Los Angeles- Creative Capital or Overrated? (1723817)

Photo Taken by Myself.

Los Angeles – the home of Hollywood and entertainment. Most young actors dream of going to LA and having their ‘big break’ in a Hollywood movie. After visiting the city a few years ago, I have seen myself the amount of culture and creativity the city has, after all it is a hub for filmmakers.

LA is a truly beautiful and buzzing city full of opportunities. It attracts people from all over the world. It is a creative city; with museums, galleries, buildings, and not forgetting Hollywood. Tourists visit this city to experience a new life, whether that be embracing the variety of cultures or the thrill of walking in the shoes of their favourite celebrity. It has something for everyone.

Photo Taken by Myself.

Film

It is undeniable that the film industry is huge in LA; just thinking of LA evokes a picture of Hollywood. Although the film industry is everywhere, LA (to me anyway) has always felt like the centre. Creative people, especially those wanting to work within film tend to migrate to LA. With their six iconic studios (UNESCO 2015) all being there it seems logical for an aspiring actor or director to want to go there.

These companies offer so many people opportunities. The film industry has such an array of jobs on offer for all creative types, whether wanting to be a director or set designer. All are welcome to contribute their creativity to the film industry.

In films and TV shows actors move to the city to try their luck, such as Penny in The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019). This is reminiscent of real-life actors who move to LA for the chance of a lifetime. There is so much praise for actors in this city. If they are successful, then they could end up on the iconic Walk of Fame or have handprints outside the Chinese Theatre like other celebrities, not to mention moving to Beverly Hills and living the life of luxury. There is no discrimination, people from all cultures are celebrated.

Photo Taken by Myself.

It is not just actors in Beverly Hills though. There are musicians, sports personnel, presenters – a wide variety! Beverly Hills offers an insight into the ‘movie star’ lifestyle.  

Fashion

Famous people, like everyone, shop. Rodeo Drive is THE place celebrities or rich people in LA go to shop. It is full of designer brands such as Chanel, YSL and Michael Kors. All the celebrities wear these clothes and so end up becoming a walking advertisement for the shops there.

Rodeo Drive is home to the most expensive shop in the world – House of Bijan. Created by Bijan Pakzad in 1976, the store has been a permanent resident of Rodeo Drive and has catered to stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and even Prince Charles! The shop is so fancy that clients must have an appointment before entering – I know, INSANE!

Video From Travel & Discover (2017)

Creative for everyone?

LA is described as a ‘happening’ city – but is it only this way for the rich? I wonder if the film industry overshadows other creative aspects of the city. LA is huge and can offer so much to creative people yet is mainly associated with Hollywood and the rich. There are so many aspects of the city that are creative, like The Venice Art Walls at Venice beach. These walls are covered head to toe in graffiti. Although technically illegal, these artists are still talented and are being creative wherever they can.

An article by Miranda (2015) says that the creative arts in public schools are not funded properly meaning children are not getting the opportunity to explore their creativity. With such a successful creative industry, why is the city not educating children in this area?

What do you think? Does the film industry overshadow the rest of the creative and cultural industry in LA?

Varna, Bulgaria: A creative city in disguise? (1713480)

Affectionately named the Sea Capital of Bulgaria, Varna attracts many visitors with its rich cultural heritage and entertains its residents with its vibrant creative life. But how does Varna fit within the academic concept of the ‘creative city’? And does a place really need to earn this label in order to support creativity?

The Creative City: An Idea and Its Criticisms

According to Charles Landry, one of the most influential advocates of this vision, the creative city is a place which inspires and supports the artistic pursuits of creative people. In the introduction to his book on the subject, Landry stresses the role of ‘soft infrastructure’, namely public spaces which enable the interactions between a city’s residents and provoke their imagination, for the successful planning of such a location. In his somewhat utopian notion, the creative city is also characterized by a unique identity, hosts a variety of cultural events, and maintains a high quality of life for its inhabitants. Varna’s potential to fulfil these criteria is implied by Terry Flew’s assertion that ‘smaller cities can concentrate cultural resources more effectively than larger ones’.

Street art by the Varna Lighthouse. Photo by Yoana Stoyanova & Ivailo Ivanov.

Cities strive to be identified as creative in order to attract what Richard Florida terms ‘the creative class’, namely a segment of the population whose professional occupation requires artistic skills or creative problem-solving. According to Florida, the members of the creative class fuel the economy and attract or create jobs in the places they choose to inhabit. For him, the most important qualities of the creative city are the swift integration of new technology, a great number of talented people with undergraduate degrees, and a tolerant and diverse society.

The recently renovated facade of Varna’s Youth Centre. Photo by Daniela Ikonomova.

But this ambitious concept has been criticized by Andy C. Pratt as a branding initiative which benefits only a segment of a city’s population and threatens the indigenous identity of places by promoting international instead of local culture. Further, the adoption of Florida’s vision has contributed to greater inequalities in the world’s largest cities and harmed creative people from poorer backgrounds.

So how does Varna fit into this idealistic but problematic idea?

Varna: A Creative City?

In their attempts to measure the creative potential of places, scholars have designed various point systems which allow them to compare and rank cities according to their fulfilment of a set of criteria. One of these is the European Union’s Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, which looks at the ‘cultural vibrancy’, ‘creative economy’, and ‘enabling environment’ of cultural hotspots in the continent. Unsurprisingly, Varna scores low among cities with similar population, achieving below average results in each subcategory except ‘tourist overnight stays’ and ‘jobs in new arts, culture and entertainment enterprises’.

The Sea Garden, connected to Varna’s centre, provides opportunities for outdoor socialization. Photo by Yoana Stoyanova & Ivailo Ivanov.

But in order to understand a city’s distinctive cultural and creative atmosphere, we need to look beyond the Western-centric ranking systems which could encourage urban uniformity around the world. The proximity between Varna’s central pedestrian area, recognizable for its early 20^th century art nouveau architecture, and the historical Greek Quarter with its narrow alleyways and boutique art shops allows citizens to easily participate in both the mainstream and underground cultural life of the city. The Sea Garden, believed to be the largest park in the Balkan Peninsula, provides Varna’s residents with the opportunity to socialize in the open, while the city’s network of start-up cafés and live music venues serve as inspiring meeting places for its creative public. The city also supports artists by hosting many national and global cultural events every year, from the Varna Summer festivals of music, theatre, jazz, and folklore to the International Ballet Competition which takes place in the open-air Summer Theatre and the world film festival ‘Love is Folly’ in the Festival and Congress Centre.

The Varna State Opera is one of the city’s iconic buildings. Photo by Daniela Ikonomova.

Although Bulgaria’s Sea Capital might never earn the Western label of ‘creative city’, it is already a locus of culture which inspires daily creativity among its guests and residents.

Would you call Varna a creative city? Let me know in the comments down below!

Cardiff’s Multifaceted Creative Hub

Originally built in the early twentieth century as a tram depot, Tramshed is now known throughout Cardiff as a creative and cultural hub.

As a Grade II listed building, Tramshed offers so much more than a nice scenery. After serving as storage space and hangar for nearly a century, Tramshed opened its doors in 2015 as a space encompassing everyone one needs in order to create. Comprising of a  concert venue, a gallery, a cinema, office units, and a co-working space, Tramshed proves just how powerful of a creative city Cardiff can be.

A transcendental gig experience  

On one side of the building is the concert venue that has a capacity of a thousand. It has welcomed artists such as Zervas and Pepper, Public Enemy, Craig Charles and The Charlatans.

As more and more cities around the United Kingdom start to close doors to independent music venues and retailers, Tramshed’s concert hall is a reminder of the strength of Indies in an industry that tends to aim for stadiums. Following the close and demolition of Gwdihw and Guildford Crescent in 2019, one of the last Victorian terraces in the capital, Cardiff’s independent and rebellious scene grew larger and louder, allowing for smaller venues to rival the Motorpoint Arena or the Principality Stadium.

A high-end venue owned by an independent company means a better space for both the artists performing and the audience.

‘Fatherson at Tramshed’ by BBC_Fangirl is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The duality of a budding co-working space

On the other side of the building, Tramshed Tech, its co-working space, was built to promote growth opportunities for start-ups and entrepreneurs and creative collaboration, offering many services that include modern workspaces, a vibrant community, super-speed internet, and free tea and coffee! Located just a few minutes from Cardiff Central station, it allows young professionals and established businesses to let their creativity run wild. It has also hosted numerous large-scale events, such as Ted Talks, Digital Festival 2017 and BBC Digital Cities 2017 and 2018, and has established partnerships with global companies like Google, Microsoft and LEGO Education.

Co-working spaces are a great asset to any city; they bring people together, provide support to any type of business, ranging from the smallest to the largest, and stimulates creativity and innovation. But they don’t just have a local impact: they connect people of the creative sector from all over the world.

Creativity is often perceived as separate from business, the ‘left’ brain and ‘right’ brain colliding. The ‘creatives’ are pitted against the ‘suits’, spontaneity versus bureaucracy. But instead, co-working spaces allow both sides to prosper and develop themselves fully. Indeed, creativity requires two types of thinking: convergent and divergent, the former meaning systematic and regulated, the latter being more spontaneous and playful.

Co-working hubs such as Tramshed permit both of these, by accommodating to everyone’s needs and wants.

‘TEDxCardiff 2017 Randoms’ by Jason Aspinall is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

An outlet for physical creativity

Not only is Tramshed a concert venue and a co-working space, it is also a dance, fitness and yoga studio, allowing people of all ages to exercise their mind and bodies. Creativity comes in all shape and sizes, dance being one of the most ancient forms of at expression there is. Yoga is also known as a

The fact that Tramshed offers multiple mediums and spaces to express one’s creativity only highlights its progressiveness and inclusivity in the creative world. It is, simply put, a complete and well-rounded creative and cultural hub, allowing people from all backgrounds to prosper and grow in their creativity.

How did Singapore get so creative?

Singapore. Land of only 724.2 square kilometres. Home to 5.7 million people. High rise flats and skyscrapers now dominate their skyline, but this densely populated “Little Red Dot” in South East Asia was quite the opposite of a concrete jungle just 50 years ago. 

They say that size doesn’t matter. Indeed, despite being one of the smallest nations in the world, Singapore is the 3rd richest country in the world. Unbeknown to many, the affluence and success the country enjoys now had been built from scratch. Singapore started out as a kampong (a village) but flourished into a cosmopolitan city quickly. Just how did they get so creative? 

Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

Existing cultural environment 

When Singapore first gained independence, diversity was already at the heart of what the nation was – a melting pot of races and religions. There are 4 main ethnic groups in Singapore: Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians and 10 different religions exist in the country. Each race, with their own unique traditions and practices established cultural diversity. This laid a suitable foundation for a creative industry to flourish. 

Photo by fauxels from Pexels

Encouraging entrepreneurial activities

Ranked as the 3rd most innovative city in the world, Singapore’s innovation can be attributed largely to its government’s support. Startups have access to financial backing through grants and business loans. There was also the creation of Blk 71, a joint venture between the government and the private industry. Being the epicentre of Singapore’s startup ecosystem, it provides great networking opportunities for startups which was the gateway to a boost in entrepreneurial activities in the city. 

Photo by ThisIsEngineering from Pexels

Diving into technology 

Singapore also strives to be a smart nation. The government invests heavily into the technological sector to develop their IT infrastructure. Technology is used as a way of bringing the public and private sectors closer and to improve lives. Now, 80 out of the world’s top 100 tech firms carry out their businesses in Singapore. 

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Education as priority 

Education is of utmost importance to the country as seen from its world-class education system. With no natural resources, people are its only assets. The nation has a well-educated workforce of which an above-average proportion is employed in high-tech industries. Singapore consistently ranks highly for their results of the global Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). 

After 50 years of nation building, the city has scaled unimaginable heights in such a short duration of time. The creative city is thriving in numerous aspects but there are some areas that still require improvement. 

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

Tolerance 

Although Singaporeans might boast of their ethnic diversity, they are still a largely conservative society where the LGBTQ community is not as recognised and accepted. Till today, 55% of them still support Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises consensual sex between adult men. While there has been improvements in the recent years with more coming onboard with Pink Dot, more needs to be done for the LGBTQ community to feel welcomed. 

Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

Local talent 

Talent crunch is a current issue that Singapore’s economy is facing. With the high demands for highly-skilled talent, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill up job positions across several sectors, especially skilled labour. It is no secret that Singapore embraces foreign talent but importing talent is not sustainable in the long run. Its labour deficit can be overcome by upgrading the skillsets of their employees at a faster rate. Nurturing local talent and availing resources to ensure constant learning are areas Singapore should look into. 

Singapore has been on the right track as a creative city but what can they learn from other cities to improve?

The Bo Kaap – Cape Town’s creative volcano is finally erupting.

Sun, sharks, and murder – welcome to the mother city of Africa. Nestled between two worlds of natural beauty, Cape Town is a foreshadowed paradise that’s long been tainted by corruption, oppression, and the droning narrative of apartheid. 

Over the past 7 years, South Africa’s murder rate has increased by 35%, averaging 58 murders every single day.

Despite Cape Town’s lingering grey clouds of crime and poverty; if you scratch just beneath the surface, you will find yourself diving headfirst into the rhythm of a buzzing cultural epicentre. An undeniable boiling pot for artistic expression.    

Right in the heart of this orgy of history, religion and language is The Bo Kaap – a pastel-coloured town that encompasses all that it means to be a free citizen in a country that’s been built off of the backhand of a suppressed nation. 

The Bo Kaap is famous in South Africa for sidestepping the rigours of racial segregation, but it is now finding its way into the limelight for being a creative hub for Cape Towns up and coming artistic talent.

The back story.

The origins of the Bo Kaap dates back to the 1700s, when Malaysian and Indonesian construction slaves were housed in pockets of shared rental houses. The result was a forced coming together of traditions and a clash of two very different cultures. 

It took a few hundred years, but the blended Bo Kaap residence came to be known as ‘Cape Malays,’ which is now a distinct culture in its own right. 

The Bo Kaap was the only area in all of Cape Town that was not declared a whites-only area during apartheid. The then government made many attempts to remove the Cape Malays, but the regime was repeatedly denied due to the number of mosques and Muslim burial grounds that lay claim to the land.

The people of The Bo Kaap may have won that battle, but they were still very much under the rule of an oppressive government. While the rest of the city developed, grew and evolved, the Bo Kaap slumbered, and to this day remains mostly untouched – apart from an empowering lick of paint, that is.

The houses of The Bo Kaap.

The explosion of colour that paints the community runs through the veins of everyone who strolls through the streets of today’s Bo Kaap; so, it’s no wonder that it has become the hive for creatives from all around the city.   

It’s one of the few places I’ve been where the ‘artisan’ produce doesn’t feel like a marketing gimmick, the street art doesn’t give off a ‘edgy design student’ vibe, and the underlying message of the works in place actually feels authentic.

The Bo Kaap is the last of a dying breed, bursting at the seams with exciting cuisine, free-spirited craft, and unapologetic art. The colourful architecture is a fitting backdrop that fills you with a lost nostalgia you didn’t even know you had, and the local mostly Muslim community is warming, and true to its roots.

The Bo Kaaps never-ending battle.

Regardless of apartheid still being in the rear-view mirror for the Cape Malays and the rest of South Africa’s people, the threat of breaking up the Bo Kaap community, remains as strong as ever.

Cape Town is a thriving city that’s pushing out the poor and sucking in the rich. Countless development schemes are scratching at the door of the Bo Kaap, eager to build more high-rise buildings for business, and chic South African real estate for the wealthy minority. 

South Africa has been labelled as the world’s most unequal country, with a score of 63 on the Gini scale. If Cape town persists in driving out its culturally diverse neighborhoods, will its creative sector diminish as a result?    

For now, the town pushes back – in both political and expressive ways. But for how long is an unfortunate uncertainty. 

“Sugar, spice…technology, talent and tolerance?” -Welcome to Sofia, the creative city of film

Interdepence Square, Sofia: Photo by Andrey Spiridonov

Sugar, spice and everything nice…or should I say technology, talent, tolerance and everything nice comes after?

Richard Florida’s “three Ts of economic development” concept is at the core of every creative city’s strategy nowadays. But what is a creative city exactly?

I’ll put it simply. It’s a term that describes the ever so sought after atmosphere of “educated, smart workers in a socially liberal environment” which generates modern-day urban growth.

The Colours of Sofia, Photo by TablinumCarlson

So, how well does my hometown Sofia practice the “3 T’s”?

First of all, a little backstory. As the UNESCO creative city of film of 2014, the capital of Bulgaria certainly has a lot to offer- from a variety of architecture styles to a close proximity to nature. Having that “gritty urban” feeling in combination with access to the countryside is a quality not too many cities can add to their resumé.

Even Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone, who has done his fair share of filming in the capital, says:

“[…] Finding a location[s] like this in America would be virtually impossible.”

The city is worth our interest because of its rich cultural and historical inheritance and modern advancement. For example, due to its communist past, socialist architecture can still be observed in some parts of the city. Of course, European and American contemporary impact is also visible. Admittedly, these different sceneries make for a very desirable location for different genres of film, such as action, period pieces or small romantic comedies.

Sofia Landscape, Photo by Ivan Terziyski

Once Upon A Time in Sofia, Photo by Tuncay

Now, onto the 3T’s.

Technology

An interesting lesser known fact to mention is the importance of the “Nu Boyana” film studio. Based in Sofia, it is considered to be one of the most important studios in the Balkan region. It has said to have some f the most advanced technology available in the area. Proof of this is its involvement in shows such as Hercules, Conan and many more.

Talent

The biggest film school of Bulgaria (the National Academy of Theater and Film Arts) is also positioned in its capital. Undoubtedly, it has a history of producing the finest professionals in the industry. As well as being part of  the organisation of student film festivals, it is also actively participating in the exchange of ideas with other international universities and film schools.

Antonio Banderas in an interview, says:

“[…] They’ve got great professionals in Bulgaria, it’s easy to work here […] So, this is becoming an unbelievable centre to make movies.”

So, indeed artists and creative sector professionals play a huge part in urban development, because they add to the: “[…] vibrant cultural scene, measured by the population of working artists, musicians, designers, and other full-time creative workers[…]”.

Nocturnal Sofia, Photo by Yoan Mitov

Tolerance

The city’s sustainable development strategy is primarily focused on the growth of the film industry. That is demonstrated by importance of the “Sofia Film Festival” which has been running for more than 20 years. Steadily, it has gained the reputation of the largest and most significant film festival in the Balkan area.

It is a festival built upon liberal values such as tolerance, collaboration and an aspiration towards cultural and creative development. This statement is strengthened by the fact that 189 films from 53 countries were presented in the festival, while having 300 international guests, such as directors, producers and media experts.

However…

A City of Sparkle, Photo by iamdogsmom

With the good sometimes comes the bad. As cities like Sofia have developed within Florida’s concept, many have become “victims of their own success”. As a result of educated professionals entering the cities, a deficiency in accommodation and an increase in pricing occurs. Hence, this puts the more “vulnerable” working-class citizens at a disadvantage.

There is surely no doubt that Sofia possesses a unique culture, history and architecture, allowing it to thrive in an emerging film industry. However, a call to action must be placed in terms of the need of recognizing the issue of inequality which comes along with the tag “creative city”.

Prince Charles Cinema: Cultural Hub for the United Kingdom?

Inside the nation’s capital city, London, lies a small independent cinema know as the Prince Charles Cinema. The cinema is fairly small, with only two screens, one of which has a capacity barely above one-hundred. However over the years this film has become a cultural touchstone for many film fans in the United Kingdom and is slowly becoming international renown.

I first visited ‘PCC’ in early 2016, and since then I have personally made the trip to the building over twelve times despite living in Wales and attending University in Cardiff. Why is this?

The PCC is what is known as a ‘Revival House’ a cinema that specialises in showing older, obscure or international films rather than the mainstream and recently films shown in most multiplex cinemas. The cinema also frequently screens films on film stock, a medium which has mostly been abandoned by larger multiplex cinemas and offers a greater sense of authenticity for older films. These aspects of the cinema are not particularly unique on their own, there are numerous revival houses across the United Kingdom. However there are no other cinemas of this type in London’s West-End, arguably the theatrical and cinematic centre of British culture. This makes the PCC a place of arguable historical as well as cultural significance, as it is the only way many people in the area will be able to see these films in their intended cinematic medium. The cinema offers unique reoccurring events, such as a Sound of Music: Sing Along event for which the cinema is particularly famous and in recent years The Room: Quote-Along. These events fit right in with the theatre shows dotted across London’s West-End, offering a greater degree of audience interaction than most cinemas and merge the cinematic and theatre spheres seamlessly. The cinema also has a strong digital and online presence with a well organised and appealing layout for online booking. The website also features a number of high quality photographs of the venue which I have used in this post. This digital presence shows the independent cinema adapting to the changes to the creative economy brought by digital technology, an impressive feat considering the decisively analogue nature of their business and product.

(Photo taken from Princecharlescinema.com)

This is why the cinema has become such a ‘cult smash’ amongst film fans, myself included. Not only is the cinema a joy to visit, but it sits inside one of the best travel destinations in the UK. The cinema sits alongside London’s ‘Chinatown Gate’ allowing guests access to some of the best food and authentic Chinese cultural experiences in the entire country!

(Photo taken from ‘Time Out’)

As a creative city it is doubtless that London is a success. The West-End itself is a sizeable district of the city limits devoted to housing theatres, museums, bookshops and small studios. If anything the greatest challenge facing the PCC and the creative economy in London on the whole is over-saturation, the possibility of being lost beneath so many successful institution within the creative industry of the city. It for this reason perhaps that the PCC remains the only revival house in the area despite its success and acclaim.

Another issue present in London, that may hurt potential competition of the PCC is that the cost of living in London is notoriously high, almost tripling the cost of rent when compared a smaller UK city such as Cardiff (Moneysupermarket.com, 2014).

Due to these issues it is possible that one day London’s West-End and by extension the PCC will be surpassed as the best creative and travel hub in the UK. However the Prince Charles Cinema is a great example to follow when setting up and independent cinema and remains my favourite travel destination in the entire UK.

How Edinburgh is Redefining Creativity

What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘creative city’? London, perhaps, with its world-famous theatre district, art galleries, and museums. Or maybe Milan and its status as the fashion capital of the world. Or perhaps even Singapore, a boldly modern city-state where smart urban design defines the very skyline.

But what about Edinburgh? With a population of around half a million people, it may be easy to forget about, but with several million visitors every year and its status as the top cultural city in its population group in Europe, it would be a crime to ignore it as a major creative city.

Recently, I was one of those millions of people who visited Edinburgh. I was simply awed by all it had to offer as a city; its nightlife, its music scene, its galleries, museums, and architecture. The atmosphere, the very soul of the city, managed to weave the past and future together in such a seamless way that it defied all expectations. This city, I thought, screamed creativity.

That atmosphere manifests itself in a city that ticks all of the boxes for what traditionally defines a world-class creative city. An internationally renowned university? Tick. A vibrant student culture to go along with that? Tick. A widely celebrated music scene? Tick. A culture that fosters grassroots filmmaking? Tick. A unique and truly global annual festival that celebrates culture and creativity in all its forms? Tick. The list is endless. It really is no surprise that despite its small size, Edinburgh is regarded not only as one of the cultural centres of Europe, but of the world.

So yes, Edinburgh is a profoundly creative city by all conventional definitions. But what really sets it apart from other creative cities is its progressive approach to how it defines its own creativity. You see, Edinburgh not only places importance on the overt, obvious features that traditionally define a creative city, but also on the things that aren’t generally thought of as belonging to a ‘creative’ space: things like airports, railways, broadband infrastructure, and a successful financial sector.

It’s important to remember that the criteria that have been traditionally used to identify creativity and creative cities are ones that have been defined and suffocated by a neoliberal political structure that has desperately tried to quantify and categorise what ‘counts’ as creative and what doesn’t. This is most apparent in what the UK government has deemed as creative sectors: IT, Gaming, Music, Crafts, Film, TV, Design, Fashion, Publishing, Architecture, Advertising. It isn’t that these industries aren’t creative (of course they are), it’s that by categorising what constitutes creativity in such an official capacity, creativity runs the risk of being ‘boxed off’ and stifled in such a way that anything that falls outside of these categories can be dismissed as ‘not creative’.

Edinburgh’s success comes from recognising that creativity – true creativity – is not only found in these overt, easily quantified and identifiable political categories. Yes, Edinburgh is a city with all the traditional hallmarks of a creative hub. But it is also a city that is, and recognises that it is, deeply connected to the rest of the world without losing its own cultural identity. It is a city that not only prospers, but shares its prosperity with its residents through investment and continued growth.

Edinburgh is not only a shining example of what a creative city is by traditional standards, but of what a creative city can be when those old, and frankly tired, definitions are transcended.

All images taken from Pixabay and licensed under the Pixabay License.

Is Beijing a creative city?

This was my first time encountering the idea of branding a city:

During my internship at Ogilvy, an advertising agency, one day I was told that my boss was going on a business trip to Xi’an. His client was different this time—it was the city’s government rather than a corporation. He will be taking over a project for repacking and promoting Xi’an as an ideal tourist attraction.

Sounds fascinating, isn’t it? This triggered my thoughts on whether Beijing, my hometown can be classified as one of the creative cities.

• 

  “The Great Wall at Badaling_5” by BeautyOfChina is licensed under CC PDM 1.0 

You might ask, what is a ‘CREATIVE CITY’? According to David Throsby, a creative city is:

‘An urban complex where cultural activities of various sorts are an integral component of the city’s economic and social functioning. Such cities tend to be built upon a strong social and cultural infrastructure; to have relatively high concentrations of creative employment; and to be attractive to inward investment because of their well-established arts and cultural facilities’ (2010: 139)

What makes Beijing creative and unique?

1. Capital of China

Beijing too often represents a highly symbolic image of political power. Being TOO political can impede Beijing’s process of becoming a creative city, as sometimes the restricting media access hinders creative entrepreneur (Hartley et al, 2013). But think about it in the other way: as the capital city of China, Beijing has drawn a lot of attention to the policymakers. Beijing city government allocates 5 billion per year for the development of CCI and there have been emphases on developing ‘soft power’ since the 1990s (Ren and Sun, 2012:507). Such cultural policies are able to attract the ‘creative class’ and make Beijing more competitive than others (Hartley et al, 2013).

2. The Cultural Capital

Beijing locals are like New Yorkers—we both have developed a strong sense of belonging to the city. What makes ‘Beijingers’ proud of the most is our profound culture: The city has 7 UNESCO world heritage sites, and some have witnessed Beijing’s change since the Qin Dynasty. PS: The Great Wall of China is rated as one of the world’s most ‘instagrammed’ tourists attractions, why not come take your photo and show off to your friends?

• 

  The Forbidden City, Image by Christine Hua

• 

  The Bird Nest, Image by Christine Hua

UNESCO creative city network classified Beijing as ‘the creative city of design’, and you will know why when you visit! From the ancient emperor’s spectacular Forbidden City to the modern Olympic Bird Nest, the intelligence inputs in architectures has been throughout history.

This art also lies in the ordinary citizen’s life—if you travel within the third ring-road (Beijing’s unique urban planning), you have the chance to witness Beijing’s traditional housing style Siheyuans and Hutongs. Urban Beijing still values these architectures, so does the tourists!

Besides, Beijing has all the cultural local assets you need, one of the key criteria to become a creative city as Florida characterised—47 public libraries, more than 170 museums and more than 300 theatres, including the National Centre for the Performing Arts (also beautifully designed!), giving more than 12,000 performances every year.

3. Diversity

Beijing has a diverse population. It is the magnet that attracts people from other provinces for job opportunities, thus the population is highly fluid—only half is local. This also makes Beijing the ultimate food paradise: you can always find the most authentic cuisines from Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Hong Kong…but also the top Michelin restaurants.

Image by Hendrik Terbeck
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Also, it has just started to grow into a global city—More and more foreigners are interested in Chinese culture and the miracle of Chinese economic development, and you can see a lot of study abroad students In the Chinese Universities. Chinese education is not bad at all!

There are only things you can’t imagine, but nothing Beijing can’t make it happen. COME AND VISIT THIS AMAZING PLACE!  

Reference:

Hartley, J., Potts, J., Cunningham, S., Flew, T., Keane, M., and Banks, J. (2013). Key Concepts in Creative Industries. London: Sage.

Throsby, D. (2010). The Economics of Cultural Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ren, X. and Sun, M., (2012). Artistic urbanization: creative industries and creative control in Beijing. International journal of urban and regional research, 36(3), pp.504-521.

Berlin: what’s the future of this creative city?

Berlin is without a doubt one of Europe’s most vibrant and creative capitals; but is it falling victim to the fate of gentrification? 

‘Berlin, the greatest cultural extravaganza that one could imagine’, David Bowie once said. He is perhaps one of the most famous figures to have lived and worked in the German capital over the years, but the city has seen countless creatives before and since choosing it as their place of work. A hub for artists, writers, musicians, designers and beyond, the city boasts a rich and abundant creative scene and has built up a substantial reputation for fostering the potential of the arts.

According to UNESCO, which counts Berlin as a member of its Creative Cities Network, the city has evolved into ‘a culturally diverse, tolerant, and cosmopolitan metropolis attracting talented individuals and creative minds from all around the world’. And examples of its creativity can be found around every corner – from the graffiti adorning the city walls, to spontaneous street performers, to the cutting-edge fashion sported by its residents.

Colourful street art. All photos my own.

All about culture

As Andy Pratt argues, a creative city ‘cannot be founded like some cathedral in the desert; it needs to be linked to, and to be part of, an already existing cultural environment’. Berlin fits this criteria, with its long-standing free-spirited, non-conformist attitude and abundance of cultural spaces and events.

The East Side Gallery is one of the most poignant examples of Berlin’s ability to turn its divided past into powerful creative expression, and its murals make up one of the world’s largest ongoing pieces of art. 

Creativity meets affordability?

Berlin previously seemed to have struck a balance between creativity and affordability with effortless ease. Rent prices had been relatively inexpensive, and the city seemed to have avoided the corporate fate of other capitals such as London. This means that creatives have been able to live and work there with less fear of financial instability. However, this is under increasing threat…

Emerging gentrification 

The vitality of Berlin and its appeal to creatives does, unfortunately, have its downsides; like various other creative cities, it is vulnerable to the threat of rising rent prices and a lack of living space, even beyond the glossy sheen of central areas such as Alexanderplatz.

In 2008, the ‘Be Berlin’ campaign was launched, in a move reminiscent of Richard Florida’s ideas surrounding the vying of cities to attract the ‘creative class’. It aimed to market the city as a haven for creatives, improve its international reputation and promote economic growth, yet its implementation has sparked fresh struggles against displacement and gentrification.

Modern flats in Kreuzberg, an area increasingly under threat from gentrification.

The transformation of neighbourhoods such as Neukölln, where I stayed during my time in Berlin, have sent waves of tension between established residents and young creatives moving into the area. Once a deprived and undesirable part of Berlin, in recent years an increasing number of young people and artists have relocated there; followed, perhaps consequentially, by the appearance of trendy coffee shops, vegan cafes and vintage boutiques.

Painting the urban landscape: Neukölln

The two cultures, of old and new, of poverty and affluence, coexist and collide with mixed reactions. But one thing is clear: emerging gentrification is happening to the detriment of both long-time residents of Berlin and young creatives, who may find it increasingly difficult to live and work there – and it seems that the fight against it continues boldly on.

With residents pushing for a referendum to expropriate apartments from large landlords, will Berlin become one of Europe’s most accessible creative hubs once more?