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The social impacts of cultural regeneration
James Kennell 28th October 2010
Who am I?
Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Regeneration
Project Manager – Economic Development Resource Centre
Programme Leader, BA (hons) Tourism Management
Cultural regeneration in the UK
A phenomenon of the last twenty years
Became widespread after 1997Tied to the restructuring of western economies
Post-industrial economic development strategy
High risk strategy based on neoliberal growth economics
Social impacts poorly managed or understood – evidence suggests exclusion is a significant issue
The decline of seaside towns
The first post-service-industrial urban areas
Globalisation from 1970s
Competition from new destinations
Growth of urban tourism
(Source: Beatty & Fothergill 2003)
Contemporary seaside regeneration
Kennell, J. (2010) ‘Rediscovering cultural tourism: cultural regeneration in seaside towns’ in Journal of Town and City Management, Vol.1, No.2
Decaying infrastructure
Low skills
Low levels of community cohesion
Low levels of central government involvement
No national strategy until March 2010
Diversity of approaches with limited success
Economic underperformance
Cultural regeneration in seaside towns
Region / Nation Dominant approach RDA / responsible body
South West Mainly economic, some physical and social SWRDA
East Midlands Social and Economic EMDA
Yorkshire Physical emphasis, some economic and social Yorkshire Forward
East of England Diverse set of programmes in place with no core focus to seaside regeneration
EEDA
North East No overarching strategic framework for seaside regeneration.
One North East
North West Mainly economic NWRDA
South East Cultural SEEDA
Wales Economic and Physical Welsh Assembly
Scotland No overarching strategic framework for seaside regeneration.
Scottish Assembly
N. Ireland No overarching strategic framework for seaside regeneration.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Social impacts
Social benefits conceived in mainly economic terms•For the country•For the region•For residents
BUT•Concerns expressed by community sector•Local hostility•Low levels of engagement•Artists vs. locals•Colonisation of space
My research methods
Policy analysis 126 documents
MargateFolkestoneWhitstable
Interviews 32 / 60
Ethnography 14 days of fieldwork
Analysis: Cultural capital (Bourdieu)
Policy and cultural regeneration agents demonstrate cultural expertise and familiarity - high levels of cultural capital
Widespread belief in the ‘power’ of culture
Education
Inspiration
Aspiration
Lack of interest in mechanisms
Focus on consumption over participation
Creation of cultural industries with high barriers to entry to replace tourism industries with low barriers to entry
Problems with education, employment and cohesion associated with lack of cultural capital
Explains lack of resident engagement and predicts creation of tension
Culture, Class, Distinction
Bennett, T. et al (2010) Culture, Class, Distinction, London: Routledge
Representative, quantitative study of cultural capital in the UK
Cultural omnivorousness has democratised certain forms of cultural consumption – but mainly in the higher social groups
Most important cultural markers of division are now based on participation
Music lessons Access to technologyMarginalisation of creative curricula in state education
How can cultural regeneration improve social outcomes?
Strategies that focus on participation
Audience development
Education projects
Experiential art
Site specific work
Events, not installations
Lowering barriers to participation can drive engagement and allow culture to assist with skills development, education, health and employment