space for creative people in London.
To bridge that gap, we drove the conception, ideation and delivery of Design District, London’s first permanent home for the creative industries, which was named as one of the “world’s greatest places” by Time magazine shortly after its launch. Today, it is home to an incredible ecosystem of 170 inspiring businesses, ranging from global headquarters to innovative creative tech start-ups.
While the government’s support of the creative industries may remain lacklustre, we have a collective duty and responsibility to breathe life back into the sector, supporting it through continued investment in artists, free events and programming for the community, and through the provision of purpose-built, affordable space for the sector to thrive and grow.
Matt Hawkins is chief executive of Knight Dragon
Photo © Knight Dragon
