Creative Quarter - Whats in a name?
From Sophie S
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
What a great asset the development at the town hall will be to Hebden Bridge, designed by world class architects Bauman Lyons, a brilliant choice for engendering the spirit of our town. Credit to those at the Hebden Bridge Community Association for raising over 3.7 million to do it!
I am concerned however that this is a community association with little in the way of community support. The recent AGM had only 25 people including the (I presume) the existing trustees and the nominees for new board members so all in all there was probably 10 members of the public there at the event. There are supposed to be over 500 friends of the town hall registered as members in 2009, so what's happened?
On the same thread of lack of community at the community association, I would like raise issue about the name and quality of design that the HBCA has used to brand the new building. The 'Creative Quarter' as its being called does I feel go against seems the essence of Hebden Bridge as being a distinct creative community as a whole. Does it make sense to designate one building as the creative quarter? What then is the rest of Hebden, uncreative? The name and logo seem to be very out of date in comparison to other similar operations i.e the competition. Take a look, for example at Duke Studios in Leeds, or Electric Works in Sheffield.
Ironically this new 'creative central' logo leaves something to be desired and does not foster its own ambition! I don't want to be negative about getting millions spent on our town but may be we should be asking more questions about how it purports to represent us and the standard of what will be on offer?
From Graham Barker
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
One could be flippant and say that a Creative Quarter still leaves another three quarters to be filled by the rest of Hebden Bridge.
I have a bigger complaint though, about the use of the term 'creative industries'. This suggests that other industries are not creative and therefore of lesser status.
As defined by government the creative industries are media, advertising, design, fashion, arts and crafts, music and performing arts, film and photography, publishing, software, computer games and architecture.
In reality - or at least in my view of reality - the most genuinely creative sectors of the economy are engineering and construction, yet they don't get a look-in except via a tradesman's entrance out of architecture. There's also a case for agriculture being a creative industry in that it creates food.
Creativity is alive and well in all sectors of industry, and we need to encourage it by all possible means. I think the name 'Creative Quarter' should be dropped as it sends out a negative message about the relative value of different kinds of economic activity.