Creative Embassies

London is now so dominant in the UK’s creative industries that other parts of the UK are opening outposts there. Is this a good idea?

 

Creative embassies

During February, a collection of Hastings-based artists and designers will be offering their products for sale in the YCN Shop & Library in East London. Hastings is a small, slightly run down seaside town with a growing reputation for creative work.

YCN curator Lucy Kenyon says: “We visited Hastings last year as a team, and were dazzled by the output of its artists and designers. Hastings is one of the most curious and charming of England’s seaside towns. It’s an honour to host this group, and we hope to please as many people as possible with their products”.

Bruce Robbin's work. Credit: YCN

Creative outposts in London are nothing new for other countries. The Dutch Cultural Pop-Up space is a great space in Central London, showing off Dutch design, fashion, art to Londoners. This helped Dutch creatives meet new buyers, collaborators, and reach new audiences.

 

And there are some great new spaces overseas too. Dutch Design Fashion Architecture have opened a new creative workspace in Mumbai, aiming to introducing Dutch designers to the huge, growing Indian market.

 

But domestic embassies?

Representation from the UK regions is different. After all, Hastings is only a short hop away on the train - why do they need to have an embassy in London?

In part, it’s because London is so dominant in the UK creative scene. London has about 15% of the UK’s population but one-third of the UK’s jobs in the Creative Industries. And Londoners are big consumers of culture, responsible for 25% of the countries cinema visits and home to many of the major art galleries and concert venues.

It’s also because the concentration of business is so high in London, there is little need for Londoners to go anywhere else. When the Made Festival - an entrepreneurship festival based in the Northern city of Sheffield - wanted to attract London’s business people they had to lay on extra first class carriages on the trains.

This is a shame for the UK and bad for London. London’s success has been based on its openness for innovation from other businesses. That doesn’t mean we should expect the other businesses to come to us.