Culture means business

David BarrieDavid Barrie & Associates

07 October 2010

In a previous era,‘culture’ in economicdevelopment often

meant this…

“To make a big splash in theglobal pond of spectacle

culture today, you have tohave a big rock to drop.”

In the words ofart critic Hal Foster:

And development wassomething like this…

But now there’s somethingelse that we want…

…as well as answers tosome eternal questions:

In urban development and thecreative sector in the U.K.,

‘Big Society’ is the new black.What is it?

What does Big Society meanfor creativity and culture in

urban renewal?

And where’s the evidence thatthe Big Society version

of ‘culture’ is worth promoting?

Three random examples….

1: On a city-scale:High Line Park, New York

statistics• Cost of implementation to date $43m (£27m)• 25,000+ visitors/day• At least 12 development projects have started

adjacent to the track• Whitney Museum of Art (Downtown branch)• $15 (£9) High Line Picnic Baskets

2: Town-scale:The Castleford Project,

West Yorkshire

Rheta Davison

Secretary, CustykeCommunity Group

statistics• initial working capital: £70k (CABE) and £100k (Channel 4)• 11 capital public realm improvement projects (9 completed)• parallel events programme: social, economic and cultural

activity (£30k)• stakeholder partnership (1), community partnership (1), funding

partnership (1), new community groups (3), existing communitygroups (6)

• Project start (2003): first completion (2005): last project (2008)• total expenditure £9m (Capital), £2m (in kind est.) in five years• credited as critical to leveraging £270m in plans for additional

public and private expenditure in town• Second phase of some projects now under way/complete

3: Neighbourhood scale:The People’s Supermarket,

London

key start-up costs

• Rental guarantee• Refurbishment of premises• Staffing (General Manager)• Donated/reclaimed fixtures, fittings &

equipment - 35% of total cost• Pro-bono professional services - 25%

‘Hybrid-funded’ social enterprise

• Local Government - 11%• Charity - 6%• Philanthropy - 79%• Membership revenue (Yr 1) - 2%• Other - 2%

business partners• London Borough of Camden• Development Trusts Association• Esmee Fairbairn Foundation• Channel 4 Television/Wall to Wall• Social Enterprise London• Camden Volunteer Centre• The Plunkett Foundation• Transition Bloomsbury• Several local residents’ associations

performance to date(100 days):

• attracted over 280 members

• saved members £17,000 on their shopping bills

• serving over 3000 customers/week

• estimated break-even point, end November 2010

• turnover projected to top £1.3 million by end of Yr1

• employed 20 previously-unemployed people

what tips to take away fromthese initiatives?

Each accumulate knowledge,experience, beliefs and values

and cultivate a differentand new way of life…i.e. they’re cultural

…but to be practical…

think big, act small

involve, don’t “engage” people

network networks of people

create ‘hubs’ of activity,not ‘things’

use money asventure capital

develop social solidarity

create opportunities for peopleto be who they want to be

be entrepreneurial

David BarrieDavid Barrie & Associates

project design & delivery - creative/economic planning -public involvement - social ventures

Blog: http://davidbarrie.typepad.comMail: david@davidbarrie.net