The Future is Collaborative: Arts, Economy & Creating Community

An article by Artspace Lifespace CEO, Kathryn Chiswell-Jones.

It’s been 20 years since I last stepped foot in Glasgow – a city that changed the direction of my life (I was proposed to there which ultimately steered me towards Bristol!) So it was a real privilege to be offered the opportunity to return as a speaker by Gillian McCallum at the Scottish Cities Alliance Peer-to-Peer Event on Retail and the Night-Time Economy, facilitated by Professor John Lennon.

On this visit I fell in love with the city and its potential!

Prepare for a long read!

First Impressions of Merchant City

There is still a grand stretch in the evening, so upon arriving in Glasgow I was able to take some time to walk around and see the contrast in Merchant City. It’s a real juxtaposition of dereliction and high-end areas in what used to be the administrative, commercial and cultural heart of the city before it experienced a period of decline in the mid-20th century, for numerous factors, and which is now undergoing significant regeneration. The area has a plethora of great restaurants, bars and high-end shops but there are lots of opportunities for activation with lots of empty or boarded-up buildings and neglect and decay. The photos I’ve posted here aren’t to showcase what has already been repurposed, I’m drawn to derelict buildings and their hidden potential – Doug Francis ( Artspace Lifespace Founder) would have been in heritage repurposing heaven!

Culture, Artists, and Urban Renewal

I can’t however look at how artists can support regeneration, without considering the risk of them being displaced. Glasgow is a city that understands the value of culture to the city, and it appears to take its responsibility of having been the first UK European Capital of Culture seriously. Had I had more time I would have loved to visit Trongate 103, owned by Glasgow City Council and The Briggait owned and managed by the charity Workshop and Artists Studio Provision Scotland (Wasps). This ownership status means that long‑term, affordable workspace and Merchant City’s cultural infrastructure is safeguarded. With the median income for visual artists in Glasgow reported at just £12,500 per year (source DACS/University of Glasgow), there is also an opportunity for Glasgow to continue the great work it is doing to support artists by ensuring they are not priced out by looking into the provision of affordable accommodation or live/work spaces. The city’s messaging ‘People Make Glasgow’ emphasises its cultural heart with the importance of culture (attracting 22million visitors a year) stated on hoardings around St Georges Square which is being regenerated to create a new civic space.

Retail Realities and Opportunities

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Deputy Head of Scottish Retail Consortium offered some brilliant insights into the current state of retail within city centres. Snapshots from this were:

Key Challenges for Retailers:

• Non-food retailers are struggling as consumers tighten spending.
• Retail parks are winning on convenience, but lack soul.
• Budget changes (NIC rises, wage uplifts) have hit margins hard.

Consumer Priorities:

• 92% prioritise Product Quality and Good Value.
• Ethical and sustainable choices rank low, except among younger consumers who are driving the second-hand market.

There are 6 key areas that will drive industry change:

1. Omnichannel and social commerce
2. AI-driven retail automation
3. Sustainability & circular economy
4. The changing role of stores
5. Goods & services mix
6. Economic & geopolitical challenges

People want High Streets that are

• Accessible (which includes cars!)
• Safe
• Diverse
• Attractive; and
• Vibrant.

Retrofitting old buildings is one way to hit some of these targets but it comes at a cost. Not only is there a time investment which acts as a barrier to ROI, retrofit is subject to the standard VAT rate of 20%. New builds, on the other hand, are typically zero-rated! (Make it make sense!)

Night-Time Economy: Trends and Challenges

The talk from michael grieve, Chair of Night Time Industries Association (Scotland), Managing Director of Sub Club was sobering, reporting that in 23/24 – 61% of young people were going out less. It was great to see lots of initiatives proposed for Scotland which Carly Heath is leading successfully on here in Bristol. Mike talked about repurposing our cities to accommodate live, work and play and The Agent of Change principle, which places the responsibility for mitigating noise on neighbours with those carrying out the new development or operations. It was also thought-provoking to hear Neil Mowat (CANVAS) talk about how they, as a Venue, became the Agent of Change.

Innovation and Inspiration from Across Scotland

Gillian McCallum, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Lead of Scottish Cities Alliance shared interesting footfall figures and trends across Scotland and it was great to see the cross-pollination of ideas and cities working together to support each other instead of in competition with each other across Scotland. From Ian Elder, Project Manager of City Centre Regeneration for Glasgow City Council, I learned that Glasgow had one of the lowest city-centre populations in Europe (growing by about a third in the past decade)! Being a Monday evening, it wasn’t the most vibrant time when I visited, but I was struck by how quiet the streets around Merchant City were compared to Bristol. Glasgow’s streets are however a testament to how street art can be used to create vibrant urban art trails and draw in visitors and we also talked about the potential of activating empty windows to create street galleries.

To our Innovator friends Chris Hill at The Arcade Group Dewsbury, you absolutely need to speak to Cameron MacFarlane & Claire Clark from Inverness Victorian Market. With 30 independent units (with the only public toilets in the city centre), they have seen their footfall increase from 36,010 to 171,158 since installing their food hall. They provide the first year rent-free for new businesses, a performance area, work with local schools, host family events and have a close relationship with their local BID. Their service fee includes marketing and a blog page for businesses and it was lovely to hear how small businesses and performers are thriving thanks to the market.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay to hear Danielle Mc-Rorie Smith (Go Forth Stirling), Fiona Buchanan (Stirling Council), Steven Macdonald (Perth & Kinross Council) and Adrian Watson (Aberdeen Inspired) for the highlighting local innovation panel. But it was really brilliant to see this collaboration of Scotland’s eight cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling, and the Scottish Government working together to promote Scotland’s economic potential.

A New Dawn For Development

It’s easy to feel disheartened by stories of developers cutting affordable homes, building on vital green spaces, or cash-strapped councils selling off assets just to stay afloat. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Examples of great developments that enhance our cities are essential for creating a new normal for social and environmental responsibility in our cities.

This peer-to-peer event was held at The Social Hub (B Corp™) in Glasgow, a significant new investment (£95 million) in Glasgow’s Merchant City area. It’s very modern, comfortable, with wonderful friendly staff and prides itself on being more than student accommodation or a place to work but as a “city connector”. The Social Hub describes itself as providing hybrid hospitality to benefit both people and the planet, providing “vibrant community experiences”. It has developed a Mural in consultation with the community created by SMUG; it has B-Corp status and is proud of its social and environmental impact with 1% of its revenue (turnover not profit) being used to support student scholarships to fund accommodation and its work with the Better Society Academy.

“Happy People Make Good Beer” – Duncan Alexander

I was also blown away by the brilliant work of neil mowat and Duncan Alexander, Founders, 71 Brewing & CANVAS, Dundee. Canvas is a new hub for the arts, culture and commerce in the heart of Dundee’s West End with Creative Studios, a Gallery and Events Space. The council they said was “a brilliant partner”, though outside the formal ‘city centre’ boundary. CANVAS raised £1.4million which included the purchase of the building. Some money came from some funding, such as business energy funding and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). But the majority of the investment was mainly private, and finding investors was not an easy task. Happily the team succeeded in attracting people who believed in the vision of long-term social good over short-term profit.

As anyone working in the arts knows, achieving financial stability is no small feat. But CANVAS is a powerful example of what’s possible when vision meets commitment. Built with future generations in mind, it places accessibility and sustainability at the heart of its design, not as a bolt-on, but as core values.

To replicate and scale models like this, our towns and cities need meaningful investment and long-term funding, not just to preserve culture, but to reimagine how we live, work, create and play together.

The Power of Collaboration

With thanks to Gillian McCallum and Daniel Clark-Gibb for inviting me to share the story of Sparks Bristol, which is at its heart a story about collaboration and the desire to use creatively to make changes for sustainable high streets and communities. There are way too many Sparks partners and collaborators to all tag but can’t not mention Jenny Foster, Doug Francis, Paul Hammond, Jason Thorne & Vivienne Kennedy

I felt inspired coming away from the session which reinforced the importance of:

• Creating experiences
• Working with communities
• Engaging with local creatives
• Supportive local authorities and BIDs
• and other Partnership working to create investment opportunities

By working together, we can help our high streets evolve and thrive in a sustainable way. It is great to see cities acknowledge that we can’t just artwash our cities, community and culture have to be at the heart of any regeneration. If you’re working on reimagining high streets, supporting creative spaces, and keen to invest in building sustainable urban futures, let’s connect.