In his book ‘The Rise of the Creative Class’, noted American academic Richard Florida highlights the role that creatives can play in urban regeneration. Florida identifies the creative classes as spanning science and technology, arts, media and culture. Creating and nurturing a vibrant and characterful community can be an important part in achieving economic growth. Florida suggests a vibrant music scene can be a signal that a location has the underlying preconditions for technological and commercial innovation leading to economic growth. Something else that’s required is first-class educational facilities. We already have Buckinghamshire New University and soon to arrive is the new Buckinghamshire College campus, opposite the bus station and Sainsbury’s.
For things to happen, the whole community needs to pull together. Local government, education providers and the business community have to lead through adopting policies, setting standards and providing support where needed. Excitingly, the right conditions seem to apply here in Wycombe. A look around Desborough Road, Wycombe Arts Centre and DesBox is a sign that ‘something is going on’. Graffiti in High Wycombe is interesting; much of it is a lot more artistic than you’d think, combining ideas, colour and form that speak of street-level creativity. Look at the industrial estates where world-leading companies are successful due to the innovative skills of their creative people.
Creativity can mean different things; it can be applied to the economy where the creative sector covers film, TV and theatre, where we are already well represented; the ‘Fisheye Film Festival’ is an example. It can also be creative people working within companies not usually seen as being in the creative industries. Harnessing the creativity of the whole of our workforce is vital to the economic wellbeing of us all. Creativity is the new industrial revolution!
Wycombe Arts Centre
Based in what was St John’s Church on Desborough Road, Wycombe Arts Centre offers a wide range of quality artistic events and participatory opportunities for artists, writers, musicians, actors, dancers and other creatives in the local area. Activities include:
Photography Club on the first Monday of the month, 7-9pm.
Open Studio Art Club every second and fourth Monday of the month, 7-9.30pm.
Life Drawing on the third Monday of the month, 7.30-10pm.
Pottery six-week courses on Tuesdays, 7-9pm and Thursdays, 10am-12.30pm.
Creative Writing on various Sundays, 11am-2pm.
Art School Foundation every second and fourth Monday of the month, 7-9pm.
After School Art Club every Tuesday in term time, 4.15-5.30pm from September.
Visit www.wycombeartscentre.com for info and costs, which are kept to a minimum.