The Haringey Arts Story
Creating a Vibrant, Sustainable Community in Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is emerging as a thriving creative community after a business-led City Growth initiative The regeneration project, designed to identify and develop creative businesses, looks set to become the engine for increased economic development and employment in the borough.
Since its appointment in August 2007 Creative Development has been working to put Haringey on the map as the preferred location for growing creative businesses in North London.
Part of this work has been with a group of artists who live and work in the Arena Design Centre. Here Creative Development discovered a group of talented and committed individuals who have a real heart for using their talents in the community.
Sharing the vision
Creative Development has worked alongside a core team, which has been keen to see Haringey Arts share their vision. This is being achieved via an on-line magazine, a website and a training programme as well as appointing an agent to help the businesses reach a wider market throughout Europe. As individual businesses they have been concentrating on improving their own business skills and knowledge, or finding out how to operate as a social enterprise and be recognised as a commercial venture which will be sustainable for many years to come.
To help them realise their potential, the artists were asked what they really needed to know to make their business successful. Using this information Creative Development, supported by Tottenham Green Business Association and Fin Future, delivered short, focused seminars run by specialists in their field.
The workshops included advice about grants; finding and evaluating a suitable premises; basic legal and financial matters; help for those seeking contracts in the music industry and managing events and performances. Companies were also able to have individual consultations with their chosen specialist.
This was very different from the training that has been available to them in the past.
Sharing Skills
In mid-March 2008, Haringey Arts (HA!) was formed as a Community Interest Company. Creative Development is keen to leave them in a position to provide their own income stream. The final seminar in their programme was to assist 17 of these experienced and knowledgeable people to train others.
Within a week of HA! being registered, three trainers were up and running and have delivered training; providing a new source of income for themselves as individuals and for the new company.
Creative Interaction
HA! has already set up links with existing arts organisations, Middlesex University, gallery owners and the new Bernie Grant Arts Centre. It has taken a float at this year's Tottenham Carnival and aims to run its own events in and around the borough.
Sustainable Growth
A rapid regeneration of the immediate area around HA!'s offices is becoming evident. In the coming months many more creative businesses will be moving into studios around the area, turning what was once a run-down industrial area into a vibrant artists' colony. By the end of the year it is estimated 500 creative businesses will based in what HA! has named The Village. With support from the City Growth programme, it aims to widen this process of gentrification and creative colonisation of previously disused or run down buildings throughout the borough and create numerous opportunities for growth not only in creative business but also in the areas of real estate, leisure and tourism, food, sports, innovation, education and the environment
HA!'s mission statement calls them to:
engage, inspire and unite diverse local communities with challenging, captivating artistic projects and spirited artistic activities, promoting the arts at the heart of Haringey
These people are on their way.