by Tracy Shaw, Loca Creatives Director
As I said, the conclusion I've come to after considerable pondering is a decisive 'Yes'. And the credit goes to... New Start (a magazine which, since working in the regen sector, I've always read avidly and valued greatly) and especially to its former editor, Julian Dobson, nowadays consulting, speaking and writing as Urban Pollinators. Searching for inspiration during my musings about language a while back I returned to New Start's excellent 12-part Real Regeneration series from 2010, available here and definitely worth a full read. Julian offered some perspectives on and a redefinition of regeneration for 2010 and beyond which I find compelling and - in terms of confidently positioning Loca Creatives' work in a regeneration context - reassuringly affirming.
At the heart of Julian's thinking is the notion of 'home' - the place where people want to live, where they feel connected to meaning and identity and to other people through everyday social exchanges. He proposes the idea of recreating 'home' as the basis for a new working definition of regeneration: 'Regeneration is the action of citizens and those who work with them to recreate home for new times, especially where there is poverty or disadvantage.' Thus 'regeneration' becomes not about 'the delivery of projects or the development of buildings' but about 'homecoming', 'home-making' and 'the creation of meaning'; and investment in homes and localities must be about an 'investment of cultural capital and creativity', not just an investment of cash. Julian talks about regeneration being a continuous process of survival and strengthening and about the need for constant action to reinvigorate neighbourhoods and towns that are distressed. He talks about regeneration - or reinvention - being required most in places that struggle to cope with time and change but also in places that, while not struggling as such, need to 'repurpose'; about the necessity of rethinking place and community for each new generation; and about regeneration having to 'start with the people who live in and use a place' and 'create a sense of meaning, purpose, rootedness and engagement with what’s around.'
And there we have it. The idea of people-centred regeneration is hardly new - indeed it underpinned my professional practice and Loca's entire existence as a council-based team for 14 years.. But when it's recast as being about creating home, regeneration takes on a new resonance which for me aligns very comfortably with Arts and Regen practice in general and Loca Creatives' work in particular. Our work is fundamentally about utilising the specialist skills of artists - often in places that are struggling to cope with time and change and where people struggle to feel attached, engaged and connected - to help reveal meaning, strengthen identity, unearth the 'soul' of a place, forge connections, facilitate social exchanges and enable people to be active players in an ongoing process of strengthening and renewal. Ergo if regeneration = home-making and these are some of the essential ingredients, our work is about regeneration. Looked at another way, if regeneration is about connecting people to each other and people to place and home, in neighbourhoods that need to achieve confidence, resilience and wellbeing so that they are 'better equipped for the future', then using creative tools and approaches to support regeneration is indeed what we do.
By way of example take a look at how some of the artists involved in our Core Team and Creative Associates talk about their work and what motivates them as socially engaged creative practitioners. Whether they're working in public realm, community health, consultation, natural environment or community celebration settings, or with children and families around social and emotional health and wellbeing, there are some recurring themes . It's precisely those that will give Loca Creatives' work its drive, spirit and sense of purpose for the foreseeable.
As if to put the cap on it, New Start's series ends with a proposal for a 7-step manifesto to be 'at the heart of a human approach to regeneration'. The steps include listening intently, getting the words right, sharing inspiration and learning, devolving decision-making and creating a bias towards trust. All good and important, of course, and entirely relevant in our own work. But it's Step Three that gives me particular cause for cheer: 'Instil creativity in everything - this is not to presume in favour of culture-led regeneration but to recognise that creativity can create engagement among a huge range of people who don't get too excited about numbers of jobs created or statistics about economic growth...People wake up to what's fun and engaging. This is especially important in hard times - we need to celebrate more when money is tight, not less.'
That does it for me. Many thanks indeed Julian.
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