BY LAI DEL ROSARIO
HEAD OF ARTS AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
BRITISH COUNCIL PHILIPPINES
Reposted from adobo magazine
Original date of publishing: 19 April 2018
At a time of rapid urban development and societal change, it is more important than ever, that citizens find a sense of place and belonging. Creative hubs offer a safe space that brings people from the creative, cultural and tech industries together. In the Philippines, these hubs could be artist–run spaces, co-working spaces, creative clusters, maker spaces or fab labs (fabrication laboratories). If you have ever been to events at 98B Collaboratory in Escolta or at ASpace in Makati, it would not be hard to imagine why these spaces are attracting artists, programmers, entrepreneurs and all kinds of creatives. It helps that these hubs often look ‘cool’ and have quirky interiors.
Creative hubs have different organisational models and objectives but they also share many qualities globally. They are often spaces for experimentation, artistic expression, peer-to-peer learning and incubation of ideas. They act as convenors, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and the cross pollination of different sectors and areas of expertise. This often leads to the creation of new value in goods, services and artistic practices – what some might call innovation. Artist-run spaces, like 98B Collaboratory, provide a platform for exhibition and research to resident artists, while co-working spaces offer a low-cost communal office space for start-up entrepreneurs as they build their business. Both organisations provide networks, connections, sector expertise and other kinds of support that their members and audiences would likely need in order to advance their projects.
Creative hubs are also led by passionate, trusted and influential leaders, otherwise called creative hub managers. Hub managers aim to build a thriving community relevant to its audiences. They can simultaneously be artists, producers, art managers, directors or entrepreneurs. While ‘hub management’ is a 21st century job that needs no academic degree, it would nonetheless require multidisciplinary skills in operations, communication and PR, stakeholder management, entrepreneurship and sector expertise or technical knowhow (depending on the hub’s core activities). Hub managers often assume this responsibility by chance, adapting and developing their job description as their organisations grow.
Creative hubs are also seen as spaces for launching enterprising new ideas and supporting the creative economy. This is quite significant, since the creative economy makes up 3 per cent of the world’s GDP and employ 29.5 billion people (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, 2015). In the UK, the creative industries is the fastest growing sector and valued at £92 billion. The magazine Deskmag estimates that at least 1.2 million people globally worked at a co-working space in 2017.
There are other ways that hubs contribute to the economy. HOME, a state of the art cinema, theatre, art gallery and restaurant complex in Manchester, UK is a creative hub established in an area highly affected by the 2008 financial crash. It is a merger of two cultural organisations – Cornerhouse and Library Theatre Company – and its inception took advantage of low property value during the economic slump. Small arts organisations are most vulnerable to recession, according to Director Dave Moutrey. HOME, therefore, was built around the idea of a self-sustaining arts organisation. Recognising its economic potential, the City of Manchester funded over half of its construction cost.
Through its art programmes and activities, HOME has become a notable catalyst for Manchester’s urban regeneration, attracting international artists and visitors, as well as new businesses, to set up shop around the complex. This increased the area’s property value by 30 per cent within a year of its opening.
While creative hubs drive innovation and economic growth, their unique quality lies in their ability to effect social change. More than an average organisation, hubs often have a direct or indirect social impact, be it in terms of making the creative industries thrive, increasing community engagement or regenerating urban neighbourhoods.
Pineapple Lab, a performance and exhibition space in Makati and home to the producers of Fringe Manila, has developed a programme catering to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) community. Pineapple Lab Director, Andrei Pamintuan, explains: 'We provide a safe space for artistic expression for our homegrown and international LGBTQ artists – a platform where they can develop their own works, delve deeper in their own stories, and engage with audiences in a supportive environment, without feeling 'othered' or trivialised'.
