Birmingham's creative sector needs another Simon Rattle, says Institute head
The head of one of Europe’s top design institutes has said Birmingham needs more of the “Simon Rattle effect” to keep its creative sector growing.
Professor Chris O’Neil, the dean of the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, said support bodies like regional development agencies had done a lot of good work to support creative industries, but needed to stop pigeonholing creative businesses.
And he added that if the sector – already worth £660 million a year to the local economy – was to continue to expand, backers needed to look towards improving the city as a whole rather than just putting money directly towards businesses.
In advance of a talk given to students at BIAD, Prof O’Neil said the effort spent bringing Sir Simon Rattle to Birmingham had done more good for the creative sector as a whole than the same money could ever have done if it had been put directly into businesses.
He said: “We are not recognising that investment in people has a huge impact on the local economy. Look at what Simon Rattle did for creativity in Birmingham – how do you measure that?
“I think we need more of the ‘Simon Rattle effect’.
‘‘We need to think about the quality of the architecture and the environment. I think we do need some radical plans. Birmingham has branded itself as a shopping capital, but culture and engagement is so much more exciting than shopping.”
BIAD can trace its history back to the 19th Century, when it was founded to promote artistic input on design after it was felt Britain was falling behind France and the US in creativity.
Prof O’Neil said he thought art and design schools still had an important role to play, saying: “I have always found art schools incredibly exciting places, and our role is absolutely critical, not just to the cultural well-being of countries but to their economic health, wealth and wellbeing as well.”
He said the main support the creative sector needed was in terms of environment and infrastructure improvement in the city they worked in, rather than direct support. He brought up Cardiff as an example, where the decision of the BBC to decentralise had meant huge cultural benefits, most notably Doctor Who being filmed there. About 93 per cent of all creative industries in the region are micro-enterprises,” he said. “Talking about how to help these firms grow is pointless because many of them don’t want to grow – Many people want the flexibility to be light and agile.”
He added: “I think the RDA has got some things absolutely right. But it isn’t just about investing in the creative industries, it’s about creating a home where the creative industries want to be. I think it’s about the environment and the infrastructure, creative industry and entrepreneurship – you can’t contain it, you can only create a place where it can flourish.”
“What concerns me about the development of the creative industries here in Birmingham is that economists, business leaders and regional development agencies are trying to pigeonhole creativity – and the last thing you want to do with creative people is pigeon-hole them. If you don’t listen to the way the sector wants to develop you will kill it.”
