attracting graduate labour is the primary economic argument for localised investment in culture.
Outer-South East Perhaps the most characteristic profile of West Sussex is that of the Outer South East, a relatively affluent area with high levels of economic activity and low levels of unemployment compared with national levels. The Mosaic profiles for West Sussex show the predominant groups in both Horsham and Mid Sussex as ‘High Income Families’ - affluent professionals living in large houses with comfortable lifestyles. This area is home to a relatively high number of arts and heritage businesses as described below, but equally importantly it is home to a higher proportion of residents in managerial and professional jobs than both the regional and national average. Developing the cultural economy in these locales is thus as much about unlocking this localised spending, as it is about stimulating local businesses. A similar profile is evidenced in some rural areas, particularly around Chichester and the Selsey Peninsula, including some whose main income comes from agriculture.
Vital is that these localised geographies needs to be understood from the bottom up and their particular characteristics requires a series of localised strategies.
1.3 Headline Profile Issues: arts and heritage across West Sussex It is important that the distinctiveness of the economy and ecology in specific places is used as a resource and that we avoid the danger of a ‘cookie cutter approach,’ with each place seeking to develop similar strategies. Each location has a different set of opportunities and thus requires a different mix. This localisation should not means fragmentation however, which is currently a danger, particularly for the rural parts of the County. The approach needs to build from the bottom up, but link these disparate activities to the wider economy of London and the South East through an overall fabric of arts and cultural infrastructure. A brief overview of each district is provided below:
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tom fleming / creative consultancy /