Stimulating participation in the creative economy (SPICE)
Lead Research Organisation:
Teesside University
Department Name: ICT Systems
Abstract
SPICE (Stimulating Participation in the Informal Creative Economy) investigated the informal creative economies that grow up around cultural heritage in England. The research team drew together participants from four distinctive locations (London, Oxford, Sheffield and N Yorkshire/E Cleveland)
Through a series of workshops blending discussion and practical tasks, key issues in developing a vibrant informal creative economy were analysed by participants from the four neighbourhoods together with researchers. Participants included social entrepreneurs; artists, poets and photographers; trainers and facilitators; local authority staff responsible for the cultural sector and regeneration; retirees; academics; small business and voluntary sector representatives.
Given the importance of place and identity to the project, the decision was taken to run a workshop in each of the four areas, meeting some of the same participants in different places, acting as 'visitor' or 'host'. Although we intended to make local activities the focus in each visit (inviting the 'hosts' from the area to present their work and discuss it with the 'visitors'), this aspect developed further than we had originally conceived and tours of the area and other opportunities for civic pride to manifest became an integral part of the agenda in each place, led by participants' interests.
Through a series of workshops blending discussion and practical tasks, key issues in developing a vibrant informal creative economy were analysed by participants from the four neighbourhoods together with researchers. Participants included social entrepreneurs; artists, poets and photographers; trainers and facilitators; local authority staff responsible for the cultural sector and regeneration; retirees; academics; small business and voluntary sector representatives.
Given the importance of place and identity to the project, the decision was taken to run a workshop in each of the four areas, meeting some of the same participants in different places, acting as 'visitor' or 'host'. Although we intended to make local activities the focus in each visit (inviting the 'hosts' from the area to present their work and discuss it with the 'visitors'), this aspect developed further than we had originally conceived and tours of the area and other opportunities for civic pride to manifest became an integral part of the agenda in each place, led by participants' interests.
Organisations
| Description | SPICE (Stimulating Participation in the Informal Creative Economy) investigated the informal creative economies that grow up around cultural heritage in England. The research team drew together participants from four distinctive locations (London, Oxford, Sheffield and N Yorkshire/E Cleveland). Through a series of workshops blending discussion and practical tasks, key issues in developing a vibrant informal creative economy were analysed by participants from the four neighbourhoods together with researchers. Participants included social entrepreneurs; artists, poets and photographers; trainers and facilitators; local authority staff responsible for the cultural sector and regeneration; retirees; academics; small business and voluntary sector representatives. Given the importance of place and identity to the project, the decision was taken to run a workshop in each of the four areas, meeting some of the same participants in different places, acting as 'visitor' or 'host'. Although we intended to make local activities the focus in each visit (inviting the 'hosts' from the area to present their work and discuss it with the 'visitors'), this aspect developed further than we had originally conceived and tours of the area and other opportunities for civic pride to manifest became an integral part of the agenda in each place, led by participants' interests. |
| Exploitation Route | Further work was undertaken in Oxford with the Jericho Boatyard group (the subject of one of the project workshops); workshops were run in using social media to help with their campaign. Relationships continued to develop with the East Cleveland group, which also hosted a workshop; this led to the establishment of a Social Enterprise, East Cleveland Online (ECOL), which supports the collaborative sharing and funding of web space by local member groups and organisations. Collaboration also continues with an ECOL member who was a participant in the SPICE project, with the aim of organising a local festival focused on recycling and upcycling, named Junk To Funk. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Description | Findings have been used to develop further relationships and projects with local communities and the groups which participated in the project, leading to the establishment of a social enterprise to develop collaborative sharing and funding of web space, and an ongoing focus on developing social and community enterprise locally. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |