New investment approach vital for Birmingham’s culture and creative sector growth
AN investment enquiry launched in April has outlined the need for a “significant re-boot” in traditional approaches to investment in Birmingham’s cultural and creative sector.
The Cultural Investment Enquiry, which aims to protect and develop a sector that supports a workforce of 55,000 people in Birmingham and Solihull, says “collective action and innovative thinking” are essential if the city is to compete on a global scale.
Conceived as a joint initiative between Birmingham City Council, Chambers of Commerce, the Arts Council, Aston Business School and newly-formed company Culture Central, the enquiry’s taskforce conducted an initial three-month investigation into new investment-based models for culture in the city.
It called for a “more robust set of partnerships and collaborations” with anchor institutions including the higher education and business sectors, pinpointed as key to helping Birmingham sustain and grow its cultural offering.
The enquiry plans to explore such proposals in greater detail with a “wider network of experts and support from across the city landscape” as a means to identifying the “best bets” for implementation.
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Paul Faulkner, who has been chairing the enquiry, said business leaders and organisations have an opportunity to do something ground-breaking to ensure the city’s culture continues to thrive.
He said: “As those of us who live in and around Birmingham already know, the city has been experiencing a renaissance in recent years with a number of exciting developments coming to life – with more one the way.
“But the aspiration – and need – is to do a lot more. We want to be a city that can compete on a global scale.
“Ensuring that world class culture continues to take place in the city – and crucially, that we develop and add to an already rich mix – is essential if the city is to fulfil its ambitions and undoubted potential.
“The enquiry has only had a short life, but in that compressed timeframe we have seen a huge appetite across a broad range of people and organisations to be actively engaged in both the Inquiry and also future work and planning in this area.”
He added: “The people and businesses of Birmingham recognise the importance and value of culture to the city and are motivated to play their part.
“This isn’t a surprise, as this is the spirit that makes this city so special, but it is an important groundswell of support that will need to be harnessed and galvanised going forward.”
Cllr Ian Ward, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The timing of the Cultural Investment Enquiry findings is important, coming at the point when organisations are developing their business plans for next year, and giving them options to ensure future resilience.
“Birmingham City Council will provide short term funding to incentivise new private sector investment capable of extending the reach and reputation of the city’s cultural organisations. Secondly, we will work actively with our partners in the West Midlands Combined Authority to test these proposals for generating funds to support the growth of the sector.”
