The Culture Fix: Creative people, places and industries
Strengthening and promoting cultural and creative sectors can boost local development
At the local level, cities and regions are being innovative in their approach to CCS policy. They use different funding mechanisms, such as tax incentives, match funding, loan guarantees and local government-backed crowdfunding initiatives to support CCS financing. There are also examples of cultural credits to encourage cross-sector collaboration, alongside a whole range of different types of creative hubs and co-working spaces. Many cities and regions are also using CCS to address social and environmental issues, such as using museums, libraries and other cultural spaces to engage with
Culture-led regeneration and development strategies
marginalised communities, using cultural participation
can transform places. CCS not only provide economic
to support health and wellbeing objectives through
benefits (through local taxation, job creation, innovation
cultural prescriptions, and harnessing artists and cultural
and supply chains), and social benefits (e.g. improved
organisations to encourage behavioural change around
wellbeing and community cohesion) but also contribute
climate and sustainability issues.
to “place making” by making cities and regions more attractive to work and live, encouraging inward
In addition to the opportunities mentioned above, policies
investment, inward labour flows, and increased tourism.
at the local level include:
Culture financing is increasingly used as a tool for regional development and regeneration. Local
•
Target cultural participation initiatives to
and regional governments have been shifting their
marginalised communities, including through
policies from the direct support of artists and artistic
projects developed with local community groups
organisations to policies that target the development
(such as museum exhibitions, or small festivals),
of “cultural districts” or support the “creative milieu” of
reduced pricing or vouchers for certain groups,
cities and neighbourhoods. This includes the support
such as youth or those on a low income, or efforts
in renovating disused properties (such as warehouses
to improve cultural access in remote areas and
and factories) and repurposing them for use by CCS, and
disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
the creation of specific planning zones to attract CCS businesses.
12 . THE CULTURE FIX: CREATIVE PEOPLE, PLACES AND INDUSTRIES
