MESOC Serapeum | Where culture meets AI

Id		136
Author		Evans, G., ; Shaw , P.,
Title		The contribution of culture to regeneration in the UK: a review of evidence
Reference		Evans, G., Shaw, P. (2004) The contribution of culture to regeneration in the UK: a review of evidence ‑ A report to the Department for Culture Media and Sport. London: Department for Culture Media and Sport.
Link to article		http://www.scholars-on-bilbao.info/fichas/EvansShaw2004.pdf
Abstract		This review was commissioned by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to inform the preparation of a policy document on the contribution of cultural activity to regeneration It has been written primarily as a briefing for DCMS officials. Carried out over the summer 2003, responses and coverage of published and ‘in press’ information may not be as full as a longer research period would have allowed, however the review has been extensive within the culture and regeneration sphere. New reports and publications are emerging almost daily, in part due to the raised interest in and awareness of the subject, and these should be continually reviewed as policy formulation and implementation is undertaken. In addition to setting out its own objectives for culture and regeneration, DCMS is working to increase awareness within other Government departments of the potential contribution of cultural activity to their regeneration programmes. The indicators of regeneration most commonly referred to in this paper are those already widely used by Government in the context of neighbourhood renewal, social inclusion and community cohesion: reduced levels of crime, increased health and well-being, increased educational attainment, reduced unemployment, greater community cohesion, greater environmental quality and quality of life (or liveability).

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Candidate transition variables
Supporting quotes It's been a very positive experience. .
It can be a critical focus for effective and sustainable urban regeneration. .
Its about the physical, social and economic well being of an area; its about the quality of life in our neighbourhoods. .
The successful re-branding of the town has created a feel good factor among local residents. .
For example, the opening of a gallery where there was none before has an impact on the cultural life of that place. .
Often, cultural facilities such as museums are central to plans to revitalise areas for example by capitalising on their past heritage. .
The Partnership, which included one of the UKs best-known celebratory organisations, Welfare State International, felt that the strong thread of cultural heritage was a highly valuable resource that could contribute significantly to promoting the image of the town. .
6. Recommendations Culture, but not just its aesthetic dimension, can make communities. .
The waymarkers give people information about the local facilities available and encourage people to explore the environment around the trail. .
Illustrative examples drawn from such sources can also help to raise awareness of the different ways in which cultural activity can be used in regeneration projects. .
Some of the more recent literature includes reference to cultural impact which, with its emphasis on cultural values such as sustainability, cultural preservation, cultural diversity, autonomy, creativity, solidarity and cultural rights, has a close connection with both the individual and community dimensions of social regeneration. .
In considering these case studies it is important to recognise that the impact of an activity is determined not only by the role that culture is playing in a regeneration project, but also by the way in which that role is planned for and implemented. .
Cultural activity and projects can play a key role in community consultation, animation and empowerment in the fraught development process. .
4. The nature of cultural projects which feature in regeneration may also need to be assessed more rigorously in terms of the impacts they produce, i.e. it is not only the opportunity cost between cultural and non-cultural investment in regeneration, but between which culture and where, best serves the regeneration and community objectives. .
This might produce a design quality tool adapted for cultural projects, incorporating cultural, regenerative, as well as design factors..
Participation in the arts can interrupt negative and destructive patterns, building confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline; arts workshops can offer a relatively neutral territory within which those from different backgrounds and with different agendas can explore diversity and commonality .
A recent study, published by Resource, of the impact of new library buildings on their communities, highlights the importance of the social space that libraries provide .
Findings Personal self-image - Evidence from focus groups and qualitative interviews demonstrates that for children and young people, their involvement in creating art gave them not only a sense of achievement but also an important sense of status. .
A questionnaire survey and observer focus groups were designed to collect information on the types of people who became involved in or support community-based arts projects, what motivated them and what long-term benefits were gained. .
Examples of good practice and community/arts organisations long active in this field could be more widely acknowledged and publicised. .
Our Digital Access Centre allows visitors to try for themselves the technology that is developing at breakneck speed to transform all our lives. .
Safety (crime, fear of crime) is a key factor in accessibility, as is provision. .
Linked to this has been the development of high quality craft galleries, which have added value to what the town centre has to offer. .
Part of this desire to move forward has been the expressed desire to open a small multi-purpose arts centre. .
These include: Contributing to local distinctiveness Attracting companies and investment Having a role in cultural tourism Adding to land values Creating employment Increasing the use of open spaces Reducing wear and tear on buildings and lowering levels of vandalism If CABE is correct in its assertion that people respond positively to good design and that some commissioned, site-specific works of art contribute to that sense of good design, of a secure and cared for environment, then those who commission and make art for public places can take some of the credit the effects listed above. .
As one regional observer sees it:________________________________________________________________________ Interesting and lively locations often occur in the wake of an inspired and a thriving artistic-design orientated community. .
Wider economic impact of the arts studies have concluded for instance, that they offer high job and income (spending) multipliers than other sectors, in part due to their lower employment and capital costs and in part due to the ancillary economic activity they generate through the visitor economy and spending on goods and services. .
The Partnership also supported the provision of subsidised studios as part of the desire to foster an entrepreneurial culture within local arts and craftspeople. .
Place-marketing strategies may also encourage the kind of safe art that attracts commercial sponsors and large audiences. .
This is the essential fabric of building and strengthening communities (Aileen McEvoy, Arts Council England, North West) In summary, the contribution of culture to social regeneration may be evidenced by: A change in residents perceptions of the place where they live Greater individual confidence and aspiration A clearer expression of individual and shared ideas and needs An increase in volunteering Increased organisational capacity at local level Increased social capital - the norms and networks that enable collective action (World Bank) A change in the image or reputation of a place or group of people Stronger public-private-voluntary sector partnerships Reduced school truancy/offending behaviour Higher educational attainment New approaches to evaluation, consultation and representation At first sight there appears to be a wealth of evidence of the role played by cultural activity in social regeneration, much of it stimulated by the Governments commitment to addressing social exclusion, promoting community cohesion and neighbourhood renewal. .
Its success has been felt in the wear and tear of the building and demands on the towns infrastructure (traffic, parking) but these have been outweighed by the benefits - year round activity and employment, new restaurants and cafes, a growing number of galleries, craft and jewellery shops and rising house prices. .
This was a consortium of district and parish councils, local businesses and others who were keen to improve the overall look and feel of the town, thereby increasing the number of visitors. .
In line with the regional planning strategy of developing town centres as an environmentally sustainable approach to economic and cultural development, a programme of environmental improvements and urban design schemes were undertaken in Wood Green. .
There are culture and regeneration projects in which arts programmes have been retro-fitted to poorly conceived developments in an attempt to improve their appearance, to animate a place or to secure community involvement. .
New buildings The Lottery has also been a source of funding for a wave of new cultural facilities, many of them in areas deemed to be in need of regeneration. .
The project has made a significant economic contribution to the regeneration of the area. .
The potential of the area was recognised as it became increasingly colonised and slowly regenerated by artists, and attracted City Challenge funding. .
The extent to which cultural projects demonstrate a better and more sustained economic impact than other forms of intervention is therefore a factor in assessing cultures contribution to regeneration. .
This is essential for social and economic movement within areas, for access to employment and leisure outside of the area, and for movement into the area, particularly for visitors -business and pleasure. .
Industries, and thus facilitate networking and complementary as a way of establishing a self-generating and sustainable local Creative Industries employment market. .
Economic regeneration is more concerned with growth and property development and finds expression in prestige projects and place marketing. .
For example prestige and flagship projects are more likely to bring benefit to the local middle class and cultural tourists. .
Each of these festivals addresses a different segment of the market with either a cultural or commercial ethos. .
In summary, the contribution of culture to economic regeneration is evidenced in: Inward investment (public-private sector leverage) Higher resident and visitor spend Job creation (direct, indirect, induced)/wealth creation Employer location/retention Retention of graduates in the area (inc. artists/creatives) A more diverse work force (skills, profile) A driver in the development of new business, retail and leisure areas More public-private-voluntary sector partnerships More corporate involvement in the local cultural sector (leading to support in cash and in kind) Increased property prices (residential and business) The economic measurement of cultural projects has tended to arise where external funding - private but primarily public - has required information about the economic and employment impacts of the investment. .
An apparently successful artist-led regeneration of run down areas and buildings can lead to the rapid commodification of spaces for higher value (rental, capital) single-use spaces such as lofts, offices and retail outlets .
The other use refers to the impact of cultural activity on the culture of a place or community, meaning its codes of conduct, its identity, its heritage and what is termed cultural governance (i.e. citizenship, participation, representation, diversity). .
Such an exercise, which exploits the mechanisms of the property market, though time-consuming and complex, provides a useful mechanism to help achieve affordable and sustainable space for cultural use in perpetuity at a time of escalating property prices. .
Research findings concluded that theatre visits acted as a catalyst to nurture community spirit. .
Increased use of searchable online information and archive sources in the regeneration and cultural fields could provide access to a wider audience, provided this is information is accessible (i.e. free) and not outside of the reach of community and cultural groups (more deprived communities have far less access to the internet, often less than 50%). .
This enabled the Playhouse to examine how mutually beneficial relationships can be developed between the theatre and its immediate community. .
Every artwork is used to create landmarks, celebrate local characteristics, engage with local communities and make for enjoyable and memorable journeys. .
It also shows that the involvement of artists, high quality design and high aspirations, have popular appeal, as seen by the increase tourism and by the popularity of the new beach chalets, described as 'stupendous' by visitors. .
The expectation was that a local cultural strategy should include the arts, libraries, museums, heritage, tourism, parks and sport. .
The regional economy is also a beneficiary. .
While economic benefit did accrue, these can in part be seen to have been linked to the mid-1980s boom in leisure and cultural spending generally. .
The Commission for the Built Environment (CABE), English Partnerships, English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and BURA are all helping to ensure that good design, architecture and conservation practice remain priorities in regeneration schemes. .
This is due to the process and legitimation of the Heritage listing and grading system and other designations of architectural and historic assets. .
Although introduced at a later stage, cultural interventions can make an impact on the regeneration process, enhancing the facilities and services that were initially planned. .
Social cohesion and solidarity - At a neighbourhood level, this collaborative quality translated, for residents participating in focus groups or qualitative interviews into a way of encouraging social cohesion. .

ARTICLE - CANDIDATE TRANSITION VARIABLES

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