Editor’s Note/Editorial
Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology
Leeds Metropolitan University
In the transition to a knowledge based economy, the creative and cultural industries have become the most rapidly growing phenomena in the world. The time is ripe as the government report says, Britain’s economic growth gets its major fuel from creative Industries and the sector employs 1.8 million people that makes up to 7.5 per cent of the national economy.
The spirit is soaring high!
To this end, there is also an urgent need to encourage the authorities in planning, investment and engagement in key areas such as mapping, human resource development, capacity building, design innovation, creativity indices and benchmarking systems. Infrastructure development, protection of intellectual property rights, copyright regulation, support policies for developing businesses, small and medium enterprises will need attention too. Along with that, urgent assistance will be required to facilitate structuring private/public sector cooperation, access to credit, loans and grants, market research and communication technology to ensure cross-sectoral and cross cultural linkages and access to data and the global market.
2009-2010 was the year of innovations in cultural and creative industries across UK and we at Leeds Met were also part of it. Like recent past, the last year was the year of creativity, aesthetics, design education, theatre, music and broadcasting and many more diverse topics that were explored, debated, questioned, taken up and discussed at Leeds Met by the students. Creative practitioners modules is one of the core subject in the master in Creative Enterprise programme and it provides an in depth understanding of practical organisational theories in the light of its contexts, creative process, leadership, research methodology, management and its innovation. The module in an open learning ground with possibilities to grasp various micro and macro initiatives with the urge of understanding something new and innovative that is being created and the module enables the student to dig deeper for structure, hierarchy, environments, grant, finance, networking, involvement, commitment and many other organisational attributes. The compilation covers multidisciplinary creative hub house to artist’s cooperative, experimental theatre to individual practitioners, broadcasting giants to self help groups, networking agency to senior painters, activists to small town creative clubs. As part of the Creative Organisation’s module, our students have written about these diverse organisations, practitioners and enterprises to observe and prepare critically in their case studies and it gives us immense pleasure to present and share it with you. Following is the excerpts of some of these the case studies.
Small and Medium Enterprises (Micro Enterprises)
“Ecoknits”
Vicky Locklin’s case study features “Ecoknits” which by-lines “Yarn that does not cost the earth”. Vicky asks a relevant question in his study, “creativity in business a blessing or a curse?” He takes us through a delightful journey of Kirsty Wilcox and her dream enterprise (Ecoknits) that introduces and propagate the usage of ecologically and fairly traded woollen produce from UK, EU and South America. This case suggests comparative business module in regard to successful smaller enterprise dealing in knitting.
Medium scale music and recording Industry
“2020 Vision Recording”
Daniel Russell’s work focuses on the present music industry of UK and his chosen organisation is “2020 Vision recording”. His case describes the turbulent time of ongoing recession and the success stories of the vision recordings in terms of its survival and future planning. This case takes us through the birth of an organisation from a dream to its maturity and the future’s long way and its planning that is due for them to cover.
Experimental Theatres
“IOU”
IOU Theatre’s inspiring and extraordinary productions are studied by Deborah Sanderson. She calls her case study “A report on a schizophrenic company” and intrigues her audience with IOU’s creative journey which is “Creatively bizarre and organisationally meticulous”. Deborah investigates the organisation with her deep understanding of an organisation which excels in the contemporary art and performance arena, both nationally and internationally. Her study forms an integral part of professional development programme and it creates a comparative and collaborative base of IOU’s creative journey with her own initiative “The urban Angel”.
Networking agencies
“Earlyarts”
Early arts works towards generating innovative learning modules for very young children and the case study was initiated by Kate Woodfield. This is a revolutionary approach by the organisation and it is at the moment in the mode of networking to expand its horizon and existing operation. This case study scans through various research works that proves the fertile mind of children and justifies various innovations introduced by The Early Arts. The reading also elaborates upon different revenue generation models of the organisation and its immediate and far reaching effect. She/he analyses different methods of affective networking process for expansion and the study also critically positions the current standing of Early Arts with viable suggestions of creating an impact in young mind with a sound entrepreneurial set up.
Performing artists groups
“Frantic Assembly”
Madeleine Hughes have studied “Frantic Assembly” in order to understand how a creative enterprise with an aim of producing theatre which is thrilling, energetic and uncompromising. We try to understand various process of involvement that is innovated by Frantic Assembly and we also learn varied ways of searching for new talents. This case tours us with very intriguing journey of Scott and Steven in last twenty years with a lots of information and debates on their creative process of achievement, collaborations, fund raisings, marketing of skills, head hunting and scenario building. From this case, Madeleine also showcases various moods and reflections that Frantic Assembly works on. We get inspired by Scott’s wording “I believe anybody might like your work if you make good work”.
Studio based creative enterprise
“Joy Godfrey”
Lorna Bird, a creative practitioner herself worked on an inspiring and emotional journey of documenting Joy Godfrey’s practice. Joy is a well-known painter, screen printer and sculptor from Ilkley and this was our first encounter to know about her creative practice and her process of being successful. Lorna provides us with hands on information through interviews and impersonal chat that reflects the innovative marketing and promotion of art that Joy has invented and believes in. Amongst various methods used by Joy, we find it very exciting to know about the white three wheeler van that carries Joy’s logo and a slogan “Joy Godfrey, screen –printer and artist”. This study also explores Godfrey’s art as therapy and involves us emotionally when we travel together with her work that portrays a break from grief, trouble and torment. Lorna’s lines enable us in believing the big possibility in smaller towns and the creative potential in it where all of us start believing in angels.
Interactive performing arts
“Action Hero”
Matthew Allen’s case study on Action Hero describes its creative practice as a form of live art and performances that seeks using audiences as collaborators and co conspirators. Matthew elaborates on the raw aesthetics that Action Hero portrays through performances that is intimate, distinctive and invigorating. This case study works towards understanding the linkages through internships, associate artist ship, residencies and its benefits with the long term collaborations with mentors and creative practitioners from the similar interests. Matthew draws his inspiration from the effective management of creative process that Action Hero believes in and he provides us with varied examples of creative partnerships, innovative communications prevalent in experimental creative industries.
Media in small towns
“Big Screen in Leeds”
Our wondering glance gets its answer from Pete Cuffe’s case on the “big screens at the Millennium Square” in Leeds. He explores the working pattern of big screen in his study and explains various collaborative efforts that become crucial for an enterprise of such kind. Pete also tells us the success of Big Screens in Leeds in comparison to other UK cities where the running of Big Screen is considered an expensive afire. This collaborative effort of BBC, Leeds Metropolitan University and Leeds City council enables the Big Screen’s installation at the millennium Square and it continuously provides opportunity to the new practitioners from Universities to showcase their work. Pate’s study reveals the successful collaborative effort that brings in new perspective and innovative media technology to the communities.
Artist’s cooperative
“Black Dog”
Cassandra Kill’s case study critically introduces yet another creative effort based in Leeds. In this case, we see an organisation in form of an artist’s collective that is self organised and believes in a non hierarchical operation. It offers an interesting learning in terms of understanding an organisation and it’s functioning like Black Dog after the massive and multi layered activities of Watershed. This case study also provokes to do a fair amount of reading on creative management and various theories as in many occasions there is a mention and comparison of these theorems in this study. Few of these practical theories are “Structurelessness', over-familiarization and over-specialization. Cassandra’s study introduces the new paradigms of informal work atmosphere with an urge of creating new vocabulary in artistic expression and creative management.
Large scale habitat centres
“Watershed, Bristol”
Ruth Wilber’s case study covers a much sort after hub house of films, events, festivals, artist commissions, tours and conferences that is known as Watershed in Bristol. It was a mammoth task to grasp the functioning of an organisation and understanding its pattern before sequencing it in a form of a case study. Ruth’s study is analytical and it provides critical information to its audience. The organisation in itself with its conceiving to the spreading wings and its implication to the overall growth is documented in this case. The contribution of the creative wings (IShed, Dshed, Media sandbox and pervasive media studio) in overall formation and growth of the Watershed is critically presented and in each sub topics, the author has elaborated the present situation and raised concern for a creative enterprise of such capability and the reader to consider and learn towards the future innovations.
While talking about the vast attempts made by our students to study, understand and suggest various forms of creative organisations, it is also crucial for us to reflect back on the initiatives taken and proceed further with the hope of implementing the learning and the unlearning. The journey is been stimulating and has provided strength to our students to achieve newer heights of excellence in their creative practice and training. While appreciating the endeavour, we also criticise before hand to enable the presentation to become a path breaking compilation of diversity in organisational set ups which are creative and futuristic. It also brings in the successful completion of our module of “Creative Organisation” and leads the beneficiaries to proceed ahead. We hope the multidisciplinary and varied endeavours are going to have implications on whatever enterprenrenual initiatives taken up by our students and look forward to welcome fresh batch of students from many corners of the world to redefine our creative visions for higher goals, newer destinations, innovative definition, fresh perspectives, courageous actions and to find expressions and creative inspiration in all aspects at Leeds Met.
We wish you an exciting reading and hope you enjoy our student’s attempt and encourage us in all our future endeavour.
Arghya Ghosh
Student
MA Creative Enterprise
2010-2011
Bibliography
Module handbook, Creative organisation 2009-2010 by Rebekka Kill, Senior Lecturer in creativity, Enterprise and Engagement. Leeds Metropolitan University
International Symposium on Cultural Statistics, , Institut de la Statistique du Québec/UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Montreal, www.colloque2002symposium.gouv.qc.ca/PDF/Bina_paper_Symposium.pdf
Use Survey for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport: Examining participation in sporting and cultural activities”, DCMS, London, www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8DE8DDAB-BBD0-47E0-BB0EFE4B3F3C5EDE/0/Phase1Analyses.pdf .
UNESCO/Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity (2006), “Understanding Creative Industries: Cultural statistics for pub-policy making”, UNESCO/GlobalAlliance for Cultural Diversity, Paris, portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php
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Leadbeater, Charles (1999) Living on Thin Air: The New Economy, London: Viking
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