This document summarizes a study visit to Dundee, Scotland by a delegation of 10 European cities and regions from November 11-13, 2015. It lists the organizations visited and resources referenced during the study visit, and includes feedback from participants on what surprised them about Dundee and what they plan to do as a result of the visit, such as adopting strategies for creative industries or networking their own cities with Dundee.
1. Dundee Creative Industries Study Visit: Brief Post-Visit Resources.
A delegation of 10 European cities/regions to Dundee, 11-13 Nov 2015: Bologna, Brno,
Colchester, Granollers, Jutland, Lidingö, Linkoping, Piraeus, Wallonia and Warsaw.
2. Dundee Study Visit Referenced Organisations and Resources:
Dundee City Council: www.dundeecity.gov.uk
Creative Dundee: www.creativedundee.com
Dundee Partnership: www.dundeepartnership.co.uk
Dundee One City, Many Discoveries: www.dundee.com
Leisure and Culture Dundee: www.leisureandculturedundee.com
Unesco City of Design Dundee: www.dundeecityofdesign.com
Dundee Waterfront: www.dundeewaterfront.com
Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA): www.dca.org.uk
Dundee Rep Theatre: www.dundeerep.co.uk
Scottish Dance Theatre: www.scottishdancetheatre.com
V&A Museum of Design Dundee: www.vandadundee.org
Culture for Cities and Regions Case Study:
Dundee - Creative Industries Support for Growth
Creative Scotland: www.creativescotland.com
Creative HubKit: bit.ly/CreativeHubKit
Tayscreen: www.tayscreen.com
Dundee Literary Festival: www.literarydundee.co.uk
University of Dundee: www.dundee.ac.uk
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design: www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad
Abertay University: www.abertay.ac.uk
Dundee & Angus College: www.dundeeandangus.ac.uk
Fleet Collective: www.fleetcollective.com
We Dundee: www.wedundee.com
Dundee’s Cultural Strategy 2015 - 2025
Creative Scotland’s Draft Creative Industries Strategy 2015 - 2017
Many more of Dundee’s infrastructure and support organisations are detailed here:
cultural and creative industries support.
3. What surprised you about Dundee? Responses:
- The city centre, all near, and all a mix of new creative spaces and heritage.
- The dynamism and the collaboration between city, local authority and Creative Dundee.
- The passion and energy.
- Incorporating creative sector in the city development and planning.
- Your work with culture networking outside and within the municipality.
- Participation appears very open and accessible, e.g. print makers studio is open to 9pm at DCA and very cheap.
- A very strong cultural and artistic town.
- Social female impact till today.
- The Dundee Partnership.
- World class art exhibitions and architects.
- Design - computer games - didn’t know these strategies were here. Success in organising.
- The entrepreneurship.
- International atmosphere and openness (met creatives from Hong Kong, Iraq, US, Canada - many living here, but fewer Europeans?).
- Very strong network among the different creative individuals/institutions in Dundee.
- People love working in the city… ‘I came for a 3 year contract and I’m here 15 years later’.
- The diversity old and new culture in a mix.
- Big drive to action.
- Bottom up approach, DIY approach. Diversity of actions and initiatives. Dundee does a lot with few resources (thanks to its people).
- All the little bakeries/cafes and their own printed cups etc - identity, pride, tradition very strong, people very chatty and friendly.
- Private initiatives/enterprises which think and work beyond their job boundaries - linking to others/working in partnership.
- The jute history.
- That the strategy, economic resources (except riverside reform) and organisation is really similar to Granollers.
4. What will you do as a result of this Dundee study visit? Responses:
- Get the creative segment to work closer with entrepreneurs.
- Get to work! Organise and lean on other relevant politicians.
- Start a Pecha Kucha night.
- Start to network on a more serious level with stakeholders and within the municipality.
- Create link between local authority in charge of unknown developments and creative hubs in large CCIs projects.
- Try to convince the University to open a video games department.
- Push local authority for co-ordinated action and continue work.
- New structure of organisation.
- Come back.
- Try to convince the politicians about the importance of cultural venues, with DCA/Rep as examples.
- Network my city to Dundee for new project.
- Ask questions of people in regards to self perception and emotive civic pride.
- Adopt the plan of the CCI strategy. Learn from We Dundee.
- Look into strategies for CCIs in small cities/rural regions.
- Involve more the private sector to support the existing initiatives (vs top down approach). Contact the comics space.
- Maybe come in May for the creative festival (and hubs?).
- Keep in contact and try to find partnerships for one or different projects to grow cultural, creative and open the city.
- Write a study report.
- Investigate more: the games industry stats and application, the smile door, social inclusion - homelessness (may follow up with EC Rep
Edinburgh for ANSIP visit).
- Feel more comfortable when I prepare planning, documents, programmes, etc.
- Different approach to communication in reference to our strategies.
- Work on a clear strategy for my project that includes CCIs.