Media, Community and the Creative Citizen Dave Harte – Birmingham City University Dr Emma Agusita – University of West of England

Central Research Question: How does creative citizenship generate value for communities within a changing media landscape and how can this pursuit of value be intensified, propagated and sustained?

Our hypothesis Substantial unmeasured and untapped resource among communities of creative citizens. Web 2.0 technology offers the potential to increase the impact and sustainability of these communities. Better knowledge = better policy design + more inspiring examples = more value

Ian Hargreaves Cardiff University Hyperlocal publishing Cardiff University Birmingham City University Community-led design Open University Royal College of Art (Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design) Creative Communities University of Birmingham UWE Management

Case 1: Hyperlocal publishing With Talk About Local and Ofcom

Case 2: Community-led design With The Glass-House Community Led Design and Nesta’s Public Service Lab

Case 3: Creative Communities With The Moseley Exchange, South Blessed and Knowle West Media Centre

What are the key innovative and exciting elements of this project? To evaluate the wider significance of communities of creative citizens, offering new insights and tools to communities, policy-makers, investors, business partners and social entrepreneurs. By grounding this work in three very different case studies, to demonstrate its breadth of applicability. A reference point in understanding the evolution of the UK creative economy in the digital age: The Creative Citizen Unbound: a landmark book for 2014/15.

How will this help build vibrant and prosperous communities in the UK? Our TAXONOMY OF THE CREATIVE CITIZEN will inspire and educate Demonstrating the social, economic and cultural potential of creative citizenship will engage policy-makers, partners and investors. This will result in better POLICY AND INVESTMENT DECISIONS. Our work will inform better REGULATORY DECISIONS with regard to e.g. planning, intellectual property and public service media, based on stronger evidence of the value of investment in creativity. NEW TOOLS: our project will help stimulate knowledge exchange and co-creation of practical tools for high ambition creative citizenship.

Analytical framework

CREATIVE NETWORKS – THE PLACE OF EVERYDAY CREATIVITY Seeking insights into the scale, ambition and potential of everyday or ‘vernacular’ creative practices in relation to more formal creative production.

ONLINE PLATFORM, SHOPFRONT STUDIO…

“POLITICS of ENGAGEMENT” - Discourse of co-creation: with/on - Expectancy and direction: the research relationship - Navigating relational spaces

creativecitizens.co.uk Dave Harte – Birmingham City University Dr Emma Agusita – University of West of England