Couple Questions:
I have been busy lately and have not had much time to put together a coherent post. But there are a couple things I am struggling with right now:
The occupy movement: I get it, 99% vs 1%, but what is camping outside of banks going to do? There are more productive ways to get things done. This leads in to my second issue:
Systems: A mentor to me made the point that systems are great at collecting resources to keep the system going, and they are good at protecting themselves from losing those resources. The people who have the resources that the system needs to continue benefit, while those who do not have the resources, are pushed aside.
I know that one person benefiting does not mean that others are being pushed down, but no attempt is being made to help them start to benefit more. We need to create new systems, which represent and collect resources for those who are currently excluded. They need to be able to sustain themselves, while supporting those who need it, and still be able to rival the existing systems. It is a big ask, and I don't know how to do it. the resources of the 1% might be immense, but so are the resources of the 99%. So there needs to be a way to pool all that, and create a significant impact.
Arts and Culture: The Arts and Culture community is, almost by definition, incredibly varied. That is its greatest asset and also its greatest weakness. No one wants bands who all sounds the same, or artists which paint the same picture. However, this differences also mean that every creative person has different ideas, different priorities, different audiences and different needs. This makes it almost impossible for arts and culture to pool their collective influence and importance so that they can have a stronger voice.
I was at a meeting recently where a group from the arts and culture community were talking about what they think needs to be done to grow the arts community. The discussion struggled with how we reach to people who are not currently coming out to our events. Primarily this focussed on the lack of youth at the meeting and at their events.
Tom Borrup discusses here about how people are most engaged when they are respected for who they are, what they believe, and what they bring to the table. I think currently the youth and their artistic interests do not feel respected and therefore they are not going to be engaged with the culture of, as they perceive it, the older generation. There needs to be a shift, as Borrup indicates, towards practicing the idea of cultural equality and not privileging one group or form over another.
Too often it is thought that the youth, or any other group which is not participating in the established culture, needs to be educated about the importance of the arts. Once they are educated then they will come, we just need to tell them why to come.This superiority attitude needs to change, or else that art which people are fighting so hard to keep alive is going to be lost for good. Someone needs to remember the youth when we talk to the community, they may not be the current community leaders, but they are the future leaders.
Instead I think we need to be looking at what these other groups are doing and looking for new creative to combine their different creative interests. Creative ways where all forms of art are treated equally. Globalization and technology are making it easier and easier for different cultures and different ideas to come together, so why don't we embrace that? Have a little respect for each other and together we can do so much more.
Cheers,
Michael
Showing posts with label Local Economic Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Local Economic Development. Show all posts
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Attitude of Development
In every community I have been to which is trying to redevelop itself or get through a hard time there has been one overriding commonality in the way they think, and it is something a lot of people don't get.
They don't need other people to feel sorry for them, or tell them what is wrong and how to fix it, they just need other people to listen to them. They live in their community everyday, they don't need to be reminded what is wrong with it. This is something that everyone has trouble getting over when they go to a new place.
Think about it another way.
If there is something you think is really bad, then there must be a ton of things that are really good for the local residents to still want to live there! Those are the important things that should be focused on and built on. They may not be things that you can see right away. You can easily see crumbling buildings, or vandalism, but you can't immediately see a strong supporting community, friendly neighbours, cheap rent or diverse opinions and ideas. It is not until you start talking to people and actually listening to what they say that you can begin to see those things. Too often people come in to a community, take a quick look and do too much talking and not enough listening.
The reason this is so important is because everyone is taught the Type-A solutions to problems. We are taught the status quo, the prevailing thoughts, the consensus in school and university. Now if a community appears to be struggling it is probably because the prevailing ideas are not working, and a change is needed. Be dynamic! Innovative ideas are needed which you can only discover by talking and listening to what different people have to say. Only then will you broaden your perspective.
Its the difference between "you should do this" and "what can I do for you?" or "what do you think of this?" It is something that everyone struggles with when entering a new community, but I think the faster you can change that mindset the greater the impact you can have and the more help you can provide.
Cheers,
Michael
They don't need other people to feel sorry for them, or tell them what is wrong and how to fix it, they just need other people to listen to them. They live in their community everyday, they don't need to be reminded what is wrong with it. This is something that everyone has trouble getting over when they go to a new place.
Think about it another way.
If there is something you think is really bad, then there must be a ton of things that are really good for the local residents to still want to live there! Those are the important things that should be focused on and built on. They may not be things that you can see right away. You can easily see crumbling buildings, or vandalism, but you can't immediately see a strong supporting community, friendly neighbours, cheap rent or diverse opinions and ideas. It is not until you start talking to people and actually listening to what they say that you can begin to see those things. Too often people come in to a community, take a quick look and do too much talking and not enough listening.
What do you like best about your community? What do you want to see happen?
The reason this is so important is because everyone is taught the Type-A solutions to problems. We are taught the status quo, the prevailing thoughts, the consensus in school and university. Now if a community appears to be struggling it is probably because the prevailing ideas are not working, and a change is needed. Be dynamic! Innovative ideas are needed which you can only discover by talking and listening to what different people have to say. Only then will you broaden your perspective.
Its the difference between "you should do this" and "what can I do for you?" or "what do you think of this?" It is something that everyone struggles with when entering a new community, but I think the faster you can change that mindset the greater the impact you can have and the more help you can provide.
Cheers,
Michael
Monday, August 22, 2011
Creating Culture to Create Development
Right now I am interested in how arts and culture relate to community development. How can it be used to stimulate local economic development, create employment and build a community?
So often the things I have been reading have been about how thriving arts and culture scenes make those cities the need-to-be places. Or how important arts and culture is to a city for attracting businesses and people to want to locate in the city. Recently in my spare time I have been reading Richard Florida's The Rise of the Creative Class. This is his first, widely cited and hugely influential book on the development of many cities. In it he develops a Creativity Index which is based on three indexes: a Bohemian Index, a Gay Index and an Diversity Index. These are used to predict a cities standing in the creative economy. Essentially the cities with the highest concentrations of the super creative bohemians - artists, writers, musicians, designers; strong LGBT communities; and open to new immigrants are the cities that will be the most creative.
It all makes sense that cities and neighbourhoods with more people from different backgrounds with different perspectives will come up with innovative new ideas that wouldn't develop in a more homogeneous environment. I also realise that creative people like local musicians or artists attract people who want to walk past a mural painted by their neighbour be able to go to their local bar and hear the guys down the street play.
I get all that but then so what? What am I supposed to do with that?
It seems that we are too busy talking about the importance of Arts and Culture, rather than looking at how to create, foster, and grow it. There seems to be very little on this. Florida's indexes show where creative cities are, but what came first? The creative economy or their or the gay bohemian immigrant? From my experience so far, politicians and planners and great at saying 'Oh look! We have a cool arts scene. We need to use it to promote our city.' It seems like something that cities stumble upon, rather than consciously build themselves.
Florida an member of the creative class who says that "We want a place that is not done". Creative types don't want something that is already done, they want to be able to create it and shape the area that they live in. That is part of who they are.
To me the conclusion should be that cities need to realise that they can't force a vibrant arts and culture district to happen. It has to be created by the creative people who are in it. If I had the answer I would write a book and travel around giving speeches, but I don't unfortunately.
In the long term I think it starts in schools and with kids. There needs to be more effort to encourage students to be creative and come up with innovative projects, answers and solutions. Right now the focus is on getting "the right" answer. Beyond that I think the most can be done at the community level by community leaders. For example: adaptive uses of schools and other public facilities in off hours to allow arts/ cultural groups access to space.
So often the things I have been reading have been about how thriving arts and culture scenes make those cities the need-to-be places. Or how important arts and culture is to a city for attracting businesses and people to want to locate in the city. Recently in my spare time I have been reading Richard Florida's The Rise of the Creative Class. This is his first, widely cited and hugely influential book on the development of many cities. In it he develops a Creativity Index which is based on three indexes: a Bohemian Index, a Gay Index and an Diversity Index. These are used to predict a cities standing in the creative economy. Essentially the cities with the highest concentrations of the super creative bohemians - artists, writers, musicians, designers; strong LGBT communities; and open to new immigrants are the cities that will be the most creative.
It all makes sense that cities and neighbourhoods with more people from different backgrounds with different perspectives will come up with innovative new ideas that wouldn't develop in a more homogeneous environment. I also realise that creative people like local musicians or artists attract people who want to walk past a mural painted by their neighbour be able to go to their local bar and hear the guys down the street play.
I get all that but then so what? What am I supposed to do with that?
It seems that we are too busy talking about the importance of Arts and Culture, rather than looking at how to create, foster, and grow it. There seems to be very little on this. Florida's indexes show where creative cities are, but what came first? The creative economy or their or the gay bohemian immigrant? From my experience so far, politicians and planners and great at saying 'Oh look! We have a cool arts scene. We need to use it to promote our city.' It seems like something that cities stumble upon, rather than consciously build themselves.
Florida an member of the creative class who says that "We want a place that is not done". Creative types don't want something that is already done, they want to be able to create it and shape the area that they live in. That is part of who they are.
To me the conclusion should be that cities need to realise that they can't force a vibrant arts and culture district to happen. It has to be created by the creative people who are in it. If I had the answer I would write a book and travel around giving speeches, but I don't unfortunately.
In the long term I think it starts in schools and with kids. There needs to be more effort to encourage students to be creative and come up with innovative projects, answers and solutions. Right now the focus is on getting "the right" answer. Beyond that I think the most can be done at the community level by community leaders. For example: adaptive uses of schools and other public facilities in off hours to allow arts/ cultural groups access to space.
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