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Tessa Jowell3\2004 30 June 2004 'Places to live must be living places' – Tessa Jowell sets out vision for successful cultural regeneration'''CHAMPS formula unveiled for successful communities ''' Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell today published the hard evidence of how the arts and culture can help rebuild broken communities, and create lasting new ones. Speaking at the launch of a consultation paper, Culture at the Heart of Regeneration, at the Thames Gateway conference in Tilbury, Tessa Jowell said: "Culture matters for its own sake. But the argument doesn't stop there. Everyone now accepts that culture can be a catalyst to turn round whole communities. There are examples up and down the country. '''"Places to live must be living places. ''' "The priority now is to identify what works – and what doesn't – so that all of us in central and local government, the private and voluntary sectors, can learn these valuable lessons" She continued: "Success for us will be when culture is as important to planners, developers and government when looking at new projects, as the economy and jobs currently are." And Tessa Jowell also set out a six-point plan for building successful and sustainable communities through culture: "The 'CHAMPS' formula – at the heart of today's consultation paper – suggests that cultural regeneration works best when there is:
"The important thing is that culture is firmly embedded in regeneration, not an add-on or an afterthought." '''Examples ''' The paper contains lots of examples of projects where the CHAMPS formula has been applied: Bellenden Renewal Area in Peckham The Bellenden area in Peckham, South London, was launched as a renewal area in July 1997, qualifying because of a high level of deprivation and poor living standards in private housing (some properties had outside lavatories): 78% of dwellings are privately owned; over a third of residents are on means-tested benefits; and 28% are from minority ethnic groups. One of the main aims of the project was to improve the private housing stock through high quality renovation of whole streets. Associated with this were improvements to social housing, public spaces and local business premises, particularly run-down shops, pubs and cafes. From the outset, Southwark Council, in partnership with private sector developers, placed a strong emphasis on community consultation and participation in the process of deciding what changes would be made. A number of local artists (some internationally known) offered their services and worked with the council and residents to design environmental improvements that would help address the negative stereotypes about the area. Some of the projects include: - street bollards and service covers designed by Antony Gormley, sculptor of Angel of the North; - pavements inscribed with poems chosen by the residents; - lamp posts, bus stops, service covers and bollards designed by fashion designer Zandra Rhodes; - lamp posts, gates, seating, children's play equipment and mosaic murals by visual artist Tom Philips; and - Choumert Market, formerly a health hazard, redesigned by the sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp, to reflect the culture of the large and long established Caribbean population. The renewal process has bolstered community spirit, and many residents, including ex-offenders and those in community care, are now actively involved in making their area a better place to live. Residents take pride in the highly distinctive public art and design – something they played a direct part in bringing about. Local businesses have been revived by significant investment from the council, and many local artists and designers have been recruited to work on a wide range of projects. People living in Bellenden not only have an improved quality of life, but are part of a highly distinctive and sustainable community. The area has received national and international recognition and acclaim, and was awarded Visit London?'s Local Tourism Initiative Award in 2003. Nottingham Lace Market Creative industries strategy in Nottingham focuses on the designation of the Lace Market as a cultural quarter, with an emphasis on the promotion and regeneration of the fashion industry as a means to develop a mixed?use sustainable Creative Sector. The Lace Market is a district on the southern fringe of Nottingham city centre, and was historically the centre of production for the global lace industry in the late-19th and early-mid-20th centuries. Today the Lace Market is a prospering and fashionable district with over 450 firms, a quarter of which remain related to fashion design and production, with the other three quarters representing a mix of cultural production (arts and media, architecture, visual communications) and consumption ("trendy" non-mainstream/independent shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, an arts cinema, clubs etc.) enterprises, relishing in the low rates and the general "cultural ambience". Combinations of private and public funds (ERDF, English Partnerships, Urban Development Grants, City Council, County Council, LMDC and National Lottery) have helped it become a fashion?led area: a place where many new jobs have been created by using the regeneration of the area's history to construct and perpetuate the image of the Lace Market as an exciting and practically rewarding place to work and - increasingly - to live. In 1990 there were some 240 non-textiles businesses, 80 per cent of which had entered in the preceding 5 years and over half having less than 5 employees. By 1996 there were 450 firms of which over 80 per cent were involved in cultural, production and/or consumption, over 100 (23 per cent) in fashion/textiles. Over 1,000 clothing workers come to the quarter daily. Many firms have consciously opted to locate in the Lace Market in order to take advantage of the clustering of other cultural businesses and the impressive renovated warehouses within the aesthetically attractive historic quarter close to the city centre. But not all projects have worked: Hoxton, London By the late 1980s, Hoxton in the London Borough of Hackney was characterised by run down buildings and had remained untouched by the property boom. Its potential was recognised as it become colonised and slowly regenerated by artists, and attracted City Challenge funding. Flagships such as the Lux Cinema, Circus Space and White Cube Gallery have attracted entrepreneurs, and the area is now one of the most sought after in the city, with upmarket bars, cafes, galleries, clubs, residential conversions and high profile residents. Education provision has improved through the new Hackney Community College, which includes award-winning public art commissions. However, although 1,000 local jobs a year have been created, the local unemployment levels have not changed. Hoxton's success has led to soaring land values, often forcing locals who work there to move outside the area. The impoverished artists credited with leading Hoxton's regeneration have also moved on as squats and low-cost accommodation have been replaced by expensive loft-style living. In this climate questions are being asked as to whether Hoxton can sustain its reputation as London's "art hot spot". There is also some disquiet about the lack of connection with the surrounding local community, which includes the New Deal for Communities area of Shoreditch. This is being tackled in an innovative way by the establishment of a property corporation, Shoreditch Our Way. Funded by the NDC, the community-run corporation buys property in the area for the benefit of the local community. So far the corporation has amassed a property portfolio worth an estimated £5million, including a cinema, community centre and housing for key workers. Note to Editors 1. Culture at the Heart of Regeneration is available from the DCMS. Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6276\6272 Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153 Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200 |