An ecologies and ecosystems approach to understanding the creative and cultural economy

We managed to squeeze a symposium in just before the start of the second semester and it was, at least in my mind, a resounding success. I have no shame in saying the main aim of the day was to smoke out scholars working in the field of creative and cultural economics. Especially those taking an ecosystems and ecological approach to understanding the sector. The driver for the event emerged from a series of regional consultations in the early part of 2022 in which it became clear there was a need for a Solent-wide research infrastructure focused on the creative and cultural economy. I must admit I was a little surprised it doesn’t already exist and this event was an attempt to initiate a dialogue that might lead to deep collaboration across HEIs in the region.

Dr Hanna Klien-Thomas and Dr Maya Nedyalkova opened the day with a presentation reflecting on the success of the Creative Industries Research Innovation Network at Oxford Brookes University. One of their underpinning principles was the need for a “serendipity of encounters between academia and industry facilitating partnerships and projects”. This was illustrated through a number of case studies that evidenced the value that academic networks can bring to the creative and cultural economy. For example, their collaboration with the International Centre for Coaching & Mentoring Studies and Creative UK led by Dr James Cateridge and Dr Judie Gannon, resulted in a report that not only mapped provision but identified the value mentoring schemes can bring to those seeking a route into creative careers.

This really modelled the kind of outcome that a Solent-based research network could work towards and CIRIN definitely shows the value that would come out of such an organisation. For those of us working in the Solent region CIRIN offers inspiration and maybe even a little mentoring as we start to develop our own initiatives.

Dr. Simon Eden, Director of the Southern Policy Centre, the think-tank for the central South, then took to the podium to talk about a series of consultations he has been leading that aimed to ‘give voice’ to those in the creative and cultural economy in the Solent region. One of the key takeaways from his presentation was that “it’s not about asking for support for the arts, we need to be talking about investment in culture” and I think this is a message not just for those in the sector but importantly, to those who might invest in the sector.

Simon’s proposal for a Central South Creative and Cultural Forum is extremely timely and would fill the vacuum left by the lack of any real collective vision for the region. The challenge here is that we have two large unitary authorities, one large county council and the Isle of Wight all following their own paths. The argument is that together we can reach higher and further to achieve a collective ambition for the Solent. There is a lot going on, there is a high density of creative and cultural activity, and there are those who argue this is what is driving growth in the region. Yet, there are challenges around identity, network cohesion and infrastructure. Let’s hope that Simons’s voice is heard and we can get together as a community to grow the creative and cultural economy of the region.

Unlocking the potential of creative clusters was the topic for Dr Josh Siepel who here spoke as a representative of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. He showed how a shift in focus of our analysis from regions to clusters could unlock some very valuable insights into how the creative and cultural economy functions. He talked about the “untapped growth in micro-clusters” and suggested a number of ways this information could be utilised to kick-start further growth. It seems as though there is obvious potential here for anyone attempting to develop a creative strategy for the region. Not only does this mapping of creative clusters identify locations for businesses but it also suggests that there are simple interventions that could be taken which could lead to future growth. Listen up all you economic development agencies, this is an important insight.

After the first panel, we took a little time out to do a little networking and grab a coffee. At this stage, I was already thinking about how we could use the information presenters had shared with us to feed into local strategy development. But there was more to come and by the end of the day, I felt as though we had been shown everything we needed to move forward as a region.

The afternoon began with a presentation by Professor Roberta Comunian who took aim at the ‘winner takes all’ model for creative/cultural cities and she asked if this approach devalued the objectives for addressing diversity and inclusivity in the creative economy. Roberta asked that we take a more complex ecology approach to think through solutions to the challenges we all face. Putting forward an argument that we should adopt a capabilities framework that celebrates agency and autonomy in antitheses to materialist dimensions of growth. Such a shift would align with the need to think about sustainable futures that harnessed creativity to drive shared renewal for our cities. More than anything though, Roberta argued for leadership models that reflect shared, collaborative and place-based approaches.

Third-tier music cities and the fragility of their ecosystems was the topic for Professor Martin James, and Professor Chris Anderton who outlined the way in which third-tier creative cities provide a talent pipeline with little or no returned value for those cities. I was particularly taken by the Sound Diplomacy Music Ecosystem they talked us through. It seems as though this model could be applied to any of the creative and cultural sub-sectors. I wondered if we could apply it to the film industry for example.

Dr Tasos Kitsos took us into a world of quantitative statistics, not an area I am all that familiar with, but nonetheless, Tasos showed clearly how there is a link between the creative economy and other non-creative sectors. Using data relating to patent applications to drive the analysis Tasos showed how creative industries are a catalyst for growth. There are clear links between success in one field and growth in another. Illustrating the need for us to stop seeing the creative and cultural economy as something separate and argue for an ecosystems approach which celebrates the interconnectivity of sectors. Someone recently suggested a more rhizomatic, as opposed to an arboreal approach to imaging the economic relations between fields. This seems like a sensible way forward.

Closing the symposium Professor Sandy Black and Dr Mila Burcikova, explored ecologies of support networks to unpack the ways in which micro businesses in the world of fashion. Again, the need for an ecological approach to researching and understanding the behaviours of those working in the fashion sector was foregrounded in this presentation. What came out of this talk was a clear need to look at support networks both formal and informal if we are to tackle the needs of the creative and cultural economy in the Solent region. Understanding these relationships at a granular level would enable sector agencies to develop more effective interventions in a holistic manner. In other words, it would let the sector lead rather than create another set of dependencies. Their published guidebook on Fashion as Sustainability in Action showed how researchers can provide a powerful contribution to economic development.

To conclude, I will say that the day achieved my personal aims and objectives; to initiate a conversation that might lead to the development of a creative and cultural industries research network in the Solent region. A lot more could be said about all of the presentations. At the conclusion of the event, I felt as though we had unlocked a treasure trove of knowledge and understanding. There is a clear need and this day felt like the first step. I very much hope we can do this again in a year’s time. Meanwhile, I hope some of the knowledge and understanding shared during the symposium will feed into policy decisions in the Solent region in the coming months.

Thank you to everyone who took part and especially to Charles Freeman at Creative Network South who sponsored the event and made the lunch, teas and coffees possible.

_{Photo by Håkon Grimstad on Unsplash}