The Cultural Production Sector in Manchester research & strategy Justin O'Connor © Report commissioned by: Manchester City Council Economic Initiatives Group 9th Floor Town Hall Extension Building St. Peter's Square Manchester Contact addresses: Dr. Justin O'Connor Director, Manchester Institute for Popular Culture The Manchester Metropolitan University Geoffrey Manton Building Rosamond Street West Manchester M15 6LL tel: 0161 247 3443 fax: 0161 247 6360 e.mail: [email protected] Burns Owens Partnership Arts and Cultural Devcelopment C/o Chequers Road Chorlton-cum-Hardy Manchester M21 9DY tel/fax: 0161 861 0184 e.mail: [email protected] David Clarke DCA Market House Market Road Cardiff CF5 1QE tel: 01222 233750 fax: 01222 233751 SUMMARY The successful city of the 21st Century will be a city of culture. Culture does not just mean cultural products – whether ‘high’ or ‘popular’, local or global – it means ways of living and acting, of expressing, of thinking and learning. Cities have always been about culture – but culture has now emerged as a central strategic axis for the development of cities. Economic, social, technological and educational strategies are increasingly linked to this cultural axis. The cities that learn to respond to the cultural challenge will emerge best equipped in a competitive world where information, knowledge and content creation represent the keys to a sustainable local economy. In the last decades cultural policy has been concerned to use traditional, contemporary and popular culture to promote the image of the city as forward looking and dynamic, a place for investment and re-location as well as a tourist destination. Investment in infrastructure has frequently been accompanied by an emphasis on extending access to, and participation in, cultural products and activity. The challenge now is to place culture in all its aspects at the centre of the new city. This demands new understandings, new modes of governance, new structures that can only emerge from a city capable of engaging in a strategic process of reflection, learning and imagination. This study is a contribution to that process. It is concerned with cultural production, the creation of new content at local level and the promotion of this production at national and international levels. Cultural economy is part of global flow but in this the distinctiveness of local business clusters is crucial. The ability to take advantage of these global flows, to develop a local infrastructure to mobilise the full range of local talents and experience – these are the key elements of this strategy. i CONTENTS SECTION 1 1. Background to the Report 1 2. Research Strategy 3 i. The research team ii. Database creation iii. Information search iv. Survey work v. Key player questionnaire response vi. Employment survey vii. Key player discussion groups viii. Desktop research and model building ix. Feedback x. Dissemination xi. Limits of this research 3. Standard Definition of the Cultural Industries 7 i. Introduction ii. The Standard Statistical Definition of the Cultural Sector iii. Definition used by the Standard Model iv. The ACE Report v. Figures for Manchester and the North West based on ACE Report Model 4. Expanded Definitions of the Cultural Industries 19 1. Introduction ii. Expanded Statistical Definition of Sector Size iii. Regional Position Using Expanded Definition iv. Metropolitan Concentration of Cultural Industries v. The Cultural Sector and Manufacture vi. A Regional Strategy for Manufacturing 5. Understanding the Cultural Industries 33 i. Culture and Industry ii. Industry Structure iii. The Comedia Model iv. The Creative City v. Conclusions 6. Employment in the Cultural Sector 51 i. Employment Characteristics ii. Employment Conditions in the Cultural Sector iii. The New Cultural Entrepreneurs iv Learning Culture v. Working Practices in the Cultural Sector vi. Business Size and Business Growth vii. Networks viii New Media Networks ix. Funding and Finance x. Equal Opportunities 7. Training in the Cultural Sector 79 i. Training Needs? ii. Doing it for Themselves? iii. Business Skills and Support iv. Key Issues for Training and Business Skills v. Credibility and Quality Control vi. Programme Content 8. The Cultural Production Sector in Manchester 97 i. The Position of Manchester ii. Art and Culture iii. Critical Infrastructure iv. London v. How the Sector Sees Itself vi. Markets vii. Overall Picture of Cultural Entrepreneurs viii. Urban Regeneration ix. Leakage of Graduates x. Schools xi. Ethnic Groups in the Cultural Industries xii. Social Access and Participation SECTION 2 : CONTRAVENTION AREAS 9. A Cultural Production Strategy for Manchester 123 Introduction i. The Challenge ii. Understanding Strategy iii. Cultural Industries Development Service 2 iv. Strategic Links v. Strategic Priorities 10. The Design Sector 137 i. Introduction ii. Definition iii. An Internally Diverse Group iv. Measurement v. Manchester vi. Response from the Sector vii. Design and Industry viii. Recommendations 11. Popular Music 149 i. 'Classical' and 'Popular' ii. Popular Music iii. Definition iv. Manchester Music Industry v. Music Scene vs. Music Industry vi. Developing a Music Policy in Manchester vii. Strategic Objectives viii. CIDS and the Music Industry ix. Key Areas of Possible Intervention 12. Digital Media 171 i. Background ii. Key Messages from the Sector iii Strategic Objectives 13. Broadcast Media 175 i. A Note on Film ii. Broadcast Media - Policy and Employment Context iii. Measurement iv. The Sector in Manchester v. A Media Strategy for Manchester vi. A Leadership Body vii. Strategic Issues 14. New Cultural Infrastructure 187 3 i. Introduction ii. Performing Arts iii. Events and Festivals iv. The Informal Infrastructure v. Visual Arts vi. Strategic Intervention 15. Monitoring and Evaluation 197 i. Learning Loops ii. The Role of Cultural Industries in Local Cultural Strategies iii. Baseline Study and Monitoring iv. Evaluation Framework APPENDICES 1. Methodology and Quantitative Results 201 i. Introduction ii. Assembling Data Sources iii. Building the Database iv. Analysis of the Database v. The Distribution of Cultural Sector Jobs in Manchester vi. Extrapolation and Comparators 2.1 Providers of Education in Arts and Creative Media in the City Pride Area 207 i. Universities ii. Colleges of Higher and Further Education iii. Conservatories and Specialist Establishments/Organisations iv. Independent and Private Institutions v. Adult Education, Evening Classes, Summer Schools and Workshops, etc. vi. Individual and Private Tuition vii. Education Departments and Programmes of Arts/Cultural Institutions/Organisations viii. Schools 2.2 Arts Education in the City Pride Area 208 i. The University of Manchester ii. The Manchester Metropolitan University iii. Royal Northern College of Music iv. City College Manchester 4 v. University of Salford vi. Tameside College vii. North Trafford College 3. Numbers of HE/FE Arts Education Staff in the City Pride Area 222 4. Student Numbers 223 5. Student Destinations 224 Sources of Information 5 Background to the Report 1i This report was commissioned in August 1997 by Manchester City Council (MCC) in association with North West Arts Board and Manchester TEC. The research was commissioned to provide MCC and the City Pride partnership with an overall mapping of the cultural sector; a detailed understanding of the dynamics, needs and potential of the sector; and to inform strategies for intervention and support. The research builds on two earlier studies and forms part of an on-going action research and policy development process within the city. The first was an overview of existing research and information sources concerning the cultural sector at national, regional and local levels. The purpose was to determine the research requirements necessary to underpin a strategic approach to the support and development of the cultural sector in the City Pride area of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Tameside. The report, Review of Existing Research presented in April 1997, concluded that there was a clear lack of both quantitative and qualitative knowledge of the sector at national, regional and local levels. The second examined the provision of sector and sub-sector specific information, advice and guidance at formal and informal levels and lead to a feasibility study for a Cultural Industries Development Service (CIDS). Based on literature review and interviews with support agencies, representative bodies, local cultural organisations and businesses; the report found (i) there was a great need for sector specific information and advice; (ii) that this was not being provided within the City Pride area; (iii) cultural institutions and businesses were themselves providing a great deal of this advice and information at an unpaid, informal level. Based on a small survey of 25 individuals/organisations, the report calculated the time spent by providing this informal support amounted to around 300 hours per week. 1ii This study (Initial Feasibility for CIDS May 1997) formed the basis for a CIDS business plan produced by Burns-Owens Partnership (BOP) and MIPC. The business plan underpinned an ERDF application by Manchester City Council which has been successful (June 1999) in drawing down £ ¾ million over 3 years for CIDS, itself sat within a local ERDF Action Plan for Tourism and Cultural Industries of around £5 million. 1iii The two reports - Review of Existing Research and Initial Feasibility for CIDS - were commissioned by MCC based on the advice