Junk for Code : Flee the city?

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June 28, 2003

This is often proposed as a solution to Adelaide's problems. Flee the city and head for the hills.

I heard it just recently from the environmentalist John Coulter, a former SA Democrat Senator and Democrat Leader at a seminar. Speaking for Sustainable Population Australia (SPA). Coulter said the city per se is the problem. The city per se is not environmentally sustainable.

Coulter's solution of fleeing the city for the hills wher oen can see the stars and hear the birds ---turns its back on the city. It rejects the idea of Adelaide with a virbrant economy, a nice comfortable public arena, a good, innovative architecture and a lively arts scene. That is the sort of European city Adelaide aspires to become---full of nightlife, sophisticate dining, culture and style---and so able to retain the young who would have no need to go east for lifestyle.

But a stylish sustainable does not exist in Adelaide. It is not Barcelona or Bristol. There is little commitment from the state government to facilitate cultural businesses--an arts-based industry---in the form of start-up grants, mentoring, and business planning advice..

But it could be. So says John Montgomery of the consulting firm Urban Cultures. Instead of thinking of Adelaide as a country town in decay Montgomery suggests that we think of Adelaide as a city state like Barcelona, Venice, Lisbon and Venice. It is thinking of creating a city with spirit, interesting, stylish, sophisticated and design aware.

So lets forget about the farmers, irrigators, wine and food. Lets think cultural businesses: ie., getting more creative people and artists setting up businesses then helping them to grow and thrive. So says John Montgomery.

An enticing vision?

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 10:30 PM | Permalink

| Comments (8)

Comments

There's not much place for people like me in this vision Gary.

What about ordinary folk who want to just lead a quiet life and don't have a lot of what you call 'culture'?

Posted by: Scott Wickstein | June 29, 2003 1:18 AM

Far from it Scott.
The creative industries are very broad--not just the high art of yesterday.

The creative industries would include all the design ones (Jam Factory) and all the virtual ones.

Is not your hosting of many weblogs a first step to a creative industry. Are your not being entrepreneurial here?

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | June 29, 2003 10:12 AM

My hosting is a labour of love, not profit.

I mean, people like me that work in factories and the like.

We can't all flee to the hills.

Posted by: Scott Wickstein | June 29, 2003 7:12 PM

No, we can't. Most of us who work in low-end jobs would like to work less hours but still be financially secure. That's a fundamental problem that Murdoch newspapers and other mainstream media outlets don't have much interest in addressing.

Posted by: dj | June 29, 2003 7:52 PM

Scott,
that's the very point Montgomery is making. Most art is produced as a labour of love---and there is lot of this entrepreneurial activity happening in Adelaide.

So what you do is facilitate the shift from liberty and love to liberty and business.

That shift needs support and help.

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | June 29, 2003 8:37 PM

And dj,

you make the shift from a low end job to a more creative one ---ie., publishing

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | June 29, 2003 8:39 PM

I've done plenty of publishing, but only in small runs of 100-200 'zines, plus newsletters, webpages, match reports. I don't think anyone is going to pay me for such things :) . Hell, i don't even get paid to coach three teams (amongst other things) a week. A labour of love, an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and all that.

What disappoints me is that often it is assumed that people in the suburbs don't do anything interesting and that massive effort is put into the CBD and everywhere else is forgotten about.

Posted by: dj | June 30, 2003 11:06 AM

dj,
that defines the problem does it not? How do you shift from the labor of love to a creative business?

The creativity is there. Montgomery is right.

Clearly the work being done by you and Scott and others needs to be nurtured so that it grows and develops.

But how do you do that? Createsoem sort of institutions that act as incubators

(eg. The Jam Factory for craft and design or the Regency TAFE for food).

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | June 30, 2003 11:51 AM