Agenda item

The Head of Culture and the Director of Creative Factory will be in attendance to provide an overview of the role of culture in regeneration.

 

Recommendation: that the Panel determines what further information will be required for this scrutiny investigation

The Head of Culture and Director of Creative Factory were in attendance and provided a presentation on the work of the Creative Factory.

 

They began by noting that the Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership (MCP) was founded in 2018 followed by the Culture Capital Prospectus in 2021 which gathered ideas for capital investment. The Cultural Development Fund bid was successful in 2022, with £4.25m investment from ACE/DCMS. The Creative Vision and Masterplan (2023-33) set out Middlesbrough’s ambition to be the most creative town by developing a sector that is four things: Valuable; Secure; Resourced; and Thriving. Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership then secured £2 million in Levelling Up Funds from Middlesbrough Council in 2024 and Creative Factory was established.

 

The Creative Factory’s guiding principle was to create long-term sustainability and investment for the cultural and creative sector and substantial progress had been made to date, supported by property acquisition, a dedicated Project Director and Operation Team, community-led governance, solid strategic foundations and a shared mission.

 

The Creative Land Trust had been established to anchor creative economies in Middlesbrough by developing 50,000 sq ft of creative space for artists and businesses and surplus would be reinvested in the creative sector and be used to sustain long-term operations.

 

In regard to the spaces acquired by the Creative Factory, the former H.Samuel site on Linthorpe Road was set to become an art gallery with a space that could be hired out for events and workshops. They had also acquired four one-bed apartments, three of which would be used for long-term tenants and the other for visiting artists to stay and act as a community space.

 

A Member queried timescales for the apartments and commercial space to be in use.

 

It was advised that it was hoped that tenants would be in the residential units by March 2026. In regard to the commercial space on Linthorpe Road, renovations would start between January and March next year and were set to last three to four months.

 

Creative Factory were also carrying out several placemaking projects as follows:

 

·        Most Creative Train Station – 9 artist installations and 1 artist residency explored the station’s heritage and the experience of commuter’s today.

·        We Shall Be - groundbreaking community-led commissioning programme to transform public spaces around Middlesbrough’s historic quarter

·        Parking Day – transformed a parking space on Albert Road on 19 September into a temporary public area for creativity, music, and conversation.

·        Forged – Supported the delivery of a vibrant programme of public art in the Tees Valley, with the aim to tour nationally.

 

In terms of next steps for the Creative Factory, the legal set up would be completed and there would be a focus on developing a brand that people were able to get behind. The Creative Factory also needed to develop a process that would allow them to measure their impact.

 

There was a variety of events planned for 2026, including:

·        MIMA hosts Turner Prize and New Contemporaries

·        150^th anniversary of Middlesbrough Football Club

·        10^th anniversary of Orange Pip

·        Launch of Storytelling Festival

·        Develop a philanthropy programme for culture

·        Expression of Interest for UK City of Culture

 

The 10^th anniversary of Middlesbrough Art Week was coming up in 2027, the

300^th anniversary of the birth of Captain Cook (100 years of Stewart Park) in 2028 and Boro 200: Celebration of Middlesbrough’s Bicentenary, Teesside University’s Centenary and Middlesbrough Mela’s 40^th Anniversary in 2030.

 

Finally, the desired outcomes were as follows:

·        More creative spaces/clusters across the town

·        More artists, makers and innovators working here

·        Increase in jobs and investment contributing to economic growth

·        The town centre feels more welcoming and has a distinctive, experiential offer which increases footfall

·        Vacant/forgotten spaces are animated

·        Local graduate talent is retained and outside talent moves in

·        Public perceptions of Middlesbrough have improved

·        Levels of ASB in the town centre are reduced

 

A Member queried how the Creative Factory could be utilised in the town through the lens of a young person.

 

The Director of the Creative Factory noted that the digital sector, although quite prominent in Middlesbrough, was not very public facing so there was opportunity for growth there. The Creative Factory was also looking into upgrading equipment used in the Town Hall and Middlesbrough Theatre to attract bigger artists. There was lots of competition locally in regards to entertainment venues.

 

Members raised the importance of publicity and advertising positive projects like this around the town. It was suggested that an information desk located within the art gallery could be useful to promote similar events and projects as well as digital advertisements.