Pimp My Ride: Mapping Vernacular Creativity in an Industrial City Andrew T
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University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers Faculty of Social Sciences 2013 Pimp My Ride: mapping vernacular creativity in an industrial city Andrew T. Warren University of Wollongong, [email protected] Publication Details Warren, A. (2013). Pimp My Ride: mapping vernacular creativity in an industrial city. In L. Andersen & M. Malone (Eds.), All Culture is Local: Good practice in regional cultural mapping and planning from local government (pp. 42-47). Sydney, Australia: UTS epress. Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Pimp My Ride: mapping vernacular creativity in an industrial city Abstract This case study reveals how a researcher mapped a creative industry sector - custom car designing in Wollongong - and made it 'visible'. It outlines a process of responsive engagement with youth that revealed a skilled and economic scene that challenges standard conceptions of artistic expression. 'Cruising' with youth and plotting their sites of activity using Google Maps identified an extensive, largely overlooked market and encouraged a renewed discussion about what constituted the city's creative strengths and assets. Keywords my, pimp, ride, mapping, city, vernacular, creativity, industrial Disciplines Education | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Warren, A. (2013). Pimp My Ride: mapping vernacular creativity in an industrial city. In L. Andersen & M. Malone (Eds.), All Culture is Local: Good practice in regional cultural mapping and planning from local government (pp. 42-47). Sydney, Australia: UTS epress. This book chapter is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/sspapers/2275 CASE STUDY 07 This case study reveals how a researcher mapped Wollongong City Council a creative industry sector – custom car designing in Wollongong – and made it ‘visible’. It outlines a process of responsive engagement with youth that revealed a skilled and economic scene that challenges standard conceptions of artistic expression. ‘Cruising’ with youth and plotting their sites of activity using Google Maps identified an extensive, largely overlooked market and encouraged a renewed discussion about what constituted the city’s creative strengths and assets. Pimp My Ride mapping vernacular creativity in an industrial city AUTHOR economy and to insulate jobs from map vernacular global economic fluctuations. Andrew Warren is WHY creativity? Lecturer, School of The development of local and Behavioural, Cognitive regional cultural narratives plays and Social Sciences, at an important role in imagining an the University of New Wollongong is a vibrant regional expanded regional economic future. England city comprising a diverse mix of There is a presence in Wollongong [email protected] people, places and landscapes. of what are typically described Over the last five decades as ‘creative industries’, including Wollongong has become one of a theatre scene, visual artists, Australia’s key centres for heavy filmmakers and designers. The industry. The city is noted for coal city also has pockets of gentrified and steel production, as well as ‘creative class’ activity, partly in sea transport, freight and logistics. the inner city and also on its scenic At the same time, however, this northern beaches (a function ‘steel city’ is grappling with anxiety of lifestyle and amenity). Yet, over deindustrialisation. Regional conceptions of what constitutes economic plans have variously artistic expression have tended to looked to tourism, higher education exclude any industrial potential for and creative industries for their creativity. One consequence is that capacity to diversify the city’s thriving, largely working class and 42 _ ALL CULTURE IS LOCAL, THE CAMRA TOOLKIT youth-led sites of activity have gone because of illegal street racing and unacknowledged. noisy ‘hoon’ behaviour. However, in WHERE a city where youth unemployment Wollongong City Council cultural rates are more than double the planners – industry partners on national average, I was interested the CAMRA project – sought in exploring Wollongong’s custom to include well-established arts car scene from another point of communities in the project. But view: that of a unique form of also, mindful of the critiques of ‘enabling’ local creative production, creativity as pigeon-holed to a with qualities, skills and networks select group of ‘arts’ and innovative that ought to be better understood activities, city centre focused and when considering our ‘imperilled’ classist, they were supportive industrial city. In particular, my of exploring a more expansive interest in the local custom car scene understanding of what local was a direct response to: creative industry might be, and where it could be found in the city. – A dominant narrative of economic revitalisation that shuns ‘brown’ This was important in Wollongong industrial images and embraces because, with its industrial base, development policies that strong working class culture and encourage ‘creativity’, economic WOLLONGONG CITY COUNCIL demographic mix – high levels of diversity, job creation, tourist cultural diversity, newly arrived Size flows and internal migration of the migrant and refugee communities, 714 km2 creative classes to reverse regional socioeconomic inequality, decline and rebadge place. Remoteness problems of youth unemployment Inner regional/ Major city – any project focusing only on – Wollongong embraced a ‘creative the established arts and creative city’ strategy in the 1990s and in Location industries would quickly run the 2001 was positioned as a ‘City of Illawarra region of NSW, risk of reinforcing existing divides Innovation’, following a place- 80 km south of Sydney CBD and being accused of elitism. marketing consultancy. But the Population process privileged traditional 202,000 Why the custom notions of ‘the arts’, high-tech 283 people per km2 car scene? industries and middle-class Australia’s ninth largest city aesthetics. Vernacular cultural I was born in Wollongong and have identities and activities existing Centres lived in the area most of my life. I locally were marginalised. Wollongong City, with smaller came into the CAMRA Project as neighbourhoods of Helensburgh, both a city ‘insider’ and researcher. – At the same time, however, Coledale, Thirroul, Corrimal, Port As a local of ‘the Gong’ I was Wollongong’s industrial base has Kembla, Unanderra, Berkeley, Dapto well aware of the city’s existing not disappeared: around 15 per cent of the workforce remains Industry car culture. I often attended local ‘blue collar’. The city’s port Manufacturing, education, research ‘Shown N Shine’ meets around the has expanded and steel-making and development, coal mining, region. Strikingly decorated cars continues. tourism, port activities, health and were a regular accompaniment of community services local beach-side car parks. I spent – Local cultural activities in many weekends on ‘cruises’ with Wollongong, particularly related Demographics friends who owned customised to the city’s industrial heritage 14 per cent are from non-English cars. Aware and appreciative of and working classes, were being speaking backgrounds; 6 per Wollongong’s custom cars meant overlooked. I sought to provide cent attend university (4 per cent that when I became involved with a different story to the normative nationally). Youth unemployment is CAMRA through my PhD research creative city script and to offer 13.2 per cent with the project, I gravitated Local Government policy-making towards researching the scene. evidence of already existing In the mainstream media young creative activities. drivers are commonly demonised SECTION 01: CULTURAL MAPPING & DATA COLLECTION _ 43 CASE STUDY 07 Wollongong City Council to locate and HOW value vernacular creativity There is growing recognition car shows and festivals such by academics and regional as Revfest attract hundreds development practitioners of enthusiasts, young and that conventional assumptions old alike. But despite the around what constitutes visibility of the scene, it has not ‘legitimate’ creative industries previously been examined or excludes alternative forms even considered as a creative of everyday creativity – be it industry. community gardening, Elvis impersonation, Christmas lighting displays or gnome collecting. Paradoxically, despite their visibility, audits of creative industries often miss many of these forms because Photographic they fall outside of standard documentation of ‘cultural’ and ‘creative’ design and production categories. In Wollongong, it is in the custom car sector in Wollongong impossible not to be aware of was an important the custom car scene, in which component of this cars are restored, modified and research. Photos: elaborately painted. Regular Andrew Warren Young custom car fans at a ‘Show N Shine’ in Unanderra Cars at the popular American Muscle Car Club show, Towradgi 44 _ ALL CULTURE IS LOCAL, THE CAMRA TOOLKIT The process I followed in used to develop follow up The skills of conducting research on questions and activities. Wollongong’s custom car scene I carried out the analysis custom car included: myself. Transcription of audio material is time designers – As a first step, I contacted young consuming, but helped me people through car clubs, social are adaptive, become more familiar with media, personal networks and the data. creative, online platforms such as car forums.