01 Is a Creation Centre really going to make us more creative?

Convener: Judith Knight

Participants: Margaret Hamilton, Jules Tipton, Daisy Drury, Billy Alwen, Debra Reay, Kiki Gale, Jon Linstrum, Lucy McMenemy, Keith Honor (?), Abigail Grases (?)

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

JK called issue because of invitation from ACE – Sultan’s Elephant wasn’t created because of a creation space but because of long term investment in Royale de Luxe.

• What makes us more creative? : time

• real need for dance spaces in East London with right physical requirements

• All agreed different artforms have different needs. Circus for example might need green outdoor spaces as well as indoor, permanent big top?

• Space to work privately with door closed, and space to collaborate and share ideas.

• Need for creation spaces up and down the country not just one big one in London.

• Philosophy and ethos most important.

• Residencies good sometimes, for companies to get away and live and work together for a period of time, away from home.

• Access to space for local community important

• Creative quarters – hubs – not necessarily one space, but proximity of artists spaces

• Flexible models

• Creative environment, unexpectedness and random encounters

• Bristol “What If” example of companies working together over 2 weeks in one building in many different types and size of spaces, with access to directors, choreographers, designers, willing to share ideas and look at each others work, challenging for companies, not necessarily a safe space.

• Have we become institutionally obsessed?

• Stratford Circus could become a magnet, if more affordable

• What work is hampered or simply doesn’t happen because of lack of space?

• Carnival needs large spaces for creation with facilities for artists. Luton is national carnival centre.

• Money – affordability

• Curated or not – ethos of how space used most important

• Stockton space not used enough, another brilliant space in Rye but again not used enough – space needs to be in London.

• Better to spend money on investing in artists’ time and space and make better use of existing spaces? Make them more affordable.

• Use theatres which may go dark for a month in the summer, for example.

• Was the initial frame for this agenda led by post-Olympic Park buildings and Three Mills?

• Creativity comes from artists, having a space only one element. Sticky made in numerous different spaces, creativity can happen anywhere if you have time and space.

• French creation spaces, lots of different models.

• Different needs for different artistic disciplines.

• Changing space important, tiny space or one with no walls

• Quality of interaction and collaboration most important

• Is there work that hasn’t happened because of a lack of creative space?

• About sharing ideas, ethos, more than bricks and mortar