Developing Exeter’s Creative Scene through Community ......Developing Exeter’s Creative Scene...
Transcript of Developing Exeter’s Creative Scene through Community ......Developing Exeter’s Creative Scene...
May 2020
Developing Exeter’s Creative Scene through Community
Gardening Schemes
Developing Exeter’s Creative Scene through Community Gardening Schemes
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Executive Summary Cities across the UK recognise the benefits of creativity to place branding, regeneration and
the economy (Exeter Culture, 2019). Exeter has not maximised its potential due to a lack of
collaboration, pre-industrial space and funding issues (Jinks, 2020). This report outlines how
Exeter’s creative scene can be developed through a pilot community garden in Newton
which would provide a creative solution to community fragmentation.
This project was inspired by the transformation of alleyways into gardens in Salford
(Milbourne, 2009). This was followed by desk and field-based research exploring the green
spaces of Exeter.
The results of this research are as follows:
• There is a want and a need for green space and projects which bring the community
together in Newton (Exeter City Council, 2019).
• Community cohesion is important to the wellbeing, resilience and economic health
of residents (The Big Lunch, n.d).
• However, more than 50% of the population feel distant from their neighbours (The
Big Lunch, n.d), which shows intervention is needed to bring communities together.
• Gardening is an important creative tool which helps to regenerate areas, facilitate
community connections and promote mental and physical health (RHS, n.d).
• Exeter is keen to support projects which promote environmental responsibility,
wellbeing and community cohesion (Exeter Culture, 2019), of which these
recommendations align to.
Accordingly, the pilot garden would aim to bring the community together, reduce isolation,
and promote inter-generational relations. This scheme could be enhanced with creative
collaboration from artists and local institutions. If successful, the scheme could be expanded
across Exeter and help develop Exeter’s creative scene.
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Introduction
This report focuses on how a creative garden can resolve community divisions. So why focus
on creativity, gardening and the community? Creativity has been portrayed as an industry
full of socio-economic promise (Hawkins, 2016), but it also has an important everyday
aspect, which is the focus of this report (Crouch, 2009). Gardens are symbols of creativity
and foster creative collaboration with artists and institutions (Milbourne, 2009).
Additionally, gardening has been identified as a key tool to facilitating social connections
(RHS, n.d). The community has been identified as a vital network whose importance has
been diminished in the UK (The Big Lunch, n.d) and consequently, policy makers and
members of the community are keen to pursue schemes which can bring the community
back together (Ings et al, 2012). Gardens can therefore provide a creative solution to
community fragmentation.
The structure of the report will be as follows. Firstly, the methods used to develop
recommendations will be outlined. Secondly, a literature review which will examine why
creativity has been so favoured in policy, the importance of the community and why
gardening can provide a creative solution. The next section will detail the
recommendations; the introduction of a pilot garden in Newton, how this will be conducted,
why this is suitable and possible benefits and risks to Exeter. It will then finish by concluding.
Methods
This report was conducted using desk-based research. My thinking developed after reading
about the Seedley and Langworthy gardening project in Salford which transformed
alleyways into gardens (Milbourne, 2009). I expanded my thinking by researching similar
projects, some focusing on gardening and mental health (Johnson, 2019), and others with a
community focus (The Friendly Bench, n.d). To consider how gardening schemes could be
applied to Exeter, I conducted a walk around my local area, considering what green spaces
there were and how there were currently being used. It was during this field work, that I
noticed the under-utilised space between East John Walk and Sandford Walk, and how this
could be the pilot study space. This research was aided by gathering information on my pilot
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area which helped form my analysis. I also considered my personal experience of the area to
understand if a community gardening scheme would be appropriate and why. These
different strands of research helped form my recommendations on a community gardening
scheme.
Literature Review
Why Creativity?
Creativity has been seen as the solution to economic woes, a material practice which
produces goods, and part of the everyday (Hawkins, 2016). It has been promoted for its
potential to heal community divisions, regeneration and place branding (Evans, 2009). The
importance of links between place and creativity demonstrate why creativity can be
beneficial when utilised at the community level. Aside from these national and local
benefits, there has been recognition of the value of creativity to individual’s health and
wellbeing (Ings et al, 2012). It has subsequently become a key policy focus for the UK (Ings
et al, 2012). The importance of creativity explains why it has become a priority for Exeter
(Exeter Culture, 2019), and why this report centres around creativity.
The importance of the community:
This report focuses on how Exeter’s creative scene can be improved from a community
level. This was guided by thinking which promoted the importance of the community.
The neighbourhood is an accessible scale to work at (Stenning, 2020) and neighbourly
connections are crucial for our everyday wellbeing (The Big Lunch, n.d). Alongside the
negative health effects that are associated with community fragmentation, the community
layer has been eroded due to austerity and political fracturing following Brexit (The Big
Lunch, n.d). A more cohesive community benefits the health and wellbeing of residents, is
more resilient to crisis’s and provides an economic boost (The Big Lunch, n.d). In essence,
the community has been identified as a scale in which effective material changes can be
applied, and as a scale in need of improvement.
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Connections between gardening, creativity and the community:
There are is also an important everyday side to creativity. Unlike perspectives which view
creativity as transformational, this perspective focuses on how creativity emerges from
cultural improvisation (Crouch, 2009). Gardening is an everyday creative act which is
constituted in the performance of the self (Crouch, 2009). Gardens themselves are also
evocative of creativity in their design and displays of colour (Milbourne, 2009). Accordingly,
the links between gardening and creativity demonstrate why gardening is a suitable creative
act to develop Exeter’s creative scene.
There are also links between gardening and other forms of creativity. Artists utilise
gardening in their work. Maria Thereza Alves’ work in Bristol is one such example. Alves was
commissioned in 2012 by Bristol City Council to make a ballast garden in Bristol’s harbour
(Figure 1) in which the histories of colonialism, trade and migration could be located (Maria
Thereza Alves, n.d). Anne Marie Culhane also utilises the garden in her work. For example,
the Little Patch of Ground project (Figure 2) runs across the UK to encourage inter-
generational food growing and performances (Anne Marie Culhane, n.d). These examples
demonstrate the variety of ways gardening and creativity can link and this developed the
research to consider how the gardens could inspire collaboration with other creative forms,
simultaneously improving Exeter’s creative scene.
Figure 1: Seeds of Change, Ballast Garden, Source: (Maria Thereza Alves, n.d)
Figure 2: Little Patch of Ground, Source: (Anne Marie Culhane, n.d)
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However, it is important to not take an uncritical view of the benefit of gardening and
creativity. Community gardens can be created for and utilised by the cultural elite which
reinforces dominant class relations whilst espousing diversity and tolerance (Exner and
Schutzenberger, 2018). This highlights the exclusion that can be linked to community
gardens and creative policies more broadly. Creative practices can also have a negative
impact on the community by encouraging gentrification due to their place making and
regeneration abilities (Hawkins, 2016). The place making abilities of creative practices mean
projects involving the community must be steered by them, and address their needs
(Hawkins, 2016). This report has taken note of these critiques and aimed to ensure
inclusivity to its community led scheme.
Recommendations
This report recommends a pilot community garden in Newton, in the underutilised space
linking East John Walk and Sandford Walk (see Figures 3,4,5 for potential garden plans).
Following evaluation of the project, the scheme could then be expanded throughout Exeter.
These schemes would aim to improve community cohesion by providing a space for the
community to meet regularly and work together in the maintenance of the garden.
Intergenerational relations would be fostered as generations could come together: children
could use the green space for play, whereas older generations could use the gardens to
maintain social connections. The schemes should all be led by members of the community,
so they are tailored to the neighbourhood’s needs.
The gardens could also tie into other forms of creativity. The Seedley and Langworthy
gardening project collaborated with local primary schools, artists and poets on the history of
the area (Milbourne, 2009). Similar projects could be applied to the Newton garden once it
had been established. Indeed, the close location of Newton Primary School could provide
ready opportunities for collaboration either along a similar theme of histories or broader
themes such as sustainability.
In a similar vein to Anne Marie Culhane’s Little Patch of Ground, food cultures could also be
integrated. This could be via a community composting bin, and a vegetable and herb
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garden. This would be environmentally and educationally beneficial, and again could involve
the local primary school.
Figure 3: Comparison between pilot area and drawing showing a potential community garden, Source: (660012154, 2020)
Figure 4: Comparison between pilot area and drawing showing a potential community garden, Source: (660012154, 2020)
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Funding:
The drawings above show a potential mock-up of what the Newton community garden
could look like. Based off these, a rough estimate of costings was produced (Appendix 1)
totalling £2350. To gain this funding, there are several sources which could be utilised.
Firstly, the Community Grants by Exeter City Council. These grants are given to projects
which run over time and are beneficial to the environment and or community (Exeter City
Council, 2016). These grants range from £1000-£50,000. Following the costings above, a
grant of between £2000-£2300 could be applied to help with start-up costs, with other
sources of funding used for additional costs.
One stream of funding could come from the community. In the Salford project, residents in
participating streets paid £2/3 a month towards the upkeep of the gardens (Milbourne,
2009). The Community Grants are expected to be supplemented by the local community
(Exeter City Council, 2016) and so this would be a suitable avenue to explore.
Figure 5: Comparison between pilot area and drawing showing a potential community garden, Source: (660012154, 2020)
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Finally, corporate funding could be achieved using Waitrose’s Community Matters funding.
This scheme donates a share of money to different local causes each month based off
customer choice (Waitrose, n.d). This would enable another source of income whilst
retaining community independence.
Why Newton?
A study by Exeter City Council shows there is a want and a need for green space and greater
community cohesion in Newton, making it a suitable area for the gardening scheme.
Although residents noted Newton’s diverse and neighbourly feel, many felt isolated and
lamented the lack of projects in which social connections amongst residents could be
facilitated (Exeter City Council, 2019). The lack of community is something I noted whilst
living in the area. The gardening scheme could provide such a project in which members of
the community could congregate.
Reinforcing this, the 2011 Census reveals Newton ranks as most deprived in areas of crime
and the environment (Figure 6). The community garden scheme would aim to lessen
environmental deprivation by providing residents with a better-quality outdoor
environment. It could also contribute a reduction in crime deprivation by reducing anti-
social spaces, as was noted in the Salford project (Milbourne, 2009).
Figure 6: Table showing indices of multiple deprivation, Exeter 008A (Newton pilot area), Source: (Devon Country Council, n.d)
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These two pieces of research suggest Newton is a suitable area for the first community
garden scheme to be located in.
Why Exeter?
These recommendations are also suitable for Exeter as they align with the city’s strategies
on community and creativity.
The Exeter Community Forum is a collection of community groups who alongside Exeter City
Council, developed a community strategy for the city in 2015. This strategy aims to
empower Exeter’s communities to create more active citizens and improve community life
(Exeter Community Forum, n.d). These recommendations build on this desire for
community-based projects and are thus aligned with the dialogue within the city.
Equally important to the suitability of the recommendations is the Exeter Culture Strategy
(2019). This aims to make Exeter known for its culture and creativity in the areas of the
environment, wellbeing, cultural, literacy, creative making and heritage (Exeter Culture,
2019). This report fits into two of the main aims of the strategy. Exeter aims to utilise
creativity to be an innovative and environmentally responsible city (Exeter Culture, 2019).
The gardens align with this by promoting environmental responsibility, improving the local
environment and enabling collaboration with artists. The Exeter Culture strategy also wants
the arts to be utilised to better the city’s health, wellbeing, communities and environments
(Exeter Culture, 2019). Again, the gardens align with this by aiming to bring the community
together through their management and opportunities for socialisation. The strategy
provides a plan for the priorities and wants of Exeter and aligning with the strategy
importantly places the project “within the ongoing dialogue in the city” (Dillon, 2020).
Benefits
Having considered the projects suitability, it is now necessary to turn to the benefits to
Exeter which could be derived from the community gardens.
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The recommendations aim to provide a creative solution to the problem of community
fragmentation. If successful, this would be the main benefit derived. Community gardens
are places where the community can form stronger social relations (RHS, n.d). They
facilitate regular contact in their upkeep and provide space for outdoor play. Cohesive
communities bring individual, such as health and wellbeing, benefits as well as wider ones,
such as enhanced resilience and more productive workers (The Big Lunch, n.d). Accordingly,
this scheme, by providing a space for a stronger community, can benefit Exeter.
Gardens as green spaces also improve the local environment. This can increase physical
activity with subsequent benefits for mental health (RHS, n.d). The presence of a vegetable
garden can enhance knowledge of and healthy eating (What Works Wellbeing, 2018). The
Gardenforce! project in East London exemplifies this. They brought creativity into public,
private, communal and green spaces; out of 358 participants, 302 noted an increase in their
physical activity and 293 felt more positive about their lives and community (Ings et al,
2012). Therefore, the community garden scheme in Exeter would provide opportunities for
exercise, a greener and more sustainable space, and subsequent improvements to
residents’ health.
Both of these benefits align with the Exeter Culture strategy. This is important in aligning
with Exeter’s focus and provides opportunity for collaboration. One such form of
collaboration could be with Anne Marie Culhane who has worked on similar projects
incorporating gardens, such as Little Patch of Ground (Anne Marie Culhane, n.d). This
potential for collaboration is important as one of the main issues identified in Exeter’s
creative scene is lack of collaboration (Dillon, 2020), and this is thus another benefit derived
from the recommendations.
Risks
However, it is also important to think through any risks that could emerge from the
community garden schemes.
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It is important to consider the inclusivity of community garden schemes (Exner and
Schutzenberger, 2018). This is reinforced by Stenning (2020) in her report of Playing Out
which found that men, single parent families and those in complex family situations were
most commonly excluded or did not participate. This is an issue particularly significant to
Exeter as many communities are of a transient nature due to the large student population
(Citizens Advice Exeter, n.d). There are questions as to how suitable this scheme would be in
student-dominated areas, and how successful attempts to improve community cohesion
would be, due to the changing population. The community gardens in transient
communities could become a source of contention, and this poses the main risk to these
recommendations. If the scheme is to be successful, it must think carefully about the
specifics of different communities and this must include consultation with the community.
It is also important to recognise that the weight of expectations can contribute to the
demise of community projects (Ings et al, 2012). Community schemes are not magical
solutions to community fragmentation and loneliness (Stenning, 2020). To be successful,
projects must emphasise their potential to bring a community together, but it should not be
projected or relied on as the only solution.
Additionally, there are important practical issues. Not all communities have space available,
an issue exacerbated by Exeter’s lack of pre-industrial space (Jinks, 2020). The fact that
some communities may have gardens, and some may struggle for space may become a
source of tension. However, by working with the communities through these discussions, a
consensus could be reached.
Conclusion
This report has outlined recommendations in order to develop Exeter’s creative scene.
These centre around a pilot community garden in Newton which could be expanded to the
rest of Exeter. The gardens fill a void within Newton for green space and social connections
(Exeter City Council, 2019) and align with the Exeter Culture Strategy (2019). This
demonstrates the suitability of the scheme. Community gardening would be beneficial to
Exeter as it could bring the community together, benefit mental and physical wellbeing,
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produce a greener environment and regenerate areas (RHS, n.d). The recommendations
also provide opportunities for future collaboration, a key issue within Exeter’s creative
scene. However, the inclusivity of the schemes must be considered and there are also
concerns relating to Exeter’s transient population. Although there is no magical solution to
these issues, a focus should be on the schemes being community led and maintained.
Overall, Exeter’s creative scene could be developed by the implementation of community
gardening schemes. This would provide a creative response to issues of community
fragmentation, inter-generational mixing and loneliness. The hope is that the gardens can
contribute to making communities, and Exeter, a healthier, happier and more creative
place.
Biography
As a student at the University of Exeter I have studied the creative economy. Thus, I have
explored the importance of the creative industries to places, policy makers and the
economy as well as more everyday creativity imbued within the community and activism. I
also run a blog which provides geographical perspectives on the creative industries enabling
a deep exploration and understanding of them.
I have lived in 3 different areas of Exeter and have first-hand experience of the pilot area.
This enabled an empirical understanding of the issues facing Exeter and the community in
question.
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Appendix
Appendix 1: Table showing costs of pilot garden, based off drawings by the author, prices correct as of 29th April 2020
Product Cost Source
Hanging Baskets (x4) Link Petunia’s (x4) Link
£81.95 Crocus
Herb Plants: -Sage Link -Basil Link -Rosemary Link -Fennel Link
28 Plants: £167.72 Crocus
Ornamental Trees: -Midland Hawthorn Link -Japanese Flowering Cherry Link
£159.98 Crocus
Bedding Plants Link
80 plants: £399.90 Crocus
Mulch Link
24 bags: £225 Crocus
Log Edging Link
£30 Homebase
Paving Stones Link
£52 Homebase
Turf Link
10 rolls for £40 Homebase
Raised planters (x5) Link
£425 Homebase
Corner Tiered Herb Planters Link
£80 Homebase
Picnic Benches (x6) Link
£450 Homebase
Brick pathway/wall Link
250 bricks: £242.50 Homebase
Total: £2354.05
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References: 660012154 (2020), Figure 3, Photograph and drawing of community garden, taken on 13th March 2020 660012154 (2020), Figure 4, Photograph and drawing of community garden, taken on 13th March 2020 660012154 (2020), Figure 5, Photograph and drawing of community garden, taken on 13th March 2020 Anne Marie Culhane (n.d), Projects, [website], Available at <https://www.amculhane.co.uk/pages/amprojectsfin.htm> [Accessed 25th March 2020] Anne Marie Culhane, (n.d), Figure 2, Little Patch of Ground, viewed 25th March 2020, Available at <https://www.amculhane.co.uk/pages/amprojectsfin.htm> Citizens Advice Exeter (n.d), Exeter: Town vs Gown? The housing challenges faced by a university city, Dispatches from the front lines of the housing crisis, 8-19, Available at<http://citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/CitizensAdvice/Housing Publications/Dispatches from the front lines of the housing crisis (2 Exeter).pdf > Crouch, D. (2009), Creativity, space and performance: community gardening, in Edensor, T., Leslie, D., Millington, S., and Rantisi, N.M (eds), Spaces of Vernacular Creativity: Rethinking the Cultural Economy, Oxon, Routledge: 129-141 Devon County Council (n.d), Figure 6, Table showing indices of multiple deprivation in Exeter 008A, Community Profile, viewed 26th April 2020, Available at <https://www.devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/jsna/profiles/community-profile/?areaCode=E01019994> Dillon, B. (2020), Belinda Dillon in conversation with Nicola Thomas (17/03/20), [soundcloud link], Accessed 25th March 2020 Evans, G. (2009), Creative spaces and the art of urban living, in Edensor, T., Leslie, D., Millington, S., and Rantisi, N.M (eds), Spaces of Vernacular Creativity: Rethinking the Cultural Economy, Oxon, Routledge: 19-33 Exeter City Council (2016), Grass Roots Grants: Guidance Notes for Applicants October 2016, Exeter City Council and Exeter Community Forum Exeter City Council (2019), Conversations on Improving Health and Wellbeing in Newton: an inquiry into how to promote and develop a healthy, active neighbourhood where all members of community feel able to participate, Exeter City Council, Available at <https://exeter.gov.uk/media/4415/newtown27nov-final-report.pdf>
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Exeter Community Forum (n.d), Community Strategy…in detail, [website], Available at <http://exetercommunityforum.net/doing-3/community-strategy/> [Accessed 25th March 2020] Exeter Culture (2019), Exeter: A Place Based Cultural Strategy 2019-2024, Exeter, Exeter Culture Exner, A. and Schutzenberger, I. (2018), Creative Natures, Community Gardening, Social Class and City Development in Vienna, Geoforum, 92: 181-195 Hawkins, H. (2016), Creativity: Live, Work, Create, London, Routledge Ings, R., Crane, N. and Cameron, M. (2012), Be Creative Be Well: Arts, Wellbeing and Local Communities: An Evaluation, Arts Council England, Well London Jinks, D. (2020), Dominic Jinks in conversation with Nicola Thomas (17/03/20), [soundcloud link], Accessed 25th March 2020 Johnson, S. (2019), Green therapy: how gardening is helping to fight depression, The Guardian, 13th May, Viewed 7th March, Available at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/13/green-therapy-gardening-helping-fight-depression Maria Thereza Alves (n.d), Seeds of Change: A Floating Ballast Seed Garden (Bristol): 2012-2016, [website], Available at <http://www.mariatherezaalves.org/works/seeds-of-change-a-floating-ballast-seed-garden-bristol?c=17> [Accessed 25th March 2020] Maria Thereza Alves (n.d), Figure 1, Seeds of Change, Bristol Harbour, Bristol, viewed 25th March 2020, Available at <http://www.mariatherezaalves.org/works/seeds-of-change-a-floating-ballast-seed-garden-bristol?c=17> Milbourne, P. (2009), Growing Places, Community gardening, ordinary creativities and place-based regeneration in a northern English city, in Edensor, T., Leslie, D., Millington, S., and Rantisi, N.M (eds), Spaces of Vernacular Creativity: Rethinking the Cultural Economy, Oxon, Routledge: 141-155 RHS (n.d), Why should I join Britian in bloom? RHS, viewed 20th March 2020, Available at <https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/britain-in-bloom/why> Stenning, A. (2020), Tackling Loneliness with Resident-Led Play Streets, Newcastle University and Playing Out The Big Lunch (n.d), Closing the Distance Between Us, eden project communities, Available at <https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/sites/default/files/closing_the_distance_report.pdf>
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The Friendly Bench (n.d), What is the Friendly Bench?, [website], Available at < https://www.thefriendlybench.co.uk/> [Accessed 26th March 2020] Waitrose (n.d), What is Community Matters, [website], Available at <https://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/inspiration/community_matters.html> [Accessed 26th March 2020] What Works Wellbeing (2018), Briefing-Places, Spaces, People and Wellbeing, What Works Centre for Wellbeing
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Geography Submission Appendix
Module Code: GEO3131
Student Number: 660012154
Word count: 2994
Do you have an approved Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
No
If Yes to above, do you require and have approval for specific learning difficult marking guidelines (as outlined below)?
No
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/wellbeing/documents/Dyslexia_Marking_Guidelines.pdf