Regional business leaders have championed the creative and cultural industries for their pivotal role as drivers of innovation and growth in the North East.
The North East England Chamber of Commerce says it is vital the role that arts and culture plays in the North East is not under-estimated, following an event hosted by the business membership organisation. Leading experts presented at the Chamber event – The Importance of Place: The Value of Place-based Culture – to highlight the region’s ability to attract inward investment, saying this is key to addressing future challenges.
Key speakers at the event, held this week at Radisson Blue Hotel in Durham, included representatives from Arts Council England, English Heritage, Newcastle Building Society and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly Sage Gateshead).
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Abigail Pogson, managing director of The Glasshouse, said: “Culture has become synonymous with our identity. There are three powers that culture and creativity have to drive innovation and growth in our region: tourism, inward investment and international relations; innovation and skills; and health and wellbeing.
“Culture and creativity are going to be critical in helping us solve future challenges. Investment in the sector reaps dividends, it is absolutely critical. We have a world-class ability to collaborate with each other, but we need to work beyond our region to build partnerships. Our national partnerships are part of our repertoire.”
Michael Conville, chief customer officer at Newcastle Building Society, shared information on their work around championing the role of place and high streets, as well as their multimillion-pound investment into the relocation of their Newcastle branch.
He said: “Having a positive connection with the place we live and its culture, and having pride in where we live is incredibly important. The high street sits at the heart of our communities. It provides opportunities for social connections, cohesion, inclusion and local employment. High streets need to evolve.”
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Jane Tarr, director of workforces and skills and North for Arts Council England, shared the council’s corporate strategy and visions for the next 10 years, saying: “There’s a huge amount of growth happening in the region, we’ve never had so many strong applications as we’re seeing now. Everything we do is about collaboration. Culture brings communities together. People want culture on their doorstep. We also heard how important arts and culture is in other fields such as the criminal justice system, health, wellbeing and education.”
Matt Collier, corporate partnerships manager at event sponsor English Heritage, added: “It’s important to harness the power of place, and that’s what we do. Our sites, people and places are providing visitors and businesses in the region with a connection to their past – which in turn will provide a platform towards inspiring a better future.”
Tim Marsden, knowledge manager at the Chamber, added: “The event provided an excellent opportunity to bring together culture experts from a range of businesses and organisations across the North East. Culture creates a great sense of belonging as well as stability, and it’s key that, as a Chamber, we don’t underestimate the role that arts and culture plays in the North East.
“The cultural and creative industries are a vital asset to our region’s economic competitiveness, so it’s crucial that we continue to provide knowledge and information on this important topic for our region’s businesses. I’m excited to see what’s next for the region as we continue to work on behalf of our members to deliver a stronger, fairer North East.”