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The Best of the Creative Economy: Paul Bennett on Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food

Nick | 21 Jan 2009, 12:19

Paul Bennett, c&binet ambassador has nominated Jamie Oliver’s TV series Ministry of Food as the most creative innovation of the past year for c&binet’s review of the creative economy in 2008.

Ministry of Food is all about getting people to cook again. During the Second World War, the Government appointed the Ministry of Food to help families make the most of wartime rations. Jamie has been visiting Rotherham, where he’s been teaching a group of local people a new recipe every week. He’s also set up a Ministry of Food centre, which offers advice and recipes as well as basic kitchen skills.

This series follows on from Jamie’s School Dinners, in which he tackled the state of school dinners in a highly acclaimed TV series.

“I love the outcome, process and spirit. It is about making a difference with and to real people. It is co-created, it is humble. It is built outwards from a small group, it embraces experimentation – and significantly, failure is an option. It is an ultimately human-centred innovation.“

The Best of the Creative Economy: Boko Inyundo on Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

Nick | 20 Jan 2009, 09:52

In our review of the best of the creative economy in 2008, c&binet ambassador Boko Inyundo has nominated Dreams from My Father, as the most creative innovation of the past year.

The memoir is President-elect Barack Obama’s inspirational journey of his passage through the United States and Indonesia, carrying the influences of multiple religions as well as that of a Kenyan father and extended family. Added to this, Obama has been able to manage the not-insignificant challenges of being a father with the professional expectations of being a Lawyer and Senator.

On the day of Obama’s inauguration as the first African-American President of the United States, Boko Inyundo’s nomination is further recognition of the role innovation, technology and creativity played in delivering one of the most successful political campaigns in living memory.

“From the perspective of diversity, for any man or woman to have successfully navigated the odyssey that has been Mr. Barack Obama’s life, is remarkable and humbling.  Dreams from My Father is particularly resonant for me personally as Barack Obama’s father and extended Kenyan family come from a place in rural western Kenya which is only 30 minutes from where I was born.

“His campaign’s well funded communications strategies during the 2008 primaries and the election included the use of technology and creativity in the form of blogs, mass texting and online phone banks, which proved key in mobilising the popular support that propelled him to his election as the next President of the United States.

“These are clearly extraordinary times in which to assume the inherent global responsibilities that come with this role. The very same collaborative influences of diversity, technology and creativity will prove vital as we all make a collective effort to cope with, and emerge stronger from, the challenges ahead.”

The Creative Economy and Cities

Nick | 19 Jan 2009, 13:04

US author Richard Florida has challenged Thomas Friedman’s “flat earth” model with his book “Who’s Your City?“, which suggests that globalisation has created a spiky world, where economic activity is focused in cities, driven by the emergence of “the creative class.“

Although Florida’s definition of the “creative class” is broader than c&binet’s it does embrace many of the same areas including “higher-level economic activities such as innovation, design, finance, and media.“

The tendency for and means by which creative industries cluster are the key issues which independent consultancy Creative Clusters“ has been established to understand.  As Director Simon Evans writes:

“Content-creators must be quick to respond to changes in fashion and technology. Their assets are invisible and volatile: reputation, skills and brands. They operate in global niche markets. They evolve by getting better rather than by getting bigger. Key players are rewarded by lifestyle and reputation as much as by money. A good deal of their critical infrastructure is external to the firm.“

But not only do the creative industries tend to cluster in major cities, they also help to attract other other businesses to locate near them.Studies of city competitiveness by the likes of Jones Lang LaSalle and PwC regularly consider quality of life factors, such as access to cultural and entertainment activities as a key measure of a city’s appeal for inward investment.

PwC’s report Cities of Opportunities argues that the conditions for a city’s successful growth as an innovation hub are changing:

“At the beginning of the 20th century, conventional indicators such as port capacity and manufacturing capabilities would have been used to define cities of opportunity. While still significant, such indicators have given way in the 21st century to technological factors such as broadband availability and telecom infrastructure and to cultural characteristics such as diversity.“

And as Business Week notes, rising levels of mobility in the developed and developing world, means that building successful cities will hold the key to future economic and social development and therefore the creative economy will play a vital role:

“More people are on the move than ever: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 40 million Americans relocate every year, and the average citizen moves once every seven years. The well-being of such people, says Florida, is as dependent on a choice of destination as it is on a choice of a spouse or profession… folks still congregate in certain areas “because of the powerful productivity advantages, economies of scale, and knowledge spillovers such density brings,“ he says. In this “spiky” world, the tallest points are innovation hubs. These include the areas around Seoul and San Francisco, which generate the most patents; “mega-regions” such as the “Bos-Wash” corridor, including Boston, New York, and Washington, which generates $2.2 trillion in output; and the region from Osaka to Nagasaki, which generates $1.4 trillion.“

So what do the creative industries need from cities, how can clusters be grown and how do city authorities maximise the value of those clusters to enhance both quality of life and business competitiveness?  These are key questions for c&binet.

The Best of the Creative Economy: Phil Redmond on “Go Superlambananas”

Nick | 19 Jan 2009, 12:20

In our review of the best of the creative economy in 2008, Phil Redmond, the Chair of National Museums Liverpool and creator of some of Britain’s longest running drama programmes, nominates Go Superlambananas by Wild In Art as the most important creative innovation of the past year, as part of c&binet’s creative business review of 2008.

The project was part of the Liverpool Capital of Culture term in 2008 and saw art, creativity and design coming together to drive community engagement and generate debate about the role of culture in civic life.

“The original Superlalmbanana was conceived as part of the 1998 Biennial and although having stood in Liverpool at various locations, the sculpture was treated more as a figure of fun and derision by the local community. However, in 2008, Wild In Art decided to place over 100 – two metre high replicas around the city and invite local artists to work with communities, schools and business to interpret different designs.

“The project became a resounding success with everyone. It took the original idea from derision to one of huge affection, encapsulating as it did the city’s spirit for the quirky and unpredictable, and indicating how art and culture mean different things to different people at different times.”

Lots resting on Digital Britain report, says c&binet Ambassador, Andy Duncan

Nick | 16 Jan 2009, 15:00

Speaking at the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) yesterday, c&binet ambassador Andy Duncan said that the forthcoming Digital Britain report could prove to be “one of the most important elements” in deciding how the UK competes in the global economy, especially around issues such as UK internet regulation.

In turbulent economic times, Lord Stephen Carter’s report has even greater significance Duncan believes, and will determine how Britain contributes culturally, creatively and economically for a long time ahead.

Driving to the heart of what c&binet is all about, Duncan said, “This new global economy is not just about the flow of goods and finance around the world; it’s about the flow of ideas – of music, images, fashion, styles”.

“The scale and nature of change being brought about by digital technology is fundamental, it’s global and it’s irreversible,“ said Duncan.

“The established economic model is inevitably in decay. But, just as the door is progressively closing on the old linear model of one-to-many broadcasting, a new and much bigger door is opening on the global content market.

“If we seek to approach the challenges of the future with the solutions of the past, we commit Britain’s creative and media industry to decline. If we understand and embrace change and create the right structures for the future, we open the way to major social, cultural and economic benefit for all in our country.“

The Best of the Creative Economy: Andy Duncan on The Secret Millionaire

Nick | 16 Jan 2009, 12:03

Andy Duncan nominates The Secret Millionaire as the most important creative innovation of the past year, as part of c&binet’s creative business review of 2008.

The series features nineteen of Britain’s richest people leaving their luxurious lives to live and work undercover in a deprived area of the UK, each on a personal mission to give something back.

Each week a millionaire takes on a secret identity to find individuals and projects that deserve a cut of their fortune. As well as demonstrating the positive impact of modern-day philanthropy, the programme touchingly highlights various social issues.

“It is an excellent example of public service television at its best in modern Britain.”