Partnerships, place and investment: unlocking creativity in the North
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Partnership is key
As someone who was born in Middlesbrough, grew up in Scarborough, studied in Hull, lives in Holmfirth and supports Liverpool FC, I have a fairly rounded appreciation of the North, and our many quirks - like the seemingly endless list of different words we have for a bread roll, is it barm, bun, cob, tea cake or a stotty? (it’s bun btw). It is also not just one homogenous mass of Northerness. It is many contrasting places with different histories, cultures and aspirations.
The North has produced an astonishing variety of actors, artists and musicians from Philip Larkin to the Chuckle Brothers, Sally Wainwright, Sting, Bob Mortimer, the Beatles, the Bronte sisters, Wordsworth, Ruskin, Barbara Hepworth, the current poet laureate Simon Armitage, David Shrigley and Jeanette Winterson. I could go on - and on - and on.
We also have an incredible set of arts and cultural assets here in the North. We support 220 organisations on a regular basis and spend just under £150m a year on great art and culture that generates around 42m cultural visits.
I know how brilliant the North of England is, but also recognise the social and economic challenges it faces. But I also know that it has huge potential to grow creatively and culturally.
I believe that it’s impossible to have a truly successful society and economy without culture, creativity and the arts playing a part, which is why throughout my career I have championed the role of arts and culture in regeneration.
I work with a wide range of partners from local and regional government, universities and across the business sector - to ensure that culture and creativity play an even bigger role in making the North a world class place to grow up, get educated, go to work, start a business, go on holiday or just lead a rich and rewarding life.
I am working with Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to work better together to grow our creative, cultural, and heritage opportunities in partnership with Local Enterprise Partnerships and Combined Authorities and the NP11 (the group of 11 Northern LEPs). This partnership work between Arts Council England, Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund was seen most recently at the Convention of the North where Dame Julie Kenny made an impassioned plea for place-making, culture and wellbeing to play a more prominent role in any future Northern Powerhouse strategy. We intend to meet with the NP11 soon to discuss how we jointly make this a reality.
Pride of place
We all know that arts and culture can change the way we think about places, which can influence civic pride as well as investment decisions. There are many examples of this in the North such as Liverpool becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2008 and Hull being the UK City of Culture in 2017. Both events significantly changed perceptions of place and both have led to growth in the visitor economy and increased levels of business investment.
We know from The Value of Arts and Culture in Place-shaping report that people who live in an area with more arts and cultural assets are more likely to be satisfied with it as a place to live which can contribute to better staff retention rates as well as selling the benefits of moving to a place.
Let’s talk money
Arts and culture also have direct and indirect impacts on the Northern economy. The cultural sector in the North directly contributes £2.7bn to the economy and a further £6.4 bn in induced impact. It employs 16,700 people directly and supports a further 37,000 jobs in the wider economy. The sector’s direct contribution to GVA has increased by 35% since 2011 to £1.4 bn in 2016. This is before we even begin to look at the contribution that arts and culture make to the visitor economy.
I think that we all have a role to play in ensuring that for residents and visitors alike, the cultural life in the North remains world class, reaches even more people and contributes further to enhancing the reputation of the North.