Cultural Industries and Evening Economy - Derry/Londonderry

Cultural Industries and Evening
Economy
Strategy prepared by:

Colin Buchanan and Partners & Urban
Cultures
for Derry City Council, City Centre Initiative,
NI Tourist Board and Londonderry
Development Office
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DERRY CITY COUNCIL COLIN BUCHANAN & PARTNERS & URBAN CULTURES
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................................1
Table of Contents ................................................................................................2
1. Introduction ......................................................................................4
1.1 Background......................................................................................4
1.2 Context.............................................................................................4
2. The Cultural Industries ....................................................................6
2.1 Definition of Cultural Industries .......................................................6
2.2 Economic Impact.............................................................................7
2.3 The Performing Arts (venues as people attractors).......................9
2.4 Galleries and Studios (The Visual and Plastic Arts) ....................11
2.5 The Media Industries (Film, TV, Recorded Music) ......................13
2.6 Contemporary Crafts and Design .................................................17
2.7 Clothing and Textiles Design ........................................................19
2.8 Cultural Animation .........................................................................21
2.9 Cultural Tourism ............................................................................22
2.10 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Summary ...........................................24
2.11 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Challenges.........................................25
2.12 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Proposed Strategy.............................26
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3. The Evening Economy..................................................................27
3.1 Definition of the Evening Economy...............................................27
3.2 The Evening Economy in Derry: Economic Impact .....................29
3.3 Economic Development of Evening Economy Business ............31
3.4 Audience Development and Marketing ........................................32
3.5 The Problem of Urban Fear ..........................................................33
3.6 Cultural Facilities And Events........................................................35
3.7 Transport........................................................................................36
3.8 The Evening Economy in Derry: Summary..................................38
3.9 Developing the Evening Economy in Derry: Challenges .............39
3.10 Evening Economy in Derry: Proposed Strategy...........................41
4. The Public Realm ..........................................................................43
4.1 Argument........................................................................................43
4.2 Assessment ...................................................................................44
4.3 Strategic Issues/Proposals............................................................45
Appendix1 Diagrams.........................................................................................47
Appendix2 Action Plan ......................................................................................51
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background
In January 1999, Derry City Council published an Integrated Economic Development Strategy for the
Derry City Council area. Within this strategy, two priority actions were identified for further research
and development. These were.
! the implementation of an action plan to maximise the job creation potential of the cultural
industries sector,
! the implementation of an integrated action plan to maximise the job creation potential of the city
centre economic zone.
The Cultural Industries and Night-time Economy Study was designed to address the inter-related
nature of these economic issues.
The study was jointly commissioned by Derry City Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, in
association with Town Centre Management. The study was managed on a day to day basis by Derry
City Council’s Economic Development Section. The Section was assisted in this task by a Project
Steering group including representatives nominated by the City Marketing Committee, Londonderry
Development Office and Town Centre Management.
Colin Buchanan and Partners and Urban Cultures were selected to carry out the work.
1.2 Context
From the late 1980s, an increasing number of cities in Europe, North America and the UK turned their
attention to using the arts and culture as new tools of urban revitalisation. Central to this approach is
the view that culture and cultural activities can be integrated into a widely based revitalisation project.
In the process, culture can help to provide the catalyst for physical and environmental renewal, attract
spending and capital investment to an area, generate new economic activity and jobs and change or
enhance an city's image.
The evening economy is, in our view, an important element of a city’s cultural economy.
Notwithstanding its importance to the overall city economy, in terms of the number of businesses and
jobs, the evening economy is the part of the economy which meshes most closely with cultural activity
and, moreover, very often represents a strong image of a place to outsiders. Thus, while the evening
economy has, during the past 7 years or so, become an legitimate urban policy area in its own right, it
seems to us that the evening economy is itself part of a wider cultural and entertainment economy,
and one which interacts with the physical properties of towns and cities - streets, spaces, routeways,
buildings - to help underpin our mental images of places. For this reason, it is important to consider a
city’s evening economy and its cultural economy in relation to each other and to the urban form or
townscape of a city.
Such an approach is certainly not out of step with Derry's vision of its own future, as set out in the City
Vision 2020, in particular the aspiration for the city to become ‘a living gallery, an urban theatre, owned
by its people and renowned on the European and World-wide stage’ (CPB 1999, p11). As other cities
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have demonstrated in the recent past, successful places are those which pursue their economic,
cultural, environmental and social goals in tandem rather than separately. The combination of the
cultural economy, the evening economy and urban form is central to urban revitalisation.
1
In this study, we review these arguments for Londonderry . Our views are based largely on desk
research, two questionnaire surveys, and interviews with arts practitioners, cultural businesses and
organisations, businesses trading in the evening economy, council officers and others.
1
While recognising that the City’s official name is Londonderry, the more commonly used name Derry is used in
the rest of this report.
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2. The Cultural Industries
2.1 Definition of Cultural Industries
Taken as a whole, the cultural industries are those sectors of the economy concerned with the
production, packaging and distribution of information, mainly via technological means. As such, they
combine communication technologies and creativity with material production, tradable goods and
services and, to a greater or lesser extent, market-based consumption. They are the quintessential new
age industry, involved in the creation and communication of meaning and entertainment; they are hi-
tech, and they require a high skills base. They generate large turnovers world wide, they create and
sustain popular cultural icons and they are shaped by and help to shape fashion, identity and sub-
cultures. The products are television programmes, videos, films and interactive CDs, CD's, images and
computer graphics. They require - rather like the computer industry - both hardware (equipment,
technology, studios) and software (creative people, image-makers, ideas, sounds). They link -more or
less directly and indirectly depending on the medium - to other cultural forms, whether theatre, visual
arts, installation art, dance, live music, jazz or whatever. Those who make records, also appear in
videos and films, actors work on the stage as well as film and TV, script writers often write for mixed
cultural, sound-tracks are dubbed onto programmes as background music, sometimes film scores are
released as CDs. Directors who begin by making ads for television end up in Hollywood making
Bladerunner. And so it goes on. The cultural industries are global as well as local. To be more precise,
the cultural industries are usually broken down into four sub-sectors:
# Film, broadcasting (television and radio).
# Music recording.
# Publishing.
# The Design Industries.
Whilst our brief was to focus on the cultural industries - and in particular certain key core sub-sectors
such as media and design - it is clear that the city’s major cultural venues play an important role in the
development and health of the overall cultural economy, and therefore of the cultural industries
themselves. There are many crossovers between what we refer to as the cultural industries and the
more traditional arts. For example, actors and directors might well work both in films and television and
in theatre; visual artists might work in design or perhaps public art; musicians might give live
performances but also record their work or even provide soundtracks for film. In this way, it is more
rather than less likely that a city with a healthy arts scene will also have a strong cultural industries
sector. For this reason, we have had also to assess the current level of venues and the more traditional
arts activities in Derry. And, as we shall see later, a city’s cultural venues play an important role in
helping to underpin the wider evening economy. In this way, it is arguably more appropriate to refer to
Derry’s cultural economy rather than the narrower sphere of activities which comprise the cultural
industries.
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2.2 Economic Impact
A list of businesses was drawn up from SIC code data made available from Derry City Council, and
reference made to current directories. This showed that there are some 88 commercial businesses and
organisations operating within the cultural sector within the Derry City Council Area. The breakdown of
business numbers is as follows:
Table 1: Number Of Companies By Activity
Business Type No. %

Media TV 2 2.3%
Broadcasting Services 5 5.7%
TV, Film, Video 8 9.1%
Photography 10 11.4%
28.4%
Music Musicians 1 1.1%
Audio Visual 3 3.4%
Recording Services 1 1.1%
5.7%
Design Jewellery 1 1.1%
Fashion & Textiles 6 6.8%
Design 6 6.8%
14.8%
Publishing Advertising 2 2.3%
Publishing and Printing 6 6.8%
9.1%
Cultural Venues Art Galleries/Dealers 5 5.7%
Libraries 5 5.7%
Museums 5 5.7%
17.0%
Arts Organisations Arts Organisations 3 3.4%
Theatre Groups 2 2.3%
5.7%
Other Architects 17 19.3%
19.3%
Total 88 100.0%
Source: Urban Cultures & CBP Survey Sample (taken from SIC data and local directories)
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In terms of key sectors a number stand out. The media industry in Derry includes companies involved
in filmmaking and production, TV, Video as well as broadcasting. Both the BBC and Independent TV
are represented in the City. The importance of the design industries should also not be
underestimated. For example, Derry’s rich textile history is reflected in the fashion industry.
Derry also offers a range of cultural venues – from the Playhouse Theatre showing touring productions
and new drama to the Rialto, currently the venue for popular and light entertainment. The Millennium
Theatre will soon supplement this.
Employment
Table 2 also summarises employment in the cultural industries in Derry. In this case the data derives
from official SIC 92 classifications. This confirms that, in September 1999 there were some 450 people
employed in the cultural industries in Derry. This represents 1.2% of Derry’s total workforce on a full
time basis.
Those sub-sectors which employ most people are Publishing, Printing and Reproduction of Recorded
Material (166), Publishing (126) and Media (113).
Table 2: Employment in the Derry City Council Area in the Cultural Industries
Activity Sept 1995 Sept 1997 Change

Motion Picture and Video Activities 46 46 0
Motion Picture and Video Production 14 15 +1
Radio & TV Activities n/a 52 n/a
Other Entertainment Activities n/a 50 n/a
Publishing, Printing and Reproduction of 159 166 +7
Recorded Media
Publishing 129 126 -3
Total n/a 455 n/a
Source: SIC 92, Northern Ireland Employee Jobs
Conclusions
It would appear then that the cultural industries sector does not yet play a major part in the local
economy employing only 1.2% of the workforce. The market is predominantly local and companies
tend to employ between 3 and 7 people. Many of the companies are relatively mature with an average
age of 7 years.
However, there would appear to be room for expansion. Business start-ups are slow. There needs to
be further examination of the potential capacity of the market and advice and support for new
businesses as well as assistance for existing businesses and organisations in marketing and expanding
their client base. In the following sections, we consider each of the cultural industry sub sectors in more
detail.
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2.3 The Performing Arts (venues as people attractors)
Argument
This concerns the extent to which cultural consumption can generate other economic activity. We refer
primarily to the consumption of the arts and cultural activities as performances, events, screenings,
concerts and other experiences. Cultural venues come in many forms - the concert hall and the opera
house, the back room in the pub, the studio theatre, the temporary circus space in an old warehouse,
the public space, the art gallery, the public sculpture and the urban installation. What they all have in
common is that they attract people and are therefore generators of activity. They bring people and
spending into an area, people who want to see that show, participate in a workshop, but also enjoy the
company of strangers. In this way, cultural venues act as people attractors by seeding activity in urban
areas and triggering off further rounds of activity and investment. The issue for policy makers is to
determine whether there is the need/demand for new or revitalised cultural facilities, and the opportunity
to fill gaps in local or regional level provision.
Assessment
The Rialto is operated by the City Council with an extensive populist entertainment programme but is
currently limited by its facilities – e.g. there is no orchestra pit. The Rialto is not a purpose built theatre
venue being previously a cinema. For historical reasons there are a number of ownership interests in
the Rialto. The property is in the freehold ownership of the Honourable Irish Society. Derry City Council
have a 99 year lease and have sublet the property to the Inner City Trust who then leased the property
back to the City Council who operate it.
The building will be vacated on the opening of the Millennium Theatre Complex due to open in 2000.
The Millennium Theatre will be the first purpose built theatre ever in Derry and will include other internal
facilities; viz. new piazza, associated commercial facilities and a café/bar/restaurant. Reuse of the
Rialto building presents an exciting development opportunity, given its position in the busiest quarter in
the city. Derry City Council should be at the forefront of preparing a development brief to ensure this
location is used to its best potential.
St Columb’s Hall is owned by the Catholic Church and provides an alternative location for a variety of
events ranging from pantomimes to concerts. It also offers a bingo evening two nights a week, which
has been known to interfere with entertainment programming. The venue is currently undergoing a
£1.3m improvement programme with assistance from Heritage Lottery monies. This will improve stage
and dressing room facilities and public facilities including toilets.
The Playhouse Theatre offers performance space for theatre – including two youth theatre groups and
a resident dance troupe – in addition to gallery space, which is used for showcasing new artists. Their
outreach work in the community has consolidated their position in the city and helped to ensure they
continue to get the funding they need.
There are now plans to expand the Playhouse and a lease has been taken on a building in Pump Street
from the Inner City Trust. This building will be used as education and development space. The existing
property will be used as gallery space and studio theatre in addition to more commercial uses such as a
café or restaurant. The main performance space will be located in the Courtyard between the two
properties. The plans are at a preliminary stage only.
The Verbal Arts Centre and the Nerve Centre offer specialist venue space. Such venues were
previously lacking in the city where pubs or venues such as the Rialto were the only option to see live
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music or poetry. The new venues have been specifically designed to meet the needs of audience and
spectator alike.
In terms of cinema provision the Strand multiplex caters for the commercial market whilst the Orchard
Cinema offers more of an art house programme. In addition work has begun on a new £1.7m
community–based arts entertainment complex in the city centre on the Waterside. The complex will
include a 350-seater cinema, which will also act as a theatre. However, there are a number of
proposals for new multi-leisure schemes that include new cinema provision.
• The Linen Centre scheme on Carlisle Road comprises around 55,000 square feet of retail on
two floors (including a 25,000 square feet anchor store) and 35,000 square feet of leisure
above which is earmarked for an 8-screen cinema. The Planning Service has recently
approved the scheme.
• Sears Group Properties are proposing two schemes on Waterside. The first is the
“Neighbourhood Centre” proposed for a 57 acre site off Crescent Link comprising a 40
bedroom motel, restaurant, petrol station, convenience store, parade of small shops, health
centre and a 25,000 square feet leisure unit, likely to be a cinema or bowling alley if the scheme
proceeds. The planning application was considered as part of the Public Inquiry into the Draft
Derry Area Plan last year and a decision is due to be issued in 2000.
• The company’s other proposal is for an 8 screen multiplex cinema with three restaurants below
on a sloping site to the north of the Caw Roundabout. The application was submitted in late
1998.
Whilst, potentially, all three of these schemes could be granted planning permission the market will only
support one of them. A new facility of this type will attract custom from all over the North West – every
effort must be made to ensure this means that they visit the city centre, creating added vitality and
viability.
In the UK, PPG6 which deals with Town Centres, has been expanded to ensure that all uses found in
town centres – including leisure uses – have to undertake a sequential test. Permission will not be
granted if there is a better placed site with regard to the town centre. This would mean that the Caw
Roundabout proposals would not be granted planning permission as it is an out of town site and there
are two alternative town centre sites. However, this is not yet the case in Northern Ireland where
planning guidance relates to retail uses only.
Strategic Proposals/Issues
If all current plans come to fruition, Derry could have five significant venues within, or adjacent to, the
city walls – the Millennium Theatre Complex, the Verbal Arts Centre, the Nerve Centre an improved
Playhouse and a refurbished St Columb’s Hall. Each relies on a degree of public sector support and it
is important to ensure that this is available when required. Care must be taken to ensure that they work
together to ensure product is not being duplicated and that the most is being made of all facilities.
There must be co-ordination between the activities of the various venues and this may require an
independent strategic review of the whole package of venues and programmes in the city, in light of
these exciting opportunities.
The future of the Rialto building is a key consideration to the development and regeneration of that
section of town. Consideration should be given to the best use for the site at the earliest opportunity. A
development brief should be prepared which will ensure that the site is reused for maximum public
benefit.
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2.4 Galleries and Studios (The Visual and Plastic Arts)
Argument
Art galleries are, in some ways, the forgotten venues. Comparatively few new galleries have been built
in the UK in recent years, and those that have tend to be part of more encompassing art centres. There
are certain high profile exceptions, notably the Baltic Flour Mill in Gateshead and the Tate Bankside in
London, both of which are very large facilities and have attracted large amounts of lottery funding. Of a
more modest medium scale contemporary gallery, there are few examples: the best known is perhaps
the Tate Gallery in St Ives, although Glasgow now also has a Museum of Modern Art. The interesting
point about contemporary art galleries is that they tend to be cheaper to build than theatres and art
centres, and are relatively cheap to run. However, they rarely generate much in direct income, and a
recurrent problem is how to build up a collection as well as hiring-in touring exhibitions (with all the
attendant costs of crating, insurance and so on). Nevertheless, a good medium-sized gallery will attract
visitors from much further afield than will (say) a theatre or concert hall. The example of the Tate Gallery
in St Ives points to an increase in visitors to the town of 500,000 per annum.
A second argument is that individual artists and creative producers need space in which to work. But
very often they can afford only low rents (about £5 per sq. ft. inclusive of rates and service charge for
artists’ studios). In other towns and cities, there are now many examples of studio complexes, even joint
workshop/retail space where artists and cultural entrepreneurs have space to produce, and sometimes
to sell (the Custard Factory in Birmingham, Spitalfields, Chapter Arts in Cardiff, the Temple Bar Gallery
and Studios in Dublin, the WASPS in Edinburgh and Glasgow). Such activities can be accommodated
relatively cheaply because the internal spaces can be fitted out to a basic specification or left for the
individual occupants to fit themselves. (For artists studios, it is usually advisable to set up a charitable
trust to allow for business rates to offset by the local authority, or simply to enter an agreement with an
agency which already has charitable status - for example ACME or Space Studios, WASPS or similar).
Assessment
Derry is fortunate in having the Orchard Gallery, which has an established pedigree as a contemporary
gallery over some 20 years. The Orchard is run and managed by Derry City Council, and has an
international reputation for its innovative programme, its artistic integrity, its outreach programme with
the local communities, and its publishing activities. Its closest comparator within Northern Ireland is the
Ormeau Baths Arts Centre in Belfast. At the present time, gallery staff are setting up a digital archive of
works that have been shown in the gallery over the past 20 years. The gallery itself shows 12
exhibitions each year, and attracts an estimated 18,000 visitors each year. This is impressive, for the
gallery itself is situated in a basement and is not especially easy to get into, nor are the spaces
themselves ideal. It is difficult to see how much more can be done with the current building; yet it also
seems clear that the gallery’s reputation might prove beneficial in attracting more people to visit Derry. If
Derry is looking for a product with a modern image and a strong international profile, the Orchard
Gallery is a good place to begin.
In our experience, successful contemporary galleries - the Tate in St Ives, Temple Bar Gallery and
Studios - tend to help kick-start one or (usually) more private and independent galleries, so that the
overall visual arts economy becomes stronger and more mixed. It may be that a new Orchard Gallery
for Derry would stimulate a similar process.
As far as artists’ studios are concerned, there are few such complexes in the city, despite the fact that
many artists and art students live in Derry. The Orchard is now addressing this issue, and there are
proposals to convert two former health authority buildings to create 16 studios. The intention is that
these would serve the needs of local artists, and also be used by visiting and resident artists from all
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around the world. This seems to us to be an excellent initiative, although we would raise the question if
such a facility (and others) might not be more centrally located. It has to be said that it is unlikely that
new build accommodation could be provided cheaply enough for artists’ studios, so what is required are
older buildings, not necessarily in pristine condition. It is important that any buildings to be converted
offer the ceiling heights which artists and sculptors often require, and an ambient quality which is
attractive to artists and creative people: old buildings, definitely urban, and cheap.
Strategic Issues/Proposals
The need for a new contemporary visual arts gallery for Derry in a city centre location should be
investigated in line with the recommendations emerging from the review of the Orchard Gallery. The
gallery should function as a key cultural facility serving not only the city and the North West but it should
also have the confidence to be seen as a key cultural facility for Northern Ireland/Ireland.
The development strategy for the city centre should deliberately seek to seed one or two artist’s studio
complexes in reasonably close proximity to the contemporary visual arts gallery. It would be prudent to
quantify latent demand for such accommodation in Derry, and to canvass the views of art students and
recent graduates.
The setting up of a print workshop in Derry needs to be investigated as one corner stone of the city’s
visual arts economy.
The encouragement of more private galleries. Those, which currently exist – such as the McGilloway
Gallery – should be supported and the area around Shipquay Street and Pump Street given over to
private galleries, antique shops and contemporary craft outlets.
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2.5 The Media Industries (Film, TV, Recorded Music)
Argument
It is important to recognise that culture exists not only in the statutory or grant-maintained sectors but
now underpins a range of commercial creative or cultural industries in the media, the music industry,
commercial photography, graphic design, publishing, fashion, pop videos, architecture, even hair-
dressing. What they all have in common is the central point that creativity is a source of added value.
Creativity generates new ideas, new ways of working, even new products. It adds to the stock of work,
which makes up a city’s economy. The prospect for urban economies is one of re-invigorating local
production through linking culture to economics.
Assessment
BBC Radio Foyle is based in the city. Radio Foyle broadcasts a nine-hour daily schedule as part of the
Radio Ulster service in the north west of NI. In 2000, Radio Foyle won two Sony Gold Awards one of
which was for the UK Station of the Year. In addition BBC NI has a north west reporter based in Foyle
along with a camera crew.
Table 3 :Radio Foyle
Indicator Radio Foyle Radio Ulster
Hours of output 2,600 5,528
Average weekly reach 15+ 24 32
Audience 27,000 409,000
BBC Northern Ireland Annual Report
Other broadcasters include independent radio station Q102 and the community television broadcaster
Channel 9.
In the Nerve Centre, Derry has perhaps the most advanced and well-resourced multi-media training
centre we have encountered anywhere in the UK. Located within the city walls, the Nerve Centre
opened its new premises on Magazine Street, in the early summer of 1999. As well as a live
performance space for young bands, the Nerve Centre has its own screening theatre, a suite of
recording and rehearsal studios, an animation studio, computer rooms, a cafe, bar, practice rooms and
a suite of offices. Most of the equipment, including an impressive array of computers - quite apart from
the editing suites - is new and to an advanced standard.
The Nerve Centre is the realisation of several years campaigning and development work. The Centre
sees its role as creating opportunities for creators in the music business, a/v media and multi-media in
Derry. Most of the Centre’s users are young, a significant proportion are unemployed. Most of the
activity at the Nerve Centre takes the form of education and training, but the Centre is also involved in
art form development in the shape of film production and co-productions. The Nerve Centre also
programmes the Foyle Film Festival and the Orchard Cinema. Increasingly, the Nerve Centre is able to
combine these media: for example, bands playing in the venue can also be recorded and filmed;
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soundtracks for film can be recorded and edited within the Centre; computerised graphics and
animation can also be generated in-house; CD-ROMs, with both sound and images can be produced
within the building and sent anywhere in the world.
The Nerve Centre sees its role as not being purely commercial, since a primary aim is to bring trainees
and the industry together. That said, the Nerve Centre does not think of itself as a community
organisation but rather as service provider in training, education and art form development. The aim,
over the next few years, is to develop more revenue from the bar and cafe, and from film production.
As far as the music business is concerned, the Nerve sees its role as providing a resource where new
and emerging bands can practice, rehearse, perform live and record. Whilst Derry has an active pub
(and community hall and school hall) music scene, the Nerve offers the opportunity to perform in front
of bigger audiences, use better equipment and make demo tapes. In this way, the Nerve’s venue lies
somewhere between the school gym and the Rialto. As far as recording is concerned, the Nerve
stresses that it does not seek to compete with the small commercial studios in Derry, but there would
seem to be a growing prospect of overlap with the Blast Furnace Studio at the Foyle Art Centre. As well
as the technical elements of the business, the Nerve offers advice on promotion, record contracts,
copyright and the other legal and managerial aspects. Bands such as ‘Rave’ and ‘Cuckoo” have
developed through the Nerve. Some acts succeed in entering the mainstream industry, others establish
themselves on the tour circuit, and others remain a local band. With the Nerve in its new building, with
it’s new studios and equipment, successful bands now have the option of remaining in Derry if the wish
- they can record here, and have the remix and re-mastering done elsewhere.
In film, the Nerve Centre offers a range of training in technical and production skills. The Centre is
equipped as editing and dubbing suite, and has worked with a range of broadcasters, producers and
independent production companies, including Northland Broadcast, Westway Films, Besom
Productions and On-Line Broadcast. There has been a steady stream of film productions and co-
productions involving the Nerve Centre over recent years. This looks set to continue, although film
production is a notoriously cyclical and fickle business. The Nerve Centre sees its aim in film production
as producing cultural films, linked to the Foyle Film Festival, but nevertheless having an international
appeal. A large proportion of such films would therefore probably be lottery funded or assisted in some
way by the Northern Ireland Film Commission.
The independent production sector in Derry is not large. There are a handful of companies - most of
them having come through the Channel 4 Workshop route – working in commercial programme and
film production. Whilst the media is widely seen as a growth industry, the reality on the ground is that it
is often a struggle to get enough commissions. It is true that there are now more broadcasters, and so
in theory more slots to fill, but this is not translating into a big increase in demand for product.
Programme commissions which are awarded have been tending to drive down unit production costs,
so that it is increasingly difficult to turn a profit on programme making. On the other hand, the growth of
media studies and the range of training schemes now available means that more and more people are
trying to get into the industry. From an independent producer’s point of view, the trouble is that there are
too many people chasing not enough work. Those producers who are surviving commercially are
tending to specialise, but even so there is pressure within the market for commissions to be awarded to
the larger independent production companies who have established relationships with the
broadcasters.
As in other parts of the UK, then, the small independent producers are being squeezed by over-
competition, commissioning practices and the limit on new productions. The only way out of this would
appear to be an increase in work, and therefore productions and commissions. It is here that the
Northern Ireland Film Commission should play an important role, in setting up production and
development funds. Initiatives along these lines are now developing, although there have been some
teething problems: for example, setting a Northern Ireland spend requirement of £400,000 if a
JUNE 2000 14
production receives £90,000 of NIFC funding, under the terms of its current Film Production fund, which
is aimed at feature films.
The smaller companies in Northern Ireland mainly have turnovers of less than £250,000 and do not
produce feature films, so NIFC's current Production fund is not relevant to them.
Again, help with the expensive process of research and development would probably be beneficial,
along the lines of the Researchers Development Programme run by the Research Centre for Television
and Interactive Media in Glasgow. Under this scheme, up to 75% of the costs of employing a
researcher may be funded. The NIFC also runs a company development scheme, Screenskills, along
these lines. This has benefitted eight NI based companies over the past year.
Our understanding is that, in future, production and development funding will be channelled through the
NIFC, and so, provided Derry businesses have the opportunity to bid for funding, this is an area of
policy best left to the industry.
The choice of externally based film productions to locate in the North West region for particular projects
are to be welcomed. However, it is important to be clear that within the context of a strategy to develop
the indigenous film production sector, there are minimal benefits arising from this activity. As a result of
the self-contained nature of these production outfits in terms of film crews and resources, they do not
bear any financial impact on the locally based film producers. The benefits arise moreso from the
positive marketing that the presence of high profile productions such as Braveheart would bring to the
region, which indirectly impacts on the wider economy, in particular the tourism sector.
What might be of practical benefit to independent production companies and others is help with
property costs, perhaps in the form of a managed workspace where creative businesses share the
same building. We are advised that small media businesses often feel alone, and that some element of
a more creative and supportive environment might be beneficial. This would be an appropriate role for
Derry City Council and LEDU to perform, and could be backed by support in business training and
management, and in marketing - for example in helping small companies to attend trade fairs and film
festivals. In this way, the NIFC would be the responsible body for providing and levering film and
programme finance, project and script development and research and development. Derry City’s would
be a more supportive role, focusing on small business development assistance and marketing, and
possibly the development of a media or creative industries business centre.
As far as the Nerve Centre is concerned, this is clearly a major resource in any terms. We have some
concerns, however, that the wider industry does not actually need any more would-be directors or
producers to be trained, while there are some question marks over whether the Nerve Centre can
afford to re-invest in upgrading its equipment on a regular basis. Having said that, the Nerve Centre has
proved adept at raising resources over many years and will no doubt do so again. What is clear is that
the terms of agreement between Derry City Council and the Nerve Centre need to be clarified more
fully. At the present time, the Nerve Centre receives funding under the City Council’s Community
Services Programme, and this has been subject to the across-the-board cut of 6% in recent years. The
NIFC is committed to training in Northern Ireland, with an emphasis on business skills for producers,
and development skills for writers, as well as broad technical training. It sees the Nerve Centre as an
integral part of this infrastructural development work.
As far as the music industry is concerned, there does not seem to be the same split between
education/training and the formal industry, the issue being more about how to give bands greater
opportunities to record and perform. Rather than the overall amount of product being limited by the
number of broadcast opportunities and commissions, the music industry is always on the look-out for
new acts. The important thing is to help young bands gain the confidence and make contacts with the
record companies. This is a role that the Nerve Centre is performing successfully.
JUNE 2000 15
Strategic Issues/Proposals - Film
1. We propose that production funding for small independent production companies is a matter best
left to the industry and the NIFC but we do believe there is a need for a Foyle Film Fund to assist in
research based activities as outlined below in point 4.
2. That Derry City Council recognises the important role of the Nerve Centre within this sector. There
are two options:
# Commit to the Nerve Centre as a key cultural organisation within the city, by means of an
annual revenue grant to cover an element of general running costs;
# ‘Buy-in’ to particular services provided by the Nerve Centre – in training and education – as
defined by a service level agreement.
3. That Derry City Council and other partners and sponsors continue to resource the Foyle Film
Festival in particular and also the Orchard Cinema as part of the city’s wider cultural development;.
We envisage a raising of the profile of the Foyle Film Festival internationally. This may or may not
involve renaming it as the Derry Film Festival.
4. As far as small independent film producers and programme makers are concerned, these could
benefit from targeted packages of assistance in:
# business development and support
# access to suitable managed workspace
# support for small businesses in their marketing– in particular attendance at industry trade fairs
and film festivals such as Edinburgh, London, Sheffield, Toronto
# a local research and development fund to allow local independent producers to employ
researchers.
5. That Derry City Council continues to operate a modest film location service in close partnership with
the NIFC and the Nerve Centre.
Strategic Issues/Proposals - Music
6. This area is well covered by the Nerve Centre’s impressive and comprehensive set of activities.
Part of a service level agreement between Derry City Council and the Nerve Centre might focus
specifically on the music business.
7. A rationalisation of the public sector supported recording studio facilities may be appropriate.
JUNE 2000 16
2.6 Contemporary Crafts and Design
Argument
As we have argued in this report, creativity is a source of added value in the application of human
attributes and skills to the production of goods and objects. This applies as much to the crafts sector as
it does to film, media and sound recording.
The Crafts sector in the Republic of Ireland is now world famous and a major income and employment
sector. Kilkenny, the location of the Crafts Council for Ireland, has become synonymous with high
quality products. In the North however, expansion of this sector has been severely hampered by a lack
of targeted guidance and investment and the imminent loss of the main co-ordinating body, Craftworks.
As far as the contemporary crafts are concerned, one policy objective should be to encourage creative
people to stay in the city, set up a business, be creative and prosper. The point is that creative people,
increasingly, are also business people. Like other business people, they can benefit from some help
from time to time - grants, loans, advice, rent holidays; but they are not all expecting indefinite revenue
support which is arguably better targeted on performance venues, major galleries and community arts
development. The point is that the contemporary crafts in particular – jewellery, ceramics, bespoke
furniture – are an industry where value is created by designs and the application of craft skills. Over
time, places can become associated with good designs and therefore quality. This is true of
Copenhagen, Kilkenny and increasingly, Dublin. Why not Derry?
Assessment
Whilst the craft sector in Derry and Northern Ireland is undoubtedly less developed than in the Republic,
the picture is not as bleak as it may first appear. Derry does have a lively crafts sector, some of the key
members of which are from outside the area and have chosen to set up their operations in the city.
Contemporary Crafts on the Border is a CCI led initiative and offers a programme of seminars and
workshops for designer/makers in Antrim; Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Leitrim,
Louth, Monaghan, Sligo and Tyrone. Other initiatives include assistance with displays and marketing
methods, and introductions for buyers targeting a selected group of these designer/makers. Financial
assistance is available for craft-workers wishing to export and attend trade fairs.
In Derry itself, a significant initiative for the craft sector is the Craftworks Pottery Skills School in Pump
Street. Rather than giving assistance to existing craft-workers it sought to provide training for the
unemployed in the production of ceramics – a local speciality. It is funded through the Proteus
Programme as part of the European Fund for Peace and Reconciliation. The scheme has proved to be
very successful placing more participants in employment each year.
The Craft Development Initiative is an ongoing programme, which offers direct business support to local
craft businesses and producers in the council areas of Derry, Strabane and Limavady. Established in
March 1999 the programme focuses on employing a Craft Development Officer to provide advice to
individual craft producers on setting up in business as well as providing specific craft focused training.
The Guildhall Craft Fair is an annual event organised under this initiative providing craft producers with
the opportunity to sell quality and design focused crafts to the local market. The Craft Development
Initiative is funded by Derry City Council, Strabane District Council, Limavady Borough Council, the
District Partnership and LEDU.
JUNE 2000 17
There are now plans to expand build on this by positioning Derry as craft centre of excellence. Many
graduates leave college or university with little to no experience in running a business. This initiative
would help students/craftworkers to:
# Develop business skills. This should be undertaken in conjunction with Magee College and LEDU.
# Find appropriate accommodation – Studios would be available for a limited period only. Help
provided for finding alternative accommodation after that time, perhaps live-work units?
# Register craft products and skills.
# Showcase their products through a display facility (e.g. Jam Factory in Adelaide) - a contemporary
crafts gallery. This should not be subsidised space but a display for the best quality products.
There are a number of businesses in the North and North West that could benefit from such a resource
– there are around 36 in Derry, 150 in Derry region and 200 in North West. It is essential that the centre
looks to include areas such as Donegal within its remit as this will open up alternative sources of
income. However, to ensure that this happens the Centre has to be able to offer something they cannot
already get. For example, businesses already qualify for financial incentives and can get other
assistance through Contemporary Crafts on the Border and the centre at Kilkenny.
Strategic Proposals
1. A Craft Centre for Excellence could:
# Lead the creation of a craft brand for Northern Ireland, which will reinforce Derry as a city of
culture;
# Provide a gallery space;
# Act as a resource centre;
# Contain small incubation units -say 10 spaces only, entirely market led;
# Include a production facility - equipment – e.g. like kiln or print workshop;
# Provide master classes
2. A detailed feasibility study is required for creating Craft Centre of Excellence in the Pump Street
area. This should address physical and both short and long-term funding arrangements. The
emphasis will be on utilising existing venues.
3. The potential for a Joint Venture with the Crafts Council for Ireland should be explored.
4. The purpose of the Craft Centre of Excellence must be clear. Much can be learnt from the
experience of Kilkenny but a direct copy is not the answer. There must be an added value
associated with coming to Derry.
5. In addition to the Craft Centre it is necessary to undertake work to raise the profile of existing craft
industries in Derry through a targeted marketing campaign. E.g. the production of quality marketing
material and events such as the Guildhall Crafts Fair.
6. The potential for repeating the Guildhall Craft Fair or enlarging it to showcase crafts from a wider
area should be seriously considered.
JUNE 2000 18
2.7 Clothing and Textiles Design
Argument
The UK clothing industry has experienced two dominant trends over the recent past: the building up of
production of lower range clothing in low wage countries; and the co-ordinating (some would say
dominating) role played by retailers and their buyers. Much of the production in UK industry is labour
intensive - cutting, trimming and sewing clothes. Although the larger firms tend to carry significant
overheads, relatively little capital is required to set up as a producer, both because the machinery is
cheap (sewing machines and cutting machines) and because for many types of clothing large scale
production does not have many cost advantages over small. As a result, the clothing industry is one of a
small number of economic sectors where the barriers to entry are not high. For a proportion of
producers, a premium is placed on low waged, though skilled, labour, while transport infrastructure
enables the finished goods (which are not bulky) to be transported with relative ease. However, this very
feature means that clothing can be imported from low wage countries at little unit cost. Producing firms
are subject to strong price competition, and many UK producers have increasingly been out-sourcing
and/or moving their production centres overseas to Third World Countries, the Far East, Eastern
Europe and countries such as Cyprus and Turkey.
The strategy that clothing industries in other advanced economies have adopted - Italy, West Germany,
Finland - has been to concentrate rather more on the fashion and up-market end of the business. Here
competitive edge revolves around the quality of design, links between designers and producers, quality
control, skilled labour and marketing as much as price. Thus, about half of the clothing imports to the
UK come not from the Third World but from other advanced economies - a third from the EU. The UK
and Northern Ireland industry is therefore in something of a pincer movement, caught between the low
price imports from the Third World and the upper range fashion goods from other advanced
economies. It is against this background that the future of the clothing sector (and the related area of
textile design) in Northern Ireland and Derry should be assessed.
Italy is often referred to as the exemplar for retaining and growing a fashion and clothing sector by
combining traditional skills, good design, computer technology in the design process and the growth of
a pool of inter-trading small and medium-sized enterprises. Emilia Romagna, in particular, has seen a
dramatic growth in the numbers of artisan firms over the past twenty years to the point where in
employment terms they far outweigh the significance of larger enterprises. This growth has been
supported by the development of a sophisticated infrastructure, capable of delivering a comprehensive
range of services designed to lift the administrative burden on entrepreneurs, encourage innovation,
and promote specific sectoral objectives. These services are delivered by a large number of
specialised semi-independent organisations - usually consortia of employers with the involvement of
local and regional authorities, other industry associations, and sometimes trade unions. In most cases
the initial impetus and start up funding comes from partnerships between the Regional Council, the
Provincial Council and the Commune, though the long term aim is to achieve self sufficiency for each
organisation through a combination of subscription income and the sale of services.
Within the Derry City Council area, employment in the clothing industry has been declining steadily. The
most recent official figures suggest that there were 3882 FTE jobs in the Manufacture of Wearing
Apparel (SIC 92) in September 1995; the corresponding number of jobs for 1997 was 3673. Moreover,
there are persistent rumours that the remaining large employers are considering shifting their
production to low-wage countries. This means that the clothing industry in Derry is facing an uncertain
future. The Textile Design and Manufacturing industry is less affected by these global trends, since
demand for good quality fabrics and design remain healthy. Even so, a proportion of the textile design
industry in Derry will be affected by any loss of capacity in the local clothing industry.
JUNE 2000 19
Against this background, a group of industrialists and designers have formed an alliance in Derry with
the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education to progress a design-led clothing and textiles
initiative for Derry. Their aim is play a significant role in the wider re-incarnation of the Irish clothing and
textiles industries by encouraging start-up businesses to differentiate themselves from low-cost
producers through design and marketing. The concept of a "Design, Marketing and Technology project
for textiles and clothing" for Derry’ envisages:
# a locally based academic and continuing education facility;
# a heritage/archive/research function;
# a business incubator and clustered workspace for clothing and textiles related businesses; and
# a retail space.
Conceivably all aspects could be housed in a reused Derry shirt factory building.
Assessment
Although the Design, Marketing and Technology proposal for textiles and clothing is in its early phases
and is a concept which remains to be tried and tested, we have little doubt that an initiative along these
general lines is what is required in the modern, design-led fashion, apparel and textile industries. The
link between young designers, experienced industrialists and education providers is a strong one, and
the resonance with Derry’s industrial heritage powerful. There are, moreover, many examples of
successful (and the not so successful) fashion centres in the rest of the UK, for example in Nottingham
and Gateshead. There are also, as well as the Italian examples such as CITER, organisations in the
UK from which much can be gleaned, notably the Northern Ireland Textiles and Apparel Association
and the Scottish Apparel Centre. Whether such an initiative is best housed within a former shirt factory
is a moot point, as indeed is the question of the feasibility of some of the proposed components - the
living heritage centre, for example. All of these questions must be addressed in a feasibility study for the
project. Project sponsors, including Derry City Council, will also need to consider where best to locate
any such centre and whether there is any benefit or otherwise from keeping fashion and textile design
separate from other creative activities such as crafts and contemporary design.
1. We would propose that the potential of the Design, Marketing and Technology proposal for textiles
and clothing should be examined
2. Derry City Council should support the aforementioned initiative as the key to a future design led
clothing and textile industry, particularly aimed at growing new small businesses in design/making.
3. The elements of the above proposal need careful consideration. It may be that, for example, the
managed workspace element could be combined with other sectors, such as contemporary crafts
or even film makers.
4. The location of a building-based initiative is also worthy of careful consideration. We would

recommend a city centre or reasonably central location.
JUNE 2000 20
2.8 Cultural Animation
Argument
The concept of cultural animation has for many years been used to considerable effect in a number of
French and Italian towns, even in quite small places, and has been taken up by many UK towns and
cities in recent years. It involves contracting a cultural animateur to programme events and festivals
across a range of venues, including public places, squares and parks. The idea is to provide a varied
diet of events and activities - lunch time concerts, art exhibitions, street theatre - so that people begin to
visit an area just to see what’s going a local research and development fund to allow local independent
producers to employ researchers point to stress here is that attention to the ‘soft infrastructure’ of
events, programmes and activities is as in important for successful urban revitalisation as building
works and street design.
Assessment
Such an approach might very well link to the emergence of an evening economy in Derry that is more
mixed than simply a few pubs catering for 18-25 year olds. Like public and environmental art, cultural
animation is all about the ‘feel good factor’: activity, enjoyment and image. Come to the town centre, go
to the festival, see a movie, visit the gallery, have dinner, invite your friends over for a weekend break,
during the Film Festival.
We propose that the development strategy for Derry city centre should actively employ cultural
animation as a means of generating activity, interest and a more contemporary image.
This means consolidating and expanding upon existing festivals and events such as Halloween and the
Foyle Film Festival.
Wherever possible, trade fair type festivals should be accompanied by programmes of events for the
public.
Establish a series of festivals over the year, that is in winter as well as summer in order to help extend
visits throughout the season.
JUNE 2000 21
2.9 Cultural Tourism
Argument and Initial Assessment
Cultural activity is widely regarded as one of the important ‘attractions’ in bringing visitors to an area.
Very often, the types of visitor who appreciate historic buildings, antique shops and local history
museums also appreciate the theatre and the visual arts, or perhaps a concert in the park or a fire-
works display. This is a relationship which is well understood in the Republic of Ireland where towns and
cities such as Galway and Kilkenny have built upon historic structures or events creating a popular
tourism product which generates both income and employment.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) have realised the potential that the cultural tourism market
offers in the North and detail their approach in the Paper The Cultural Sector: a Development
Opportunity for Tourism in Northern Ireland.
NITB definition of Cultural Tourism
The paper sets out a number of corporate objectives which reflect the importance placed on this sector
both at a national and European level. These include:
• Setting in train a long term process of cultural image development;
• Initiating the development and promotion of speciality arts tourism in the key areas of literature,
visual arts and traditional arts; and
• Setting up a festivals group to agree key tourism/arts festivals for development.
It is important to stress the long term nature of this initiative. To fully exploit the opportunities offered by
this market a new image for the Province is required which builds on current strengths. The creation of
new visitor attractions should be integrated into this process.
Derry undoubtedly has much to offer. It has first class attractions in key areas such as the Verbal Arts
Centre; the Playhouse and the Orchard Gallery – which fit nicely into the speciality arts sector - within
the historic setting of a walled city. It also hosts a series of festivals such as the Foyle Film Festival and
the Halloween Festival – famous throughout Ireland and beyond.
However, at present the tourism sector in Derry is relatively underdeveloped, especially when compared
with towns such as Galway and significant economic benefits are being lost. However, this is being
addressed in a number of quarters, most notably the Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau. Work is
currently being undertaken with regard to the creation of a new brand image for the city targeting new
sectors. It is to be hoped that part of this study has addressed the issue of cultural tourism.
It is essential that Derry generates more income from this source. To so it has to attract more people to
the city and then encourage them to stay longer.
JUNE 2000 22
1. Derry should seek to develop cultural tourism through branding and marketing of existing
attractions.
2. Further consideration needs to be given to expansion of tourism infrastructure. Too much

development too fast could be as harmful to the economy as under provision.
3. New attractions should be considered such as a new contemporary visual arts gallery.
Expansion plans for the Playhouse and the new Millennium Theatre will add to the existing
offer.
4. Maximum exposure should be gained from festivals and other events. New events should be
considered such as a major Summer Festival of the Arts.
5. The bidding process for the UK nomination for the European City of Culture is about to get
underway. This could have a myriad of benefits – high profile for positive reasons, new funding
opportunities, visitor attraction – for Derry as well as acting as a basic framework for cultural
development.
JUNE 2000 23
2.10 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Summary
Our research has identified some 90 businesses operating in Derry’s cultural economy.
About a third of this activity consists of businesses and various arts and training organisations in the
audio-visual media and in music recording, although this includes 10 free-lance photographers. The
number of businesses working in the a/v media is 5, and this includes such organisations the Blast
Furnace recording studio at the Foyle Arts Centre to camera teams and production companies like
Besom Productions Ltd. We have listed 15 cultural venues in Derry, although this includes 5 libraries
and 5 museums, including the Tower Museum. The main cultural venues range from the Playhouse to
the Verbal Arts Centre and the Rialto. There are some 13 businesses working in various design
activities, notably Mark Willet and Edel McBride. There are also 8 businesses operating in publishing,
and these include local newspapers and community publishers such as Yes! Publications. Of the
remainder - our category ‘other’ - 17 businesses identified were architecture practices, and there are 2
advertising agencies.
In this way, Derry’s cultural economy is a mix of the larger venues and facilities which are either run by
or supported by the City Council and other public agencies, and a fairly small number of creative
producers working - more or less - in a market environment. Some of the organisations we have
identified might be considered to be on the edge of the cultural industries as we have defined them,
particularly the architects, local newspapers and advertising agencies. Were we to narrow our
categorisation of cultural businesses in Derry, the overall number would fall to around 65.
Between them these businesses employ close to 500 people on a full-time equivalent basis, according
to official data sources. This is 1.5% of the total number of people employed in Derry as a whole. Our
own survey suggests that there may be, in addition around 400 who are employed full-time, a further
100 who are employed part-time or are self-employed.
From our analysis of the various cultural sub-sectors, Derry’s cultural strengths lie in the more formal
arts sector (venues, museums, libraries), media and music (particularly as organised around the Nerve
Centre) and various design activities, although these are at present under-organised. Derry is weaker in
terms of having theatre production companies, dance and other company - as opposed to venue -
based activities. It is in the small business and self-employed areas that Derry seems least developed in
comparison with the institutional strand of the Cultural Industries. This is largely because Derry’s cultural
economy has itself been developing a growth cycle over the past 20 years. As well as the larger venues
and organisations, there is now scope to develop the micro and small firm creative economy in Derry. In
addition, there are sub-sectors - the visual arts, contemporary crafts and design - where we believe
there is an opportunity to establish new strategic initiatives, in a manner similar to what the Nerve
Centre has achieved for a/v media and the music scene. We would stress, however, that any
development of new ‘centres’ should be accompanied by measures to encourage risk-taking and
businesses development in the cultural economy more generally. That said, the development of (say) 3-
5 new cultural facilities in Derry offers many exciting possibilities, not least in terms of achieving a critical
mass of venues - adding to those which already exist - and creative activity within the city walls.
JUNE 2000 24
2.11 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Challenges
In our view, Derry faces six major challenges in developing its cultural economy, many of which relate to
the market development aspect:
1. The need to achieve stability and a secure footing for the city’s key cultural resources. These
include the Nerve Centre, the Playhouse, the Verbal Arts Centre, the Orchard Gallery and the
Millennium Theatre Complex. The aim must be to consolidate these cultural investments through
reviewing financial levels and investing in market development programmes.
2. There is also an opportunity to develop a small number of strategic centres and facilities, whether
programme based on centre based, for other of the city’s creative sub-sectors, more specifically
the visual arts, the design industries and contemporary crafts.
3. Derry must also address the under-development of the micro and small firm cultural industries as
productive sectors in the city economy, over and above the larger strategic projects. This may take
the form of business development packages, joint marketing projects and some form of property
support.
4. There is also the potential to promote Derry as a stronger cultural destination in ways which
respect, highlight and celebrate the city’s history and heritage features without demeaning it; and in
ways which support and project Derry as a modern, cosmopolitan place where creative people
make beautiful things. This envisages a tie-up with how Derry is marketed, and the range of
cultural facilities and activities available in the city. This will involve an expansion of the range of
festivals and events in the city and enhancing the marketing effort.
5. It is important to stress that visitors will only come to Derry if there are things to do, including the
less formal aspects of the evening economy such as eating out or going for a drink. In this sense,
the city’s cultural development is closely related to the evening economy. As we argue later in this
report, policy should deliberately tie Derry's evening economy to its cultural offer - that is to say the
theatres, proposed festivals and the proposed new facilities. Aspects of the cultural and evening
economies can therefore reinforce each other.
6. For this to happen, policy makers in the city must give priority to improving the public realm, that is
the quality of the urban townscape. Here we would stress that there is an opportunity for artists and
designers to contribute to the re-design of important public spaces, routes and markers by the
design of building frontages, window displays and public art.
We are struck by the potential in Derry to achieve a critical mass of mutually reinforcing cultural venues
and activities, the evening economy and visitor attractions within a highly defined geographical area. ,
The growing cultural quarter within Derry needs formal recognition, as other cities have achieved -
notably Dublin and Sheffield. This is not a question of copying or borrowing from other places; but rather
of following a strategic path which is, in fact, a logical progression from Derry’s existing cultural
economy and its desire to revitalise the city centre.
JUNE 2000 25
2.12 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Proposed Strategy
In order to address these issues, we have provisionally devised a strategy which revolves around
developing key creative sectors in the city, supporting key cultural venues and attracting more cultural
visitors to Derry. The strategy consists of eight areas of action, each with accompanying
recommendations which are set out in the appendix :
Action Areas:
AA1 Development of cultural venues, facilities and programmes
AA2 Development of the fine and contemporary visual arts economy
AA3 Development of the music and the media Industries
AA 4 Development of the contemporary crafts sector
AA5 Development of the designer fashion sector
AA6 Cross-sectoral development initiatives aimed at micro and small business development
AA7 Cultural animation
AA8 Cultural tourism
JUNE 2000 26
3. The Evening Economy
3.1 Definition of the Evening Economy
Cultural activity need not necessarily be confined to the "normal" pattern of the working day. Indeed, it
rarely is. Since much cultural consumption occurs in the evenings, it can form the basis for the
development of an evening economy. Many towns and cities are now wary of missing out on the
economic benefits of having lively urban areas and town centres at night as well as during the day.
There are now a number of places where experiments are in progress - shops remaining open longer,
and other mixes of activities - cafés, restaurants, arts venues, gyms, and so on - being deliberately
seeded. The overall aim, usually, is to break out of the constraints imposed by the 9 to 5, and to
generate new economic activity by diversifying the town centre economy.
In this way, in most towns and cities there are an increasing number of businesses and activities which
conduct their trade and offer their services in the evening or night-time hours after 5 or 6pm. These
include not just traditional places like public houses, bars, bingo halls, restaurants and discos, but also,
shops, gyms, cinemas, music venues, art galleries, theatres and bowling alleys. Alongside these
commercial activities, there are also a broad range of cultural and recreational activities such as
evening classes, clubs and civic societies. Some of these take place in halls and other public facilities,
others are private and entirely self-organised.
Large multiple chains such as breweries, leisure multiples and hotel and catering groups play an
important part in a local evening economy - though these are moving out from the traditional cultural
and leisure locations of town and city centres. With a few exceptions, the evening economy of town
and city centres largely consists of small to medium sized enterprises which are owned and managed
locally or are place-specific in the case, for example, of local theatres and music venues.
The degree to which all of these activities combine to constitute an evening economy is a function of
critical mass and the level of economic maturity. This critical mass can also be dependent on the
support structures which underpin the activities of the evening economy: transportation, lighting, urban
design and policing. From the limited research that has been undertaken in the UK, in both cities and
large towns, it appears that the evening economy represents anything from 5 to 15 per cent of a local
GDP. These jobs and money flows represent an important component of the local economy as a
whole.
Of course, the character of the evening economy varies from place to place, depending not just on size,
but rather catchment area and the draw a place exerts, the nature of its appeal to different types of
people and the extent to which the urban environment feels safe.
What is clear is that the evening economy is predominantly a consumption-based economy. This
consumption mostly revolves around entertainment, leisure and culture. So spending in the evening
economy (or indeed activities which do not directly involve financial transactions) is closely related to
lifestyles, to identity and to self-expression. As far as policy makers are concerned, the key point is to
give equal consideration to the social and cultural impetus behind the evening economy as well as its
economic core.
For, in many respects, the facilities and services in towns and cities continue to adhere to a time regime
which is increasingly out of step with the lifestyles and time needs of modern town and city dwellers.
JUNE 2000 27
Because of a large number of inter-related social and technological changes, the old 9 to 5 pattern of
daily existence no longer forms the back-bone of daily life. Examples of some of these changes are:
# the growing flexibility of labour in most economic sectors, particularly with regard to part-time work
and self-employment;
# the growing incidence of new working patterns such as teleworking;
# the growing number and proportion of retired people;
# the resulting increase in leisure time and, in some cases, disposable leisure spend.
This means that people use their time in increasingly varied and flexible ways: the early morning swim,
the night out in the middle of the afternoon, the breakfast meeting, the evening corporate hospitality
event. It is like programming a video recorder to watch the late night film. People have more choice in
how they organise time.
A growing awareness of these changes has led to the emergence of the idea in public policy of the 18
hour or 24 hour town or city, in which a broad range of different economic, social and cultural activities
are encouraged to take place - particularly in town centres - over longer periods of the day and night.
The role that culture has to play in this can be narrowly or broadly defined. At the least, cultural venues
are an important base line for the evening economy - the cinema, theatre, the art gallery (if it stays
open). More widely defined, culture refers to the patterns and rhythms of everyday life, and therefore
what people do with their time - whether it's hanging out in the Strand Bar, late night shopping, going to
the beauticians or the hairdressing salon, bumping into friends at the Orchard Cinema, or going for a
curry. The important thing is that policy makers should seek to encourage rather than stifle diversity. (It
will be important to identify the role of potentially bad neighbour activities within an area, and notably
clubs playing loud music at 2am. These have a role to play in any city or large town, but they can run
counter to residential amenity and quiet enjoyment. Even in the case of Temple Bar, the early
aspiration to be a 24 hour city, was watered down to a 16 hour city, to allow people to sleep as well as
party. This is a question of policy and the careful siting of noisier activities.
JUNE 2000 28
3.2 The Evening Economy in Derry: Economic Impact
In the absence of any existing listings of businesses engaged in the evening economy sector, the first
task was to make an audit of current activity in Derry. This was done by scanning local directories.
Cross-referencing was made through lists prepared by the City Council. We also undertook a visual
survey, recording our observations in written and photographic form.
Our audit shows that there are (within 5%, taking into account double counting through change of
name, temporary closure of licensed premises) some 213 businesses operating in the evening
economy within Derry. The breakdown of business numbers is as follows:
Table 4: Number Of Companies By Activity
Type Number % Whole

Hotels 7 3.3%
Public Houses 59 27.7%
Restaurants and Cafes 54 25.4%
Night Clubs and Music Pubs 18 8.5%
Leisure Activities Bowling 1 0.4%
Bingo 1 0.4%
Snooker 2 0.9%
Health 7 3.3%
Cultural Activities Cinema 2 0.9%
Theatre 3 1.4%
Retail Activity Off licences 14 6.6%
Video Shops 12 5.6%
Take-aways 9 4.2%
Service Activities Taxis 24 11.4%
Total 213 100%
Source: Urban Cultures & CBP Survey Sample
The major players numerically are pubs, night clubs and music pubs which together account for some
36% of the sector. The next largest group are the restaurants, cafes and hotels which account for some
28% of the sector. Facilities such as the Rialto, Playhouse and Strand Multiplex, although small in
number act as important magnets and catalysts for the evening economy as whole by drawing people
into the city centre and by being responsible for a multiplier effect of related spending on food and drink.
The health, fitness and leisure companies operate throughout the Derry, tending to stay open in the
early evening. There are also a number of off-licences, other retail stores and food takeaways
operating predominantly in residential areas.
It should be noted that although there is a preponderance of evening economy uses within the City
Centre, the companies included in this survey are located throughout the Derry City area.
JUNE 2000 29
Employment
The SIC data shows 1,753 in 1997, up from 1,386 in 1995.
Table 5: Employment in the Derry City Council Area in the Evening Economy
Activity Sept 1995 Sept 1997 Change
Hotels and Motels with restaurants 251 387 +136
Restaurants 435 580 +145
Take-away food shops 160 159 -1
Bars 520 500 -20
Other Service Activities 80 85 +5
Other Recreational Activities 40 42 +2
Total 1486 1753 +267(+15%)
Source: SIC 92, Northern Ireland Employee Jobs
Conclusions
Our overall conclusion is that, in comparison with other cities of its size, Derry has, in numerical terms, a
reasonably developed and stable evening economy, which has its own distinctive identity.
JUNE 2000 30
3.3 Economic Development of Evening Economy Business
Argument
The growth and diversification of the evening economy brings opportunities for creating employment
and generating wealth. A balanced evening economy where a variety of business sectors operate along
side each other stimulates greater spending as one evening activity often leads to another. A trip to the
museum for example could lead to a meal and then a trip to the cinema. A diversity of economic activity
also helps counter act the problem of domination by pubs and club goers by bringing a wider age range
into the city centre in the evenings.
Assessment
Our research has identified some 213 businesses operating in the evening economy in the designated
areas. Just under half of this activity consists of pubs, night clubs and music pubs, with a further 28%
consisting of restaurants, cafes and hotels. Meanwhile arts, cultural and entertainment facilities make
up only 2% of the total number of businesses and activities. The remainder consists of various types of
retailing and leisure activities.
Between them these businesses employ just under 1,800 people on a full-time equivalent basis,
according to official data sources. This is 5% of the total number of people employed in Derry as a
whole. Our own survey suggests that there may be, in addition to the 1,800 who are employed full-time,
a further 1,500 who are employed part-time and on a casual basis.
Policy: To grow new economic activity, diversify the evening economy base and support the city’s
overall economic development strategy and specific priority sectors (IT, Tourism, Arts and Culture and
Education)
1. Identify key drivers for the development of an evening economy in Derry.
2. Develop the City Vital Fund to support the development of businesses that contribute to the
development of the evening economy and support a 24 hour living and working city through
measures such as:-
# Provision of start-up capital

# Rent subsidy for targeted businesses
# Infrastructure assistance eg cabling of buildings
# Fit-out assistance
# The introduction of Shop front improvement programmes re visibility and signage.
3. Evening Economy Criteria in general business development grant applications.
4. Development of a Business Development Advice package for evening economy businesses.
5. Encourage inward investment to evening economy clusters.
6. Support existing and future residential development by encouraging the establishment of

businesses and services which meet the service requirements of the City’s residential population
outside normal business hours.
JUNE 2000 31
3.4 Audience Development and Marketing
Argument
The successful development of a sustainable cultural and evening economy is dependent upon the
creation, retention and development of new audiences. Audience development is critical to long term
success and requires a well co-ordinated and well thought out marketing and promotion strategy which
seeks to attract a wide range of target groups, as well as catering for niche and specialist interests. The
development of a coherent marketing strategy requires more than simply identifying target audiences, it
requires action to retain and bolster interest in the longer term and to ensure that revenues arising from
those taking part in the evening and cultural economies are maximised as far as possible.
Assessment
Our observations revealed that the vast bulk of evening economy users and customers are local, with
all but 15% coming from within a five miles of the city centre. In terms of age range, the profile is fairly
conventional: clubs and pubs attract the 18-30s, who form the largest single user group, while the 30+
group are more likely to use restaurants and certain types of arts and leisure facility. Males tend to use
the evening economy more often than females.
Policy: Create more market niches (Women, families, Students and Youth) to create more demand and
ensure that the evening economy attracts a diversity of people into the city.
1. Market (brand) existing night time clusters as being distinctive, for example (subject to research)
# Students, Art Lovers, Professionals
2. Produce a series of Derry guides and leaflets on aspects of the evening economy, for example:
# a ‘Good Food Guide’.
# A ‘Style Guide’ for Derry (ie Time-out guide focusing on cafes, bars, dining, speciality retail and
other entertainment venues and events in the city centre).
3. Develop a program for ‘Family Nights’ in the city (linked to events) in association with discount
vouchers
4. Develop a web page on Derry’s evening economy - the ‘Night City’.
5. Promote Derry’s evening economy in more general marketing and tourist literature.
JUNE 2000 32
3.5 The Problem of Urban Fear
Argument
In many towns and cities, discussion about the centre in the evenings is now wholly contextualised by the language of law
and order and of public security. "Very dangerous", " I wouldn't want to go there when the pubs close", "I wouldn't let my wife
go into the town centre on her own after the shops close". How much of this anxiety has any basis in reality? Comedia, Out
of Hours, 1991.
The problem of dead town centres became apparent during the 1980's, at the same time that concern
over the quality of life was growing. One the main reasons for not using town centres in the evening is
fear over personal safety. This anxiety can arise for a number of or a combination of reasons:
# because particular social groups have come to dominate;
# because overall the centre is too empty of people to feel safe;
# because of isolated incidents which take on a representative dimension.
None of this is to underplay the very real threat of crime in many town centres at night; it is simply to
emphasise that it is more often fear of crime rather than crime itself which influences people's attitudes.
Women in particular construct detailed mental maps of parts of the town or city which feel safe, and
those that don't and should be avoided. Our view is that this limitation placed on individuals' rights to
enjoy all aspects of life should be tackled, and that the best way to make town and city centres safer is
to encourage an evening economy with more, not less activity. As we show below, this also involves a
'designing out crime' approach involving consideration of the design of buildings and public space, the
public realm and natural surveillance.
Assessment
Our research reveals confusion about the complexity of the range of legislative requirements for
operating an evening economy business. One of the principal issues was the number of separate
departments to deal with and the frequent changes of legislative requirements for those with
entertainment licences.
A number of outlets wanted to extend their trading hours. The caveat in any extension of trading hours
is a balance between public nuisance and a development of activity to its market level. Clearly the more
activity in the economy implies greater movement of moneys in the system, business development and
increased employment opportunities.
The essence is the management of the operating environment, rather than the control of the
operating environment, in the interests of public security and increased business. Some of the key
concerns about safety issues within the City Centre from residents, traders and licensees, have been
collated by Town Centre Management.. Locations that cause concern are often badly lit, dominated by
shop fronts with heavy steel shutters. Alcohol abuse, by street-drinkers and teenagers adds to a sense
of unease and certain locations are identified as sectarian trouble spots.
There is a strong perception that too much of the city centre offer is based on alcohol-related
entertainment. It is felt that if more cafes and alternative uses could be integrated it would encourage
more people back into the city centre.
JUNE 2000 33
Shop front shutters are another key issue. The introduction of new designs, possibly through grant aid
assistance would have a major impact on the appearance and environment of the city centre. It is not
known whether it would be possible to engender enough confidence to leave shutters up but this would
depend on other security issues being resolved such as policing and CCTV.
Good lighting deters crime since it increases visibility. Moreover, if the place is light then people feel
safe and use the streets, thus increasing the level of natural surveillance and less draconian security
measures. In places where lighting levels have been increased the sense of security and safety has
increased. For example, improved lighting levels around Wolverhampton's city centre theatres has led
to the creation of a more secure environment and to increased takings at the box office (source:
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Marketing Department). Similarly Manchester's Canal Street, once
notorious for prostitution, has become a 'promenade' place. Lighting sources can be from street light or
the decorative lighting of architectural features or public art installations; or it can come directly from the
shops and entertainment venues themselves. This has the effect of creating light but more subtly of
giving the impression of activity. Activity begets activity and this is vital in the promotion of the evening
economy.
Policy: To overcome the perception of the city after dark as a dangerous or unsafe place and
encourage people to visit, stay longer and stroll about the city.
1. Develop and implement a Marketing Drive (see above) to attract a greater number and range of
people to the City at night.
2. Conduct a lighting audit of the city and develop a strategy for improved lighting of the public realm.
This should also encourage architectural lighting schemes.
3. Conduct an audit of people movements in the city during evening hours with a view to establishing
safe walking routes through the city after dark.
4. Encourage active street frontages, innovative shop lighting and window displays, particularly along
major pedestrian routes through the city. Existing window shopping opportunities in the city should
be protected through the development and implementation of appropriate shop shutter controls.
5. Encourage police on the beat along main pedestrian routes in the city.
6. Improve media liaison to encourage the positive portrayal and imaging of the city at night.
JUNE 2000 34
3.6 Cultural Facilities And Events
Argument
The importance of cultural facilities in the evening economy has been set out in section 2.3. Events
such as festivals, carnivals and street entertainment also add vitality to urban areas attracting people
from outside and bringing with them opportunities for local community involvement in their preparation
and organisation..
Assessment
Section 2.3 highlighted Derry’s most significant cultural facilities concluding that subject to current plans
coming to fruition, Derry could have five venues of cultural significance; the Millennium Theatre
Complex, the Verbal Arts Centre, the Nerve Centre, an improved Playhouse and a refurbished St
Columb’s Hall.
Policy: Capitalise on existing venues by extending opening hours and, where appropriate, invest in new
venues and events
1. Review opening hours of existing cultural facilities - Orchard Gallery, Tower Museum - with a view
to increasing their opening hours and activities in to the evening.
2. Develop an events programme which links to the existing wider programme and add some new
events/facilities more orientated towards families and youth.
3. Review the city’s festival and events programme and the feasibility of applying it to evening events
in Derry.
4. Identify and develop missing venues such as:
# Jazz clubs
# Contemporary Visual Arts and Crafts Gallery.
5. Continue to develop and implement a programme of street animation
6. Examine the potential for lighting sculptures/holograms in the city. (part of lighting strategy)
JUNE 2000 35
3.7 Transport
Argument
Parking and transport are key issues in the development of the evening economy.
Assessment
Derry is well served for car parks and the majority of them are open plan with multi-storeys located at
the Foyleside Shopping Centre and the Quayside Shopping Centre. The diagram below shows their
locations.
Safety and security in car parks, both for the person and the vehicle, are paramount when going out at
night. The slightest impression that there might not be safety is more potent than the knowledge that the
car park is secure. It is important in the sustainability of the evening economy that there be no hint of
danger. Good lighting, well kept and visibly patrolled car parks are demonstrably successful, and the
costs associated with the upgrading of the security are recouped and rewarded by increased usage. It
is crucial that the improvements are well publicised in order to get over the impression of past insecurity.
JUNE 2000 36
There is an issue concerning safety and public perception of car-parking in the evenings , particularly
from women. This issue can be looked at in terms of adoption of principles of safe design. Parking on
the street is a vexed issue, particularly where there are residential areas nearby and the needs of
residents have to be balanced with the needs of customers. However, there are arguments for
deregulating parking in the city centre at night time. Parking and people on the street, coming and
going, both create a sense of bustle but also set up systems of natural surveillance.
It is essential that the transport infrastructure which relates to the city centre is well regulated. Buses, in
general, from Derry city centre to outlying districts stop around 10pm (with some stopping as early as
6pm) and this means that clubs turning out late have to rely on the taxis or their own transport.
The taxi service in Derry is very fragmented. There are 41 firms operating in the North West area and
around 1,500 taxis operating in Derry City centre. Of these only between one third and a half are
actually licensed. This has a number of implications from liability in case of an accident and the
standard of cars used to a negative impact on legitimate businesses. We understand that Town Centre
Management team have been working with the taxi companies and association to address these issues
and support them in that.
There three official taxi ranks, the first is on Foyle Street, the second is on William Street and the third is
on Sackville Street. Unfortunately there is often a problem with violence once the pubs and clubs close,
particularly as alternative forms of transport are severely limited.
Policy: Establish a separate transport management for the night city. This should make the city more
pedestrian friendly but recognise the benefit to city vitality from vehicle movements at night.
1. Review off street car parking along with on street parking controls and ticketing in the city in the
evening. Parking should be available and safe.
2. Review pedestrian priority schemes at off peak times. Certain areas feel quite threatening after
dark due to a lack of activity.
3. Review existing evening transport services with regarding availability and security. Increasing bus
services should be a priority.
4. Develop an access guide to the city at night.
5. Review taxi provision and operation within the city in collaboration with the taxi industry building on
work already done
JUNE 2000 37
3.8 The Evening Economy in Derry: Summary
Our research has identified some 215 businesses operating in the evening economy in the designated
areas.
Just under half of this activity consists of pubs, night clubs and music pubs, with a further 28%
consisting of restaurants, cafes and hotels. Meanwhile arts, cultural and entertainment facilities make
up only 2% of the total number of businesses and activities. The remainder consists of various types of
retailing and leisure activities.
Between them these businesses employ just under 1,800 people on a full-time equivalent basis,
according to official data sources. This is 5% of the total number of people employed in Derry as a
whole. Our own survey suggests that there may be, in addition to the 1,800 who are employed full-time,
a further 1,500 who are employed part-time and on a casual basis.
The vast bulk of evening economy users and customers are local, with all but 15% coming from within a
five miles of the city centre. In terms of age range, the profile is fairly conventional: clubs and pubs
attract the 18-30s, who form the largest single user group, while the 30+ group are more likely to use
restaurants and certain types of arts and leisure facility. Males tend to use the evening economy more
often than females.
Our overall conclusion is that, in comparison with other cities of its size, Derry has, in numerical terms, a
reasonably developed and stable evening economy, which has its own distinctive identity. Although
there are a sizeable number of outlets, Derry’s evening economy is at the moment appealing to a fairly
narrow catchment, both in geography and the age profile of its customers, and in the quality offered.
Where new ‘products’ have been introduced - The Strand Bar, Earth Club, the Trinity Hotel - these have
proved successful, and this success has encouraged entrepreneurs to invest more. There are also
recent signs of national chains seeking to open outlets in Derry. Even so, the overall impression of
Derry’s evening economy is one of relative stability, even sluggishness in seeking to attract new users
and visitors. Derry’s evening economy does not quite equal the sum of its parts. For a city of its size,
location, hinterland and success as a retail centre, Derry’s evening economy is fairly disappointing.
JUNE 2000 38
3.9 Developing the Evening Economy in Derry: Challenges
In our view, Derry faces a number of problems in developing its evening economy:
1. The lack of an obvious growth cluster. Options include the Strand Road outside of the city walls,
from Waterloo Place to beyond the existing cinema, and inside the city walls themselves in an area
around Shipquay Street/Foyle Street and over towards the Diamond. Both Strand Road and
Shipquay Street/Foyle Street are already the city’s strongest evening economy locations, and both
could be strengthened by the combination of the new cultural investment in the Millennium Theatre
and other venues, and by a more progressive approach to the mix of activities within these areas
and the streetscape itself. We would propose concentrating on developing these existing nodes
further as the main priority, allied to a series of measures to improve the city centre’s ambient
quality in the evenings, particularly in and around the city walls. In addition, we believe that the
Diamond would make a good location for a more up-market evening economy, based around
quality restaurants and cafe-bars, but not pubs.
2. Growing competition from other centres may threaten to take a significant share of the
local/regional and the visitor market in restaurants, cafes and bars. Our survey would appear to
confirm that the markets for Derry’s evening economy are narrowly drawn, both in terms of age
profile and geographical catchment. This appears to be something of a ‘chicken and egg’ situation
where fewer people use Derry if the quality is not what they expect and if the city feels unsafe in the
evenings; and therefore entrepreneurs and proprietors are more reluctant to invest in upgrading
their premises. That this cycle of potential decline can be broken is demonstrated by the substantial
investments and the success of the Trinity Hotel, the Strand Bar and the Earth Night Club. As other
towns and cities in the UK have seen, the evening economy, to a considerable extent, creates its
own demand by improving quality. We believe - although we have not been able to confirm this
because of a lack of available market data - that Derry could and should be able to expand its
customer base within the region. Added to this, there is the very real expectation that Derry will
attract more visitors from the South, the rest of the UK and overseas. At the moment, we suspect
that such visitors find little to entertain them in Derry. This could change with the development, in
tandem of a stronger evening economy and cultural life.
3. For this to happen, Derry must find a way to develop an evening economy which is not simply
catering for 18-25 year old club and pub goers, for if the city does not cater for the middle-aged and
the middle class spenders (visitors and residents) they will simply spend their money elsewhere.
This is a question of the quality of offer. The answer, we believe, is to deliberately tie Derry’s
evening economy to its cultural offer – that is to say that the theatres, festivals and art gallerys
would need to remain open well into the evenings. In this way, the evening economy ‘offer’ might
be targeted on theatre and gallery goers, as well as young professionals in order to avoid an over-
dominance of pubs and rowdy behaviour..
4. For this to happen, policy makers in the city must give priority to improving the public realm, street
life, permeability and legibility - in other words, the quality of the urban townscape. Here we would
simply note that, despite its superb urban form, more work is needed to achieve a city in which
people feel relaxed and safe strolling after dark. In our view, it ought to be possible to establish an
evening economy route or promenade, so that people might simply stroll about. This should include
the city walls themselves, Shipquay Street as the city’s most important east-west spine and cross-
over streets running north-south. It is here that we can see the importance of the Diamond as a
central node, animate, safe and comfortable, connecting parts of the city in the evenings. The main
pedestrian routes should be well-lit in the evenings, and ideally have good evening activity along its
frontages to generate natural surveillance.
JUNE 2000 39
5. Our research has also revealed confusion amongst evening economy businesses over a range of
planning, licensing and environmental health issues. Although some of this may be based on a
longer-term distrust of public agencies, there is nevertheless a strong argument for simplifying
access to information on the regulatory regime in Derry as applied to the evening economy.
JUNE 2000 40
3.10 Evening Economy in Derry: Proposed Strategy
In order to addresses these issues, we have provisionally devised a strategy which revolves around
marketing, management, cultural animation, environmental improvements and business development.
Policy Objectives
In our view Derry City Council and Partner organisations should embark upon a development strategy
for the city’s evening economy. The reason for doing so – policy objectives – can be summarised as
follows:
1. To further develop an important and emerging sector of the economy.
2. Raise awareness of the evening economy and its potential to contribute to economic development
and the vitality of Derry among policy makers, city businesses and other stakeholders, and develop
a shared vision for its implementation.
3. To support the City’s overall economic development strategy in relation to key sectors i.e. Arts and
Culture, Tourism, IT and Education and other drivers of the future city economy.
4. Market Derry city centre as a evening economy destination to a wider catchment area, (and to
overseas visitors);
5. Regenerate and/or maintain existing evening economy clusters, diversify the current mix of pubs,
restaurants, clubs and bars and encourage more places of informal recreation, attracting a wider
age-range (for which we use the generic term 'cafe culture');
6. To improve the City’s public realm at night, in terms of permeability, safety, natural surveillance and
ambience.
7. Use the development of an Evening Economy as an impetus for improving the overall design and
ambience of the city environment and its public realm. A city that functions well and attracts people
in the evening hours will also work during the day.
Proposed Lines of Action
To achieve these objectives we recommend a programme of actions organised under seven strategy
headings or “basic lines of action”, viz.:
AA 9 Improving the operating environment of evening economy businesses;
AA 10 Developing the market for the evening economy;
AA 11 Reducing urban fear;
AA 12 Cultural facilities and events and the evening economy;
AA 13 Transport Management;
These lines of action can only succeed within a policy framework which also:
JUNE 2000 41
# improves the quality of the city’s public spaces and pedestrian movement,
# maintains and improves the activity mix and diversity in land uses.
# And maintains an appropriate balance of use
Amongst the more important recommendations we propose:
1. Improved liaison between the regulatory agencies to simplify access to information about the
process through the regulatory aspects of the evening economy;
2. A review of Licensing and Opening Hours with a view to extending trading hours;
3. The introduction of a Support Package for evening economy businesses to encourage new activity
and help upgrade the quality of Derry’s evening offer and ambience;
4. The setting-up of a Joint Marketing Initiative to sell Derry’s evening economy to a wider catchment
area and to overseas visitors;
5. The promotion of Street Life and Cafe Culture in order to improve quality and to generate greater
natural surveillance;
6. Adopting a balanced Designing Out Crime approach to the streets and spaces within the city
centre;
7. Generally to increase Legibility and the ease of pedestrian movement in city centre;
8. That lobbying take place to amend PPS5 to include a presumption in favour of town centres for
retail and leisure development as is currently the case with PPG6 in England.
9. The introduction of a New Evening Transport and Parking Regime.
JUNE 2000 42
4. The Public Realm
4.1 Argument
The state of the public realm, both in terms of civic squares, buildings, open spaces and the
configuration of buildings and activities can materially affect the development of a city’s evening, tourist
and cultural economy. The environment and the care with which it is kept and presented to residents
and visitors sends strong messages about the place, its welcome or otherwise.
A town or city’s public realm can be simply defined as the network of spaces and corners where the
public are free to go, to meet and gather, and simply to watch one another. In fact, the public realm in a
city performs many functions, not only as meeting places but also in helping to define the built
environment, providing spaces for local traditions and customs such as festivals and carnivals, and
representing meaning and identity. It is therefore as important to think through the design of the public
realm – its sequences, proportions and dimensions – as it is for city blocks and individual buildings.
Successful urban places are in part shaped by the relationship of built form to space, and the range,
variety and characteristics of the spaces made available: outdoor rooms, civic spaces, promenading
routes, night-strips, quiet gardens, little corners to rest awhile, favourite meeting places. This is not
simply a question of quantity or setting space standards (so many acres to population bands), but a
rather more complex understanding of the attributes of spaces, their delineation’s, psychology and
symbolism. Attention also needs to be paid to the safety of such places by promoting natural as well as
organised surveillance, by managing their upkeep properly and by installing lighting systems of a high
standard. In many cities in the UK, until quite recently, not much thought has gone into the public realm,
nor much of an appreciation of it or the fact that it is being lost to development schemes and private
shopping malls. Consideration of the valuable role played by the public realm ought to be a key
development principle in town and city making.
The public realm in towns and cities performs a number of ‘functions’:
# As an integral part of the built form or townscape;
# As neutral territory where everyone has a right to gather;
# As a place where historical events occurred, and where collective memory resides;
# As places where public forms of social life can occur.
Sadly, both the amount and quality of public space in many UK towns and cities has been diminishing in
recent years although there are now a few good examples of the public realm being reclaimed,
recreated or created anew. Space within towns and cities has been lost for many reasons but an
important factor has been the rise in urban fear.
JUNE 2000 43
4.2 Assessment
In assessing Derry’s built heritage in terms of the City’s public realm and urban form a number of over-
arching strengths and opportunities can be identified.
Strengths
# The city walls which are complete and afford spectacular views across Derry and its environs;
# The ‘old walled city’ which largely retains its original street pattern with several groups of important
listed buildings and streets and spaces of historical significance;
# Buildings of high architectural quality both within and without the walls;
# Dramatic topographic form either side of the River Foyle;
# Spectacular strategic views of the City affording dramatic sense of arrival;
# Special and distinctive townscape character both within and ‘without’ the walls;
# The Foyle river which represents a spectacular setting for the West Bank and Waterside;
In this way, Derry’s townscape is distinctive and in many places intact. However, the dynamic between
built form and good activity, especially optional and social activities (including evening activities) still has
scope for improvement.
Opportunities
# The opportunity to bring forward and enhance areas of high quality townscape including sensitive
co-ordination including sensitive co-ordination of all aspects of the public realm in terms of quality,
detailing and signage;
# The opportunity to enhance the relationship between city centre and riverfront;
# The opportunity to animate the city and to increase the outward expression of the ‘creative’ city
through the sensitive use of banners, lighting and other celebratory paraphernalia;
# The opportunity to enhance the character of the city at night and to draw people in through
architectural lighting of City’s heritage features.
# The opportunity for creating high quality promenades utilising the City Walls and opening up the
riverfront
# The opportunities to achieve greater levels of optional and social activity within key public spaces
e.g. The Diamond, The City Walls, The ‘New’ Millennium Piazza, Guildhall Square/ Shipquay
Place, Waterloo Place, Harbour Square and the Foyle Waterfront.
JUNE 2000 44
4.3 Strategic Issues/Proposals
From our assessment of Derry’s city form and the issues which relate specifically to the development
of a successful evening economy and cultural destination we have identified a series of strategic
proposals.
Policy Area: Public Realm and City Form
To improve the quality of the built environment and reclaim and enhance the public realm of the city in
order to improve social life, permeability and natural surveillance in the city, especially after dark.
# Develop a main promenade route through the city, including the city walls, for example linking
Strand Road through Shipquay Street to the Diamond. This would involve addressing issues
including improved lighting, the installation of a continuous surface and improved pedestrian
crossings with longer crossing times;
# Improve the north-south and east-west permeability of the city through the maintenance and
improvement of the pedestrian environment in the existing fine grain and network of smaller
streets;
# Encourage better use of the city walls as a promenade and tourist trail and for events and
activities;
# Develop a city centre (including ‘Waterside’) streetscape/townscape scheme as part of a

wider City Masterplan and Urban Design strategy;
# Develop a vision (as part of City Masterplan) for the ‘Heart of the City Project’ and the creation
of a new waterfront;
# Install appropriate public art works in the public realm to encourage interaction and improve
the evening environment of the city – including the creation of bespoke street furniture;
# Install appropriate signage to improve the legibility of the city.
# Develop a design brief and implementation plan for an ‘urban village’ for the Waterside
focussing on the Duke Street/Spencer Road area and linked into the future development of
Ebrington Barracks and St Columb’s Park;
# Establish a regime of ‘City Quarters’ e.g. Birmingham, based on townscape character and
function (See Diagram 1 ).
JUNE 2000 45
Policy Area: Mixed Use and Activities
Maintain the existing balance and diversity of uses and activities in existing evening economy clusters
in the city (including residential) and encourage alfresco dining as appropriate. Encourage more
diverse land use mix in areas and range of daytime and night time activities in areas dominated by
single uses as appropriate.
# Develop a Street Frontages Zoning Policy to encourage mixed and active uses along street
frontages;
# Maintain the diversity and balance of use in existing nightime ‘clusters’ e.g. Strand Road,
Shipquay Street, Foyle Street;
# Introduce greater diversity of uses and activity, especially evening economy and café-culture
activities in Waterloo Place and The Diamond.
# Encourage ‘vertical grain’ – i.e. a diversity of uses within street blocks and individual buildings;
# Develop a ‘city living’ programme to encourage ‘living over the shop’ and conversions where
appropriate in the old city especially.
# Develop the waterfront as a new mixed quarter of the city.
JUNE 2000 46
Appendix 1 Diagrams
Diagram 1: The Cultural Quarter
JUNE 2000 47
Diagram 2: Space and Routes
JUNE 2000 48
Diagram 3: Routes and Car Parks
JUNE 2000 49
Diagram 4: Routes and Venues
JUNE 2000 50
DERRY CITY COUNCIL URBAN CULTURES & COLIN BUCHANAN AND PARTNERS
Appendix 2 Action Plan
JUNE 2000 51
Action Area 1: Development of Cultural Venues and Programmes
Aim: To create a range of venues and spaces to cater for a variety of performances, exhibitions and activities
Action Description Lead Partners Time Cost Estimated Cost Priority Action
Range
1.1 Consolidate the key Independent strategic review of financial, organisational and DCC ACNI/NWLEB 2001-2 To be determined High
cultural venues other support for venues which are fundamental to the city’s ongoing with venues and as
cultural economy. The venues include the Verbal Arts Centre, consequence of any
the Nerve Centre, the Playhouse, the Millennium Theatre rationalisation
Complex and the Orchard Gallery.
1.2 Development of See action 2.1
Contemporary
Visual Arts Gallery
1.3 Create working Key people from all sectors should be brought together to DCC Venue operators 2000 £150k High
group to co- form consortium to liaise on programming of cultural events LDO/ Private ongoing
ordinate audience and to grow the market for the cultural venues and to co- Sector/ NITB/
development, operate on marketing and market development.. NIFC/ ACNI
marketing and
programming
1.4 Open Space arts Review of the logistics of using open spaces as entertainment DoE DCC/Police 2000 Staff Time
venues venues. Existing and potential sites would include Guildhall ongoing
Square, Gasyard and St Columb’s Park (see action 7.4)
1.5 Rationalisation of The creation of a development brief to proactively lead to the DCC The Honorable 2000 Staff Time High
venues development of the Rialto site. The Irish
Society/DoE
JUNE 2000 52
Action Area 2: Development Of The Fine And Contemporary Visual Arts Economy
Aim: To establish Derry as the leading centre for contemporary visual arts in the North West of Ireland
Range
2.1 Development of Provision of 2,500 sqft gallery space and 2,000 sqft ancillary DCC Landowner/ 2003- Land, development ? High
Contemporary accommodation in a city centre location. ACNI 2008 costs, fitting out
Visual Arts Gallery Building on the reputation of the existing Orchard Gallery.
2.2 Provision of Artists Conversion of suitable premises, preferably in a city centre DCC Landowner/ 2000- Leasing £75,000-£100,000 High
Studios location, to provide 12 artist studio spaces. Playhouse/ 2003 arrangements and
Orchard Gallery refurbishment costs
2.3 Artist in residence 2 artists per annum to be given free accommodation and a DCC Playhouse/ACNI 2001 Bursary £50,000 High
scheme bursary in exchange for work with, for example, local schools ongoing
and community groups.
2.4 Research into other e.g. facilities such as a Print Workshop consisting of 500 sq. ft DCC ACNI/NWI 2001- Research costs /
investment space with printing and etching presses. 2003
initiatives to support
the city's visual arts
economy
JUNE 2000 53
Action Area 3: Development of the music and media industries
Aim: To assist and encourage future independent film and TV production, new music and multi-media enterprises
Range
3.1 Recognise the See action 1.1 ? High
Nerve Centre as a
flagship media and
music industry
resource.
3.2 Maximise the Five year funding plan to expand and market the festival DCC/ Sponsors/NITB 2000 Programme and £75,000 High
performance and NIFC/ ongoing marketing
impact of the Foyle ACNI
Film Festival
3.3 Refocus support Review potential for NW Ireland Film Location Office DCC/ Nerve Centre 2001 Staff Costs £30,000 High
mechanisms for utilising the resources of the Nerve Centre, DCC and the NIFC ongoing
film location in the NIFC
NW of Ireland
3.4 Business See action 6.1 DCC LDO/ LEDU/ 2000 Office space £20,000-£40,000 High
Development NWICA/NWI/ ongoing Meeting room
Advice University of Manager
Ulster/ Private
Sector/ NIFC
3.5 Foyle Film Fund Incentives package for producers in film in North West DCC NIFC 2001 £150,000
Ireland with a focus on small research grants ongoing
JUNE 2000 54
Action Area 4: Development of the Contemporary Crafts Sector
Aim: To establish Derry as a recognised craft centre of excellence for the North of Ireland
Action Description Lead Partners Time Cost Estimated Priority Action

Cost Range
4.1 Assess feasibility of There is demand for quality gallery space in the city centre for DCC/ NITB 2003-2008 rent/services or £20,000-
providing display high quality products. Ideal location would be in vicinity of Successor to site/developme £100,000
space for Crafts Pottery School in an existing building. This could be linked in Craftworks nt costs
with Action 2.1
4.2 Support for the Revenue support for the pottery school training initiatives DCC Pottery Skills 2000 ongoing per annum to be High
Pottery School School/ determined
PROTEUS
4.3 NW of Ireland Craft To provide business start up advice on establishing a new craft DCC/ LDO/ LEDU/ 2001 ongoing High
Development business, expanding an existing business, funding, marketing, Successor to NWIFHE/
Office and training and business skills. Provide meeting place and Craftworks University of
Contemporary opportunity to network and share experience. Run 10 Ulster/ Private
Crafts Curator incubator units with equipment. Sector
4.4 Investigate potential Providing a new opportunity to showcase Derry and its crafts DCC/ NITB/Private 2000 ongoing per annum £30,000 High
for Craft Showcase industry with potential for major trade interest - North West Successor to sector
event Craft Showcase Craftworks
4.5 Promote marketing Bursaries to attend major craft fairs in Ireland, the UK and LEDU DCC 2001 ongoing per annum £25,000
support for USA.
attendance at craft
fairs
4.6 Consolidate existing Joint marketing initiatives (brochures, web sites, guides etc) DCC/Successo LEDU/NITB/ 2002 ongoing per annum £50,000
marketing initiatives Lead in the creation of a brand for the Northern Ireland Craft rs to CCoI/Arts
Industry focusing on Derry as a centre for crafts. Craftworks Council
JUNE 2000 55
Action Area 5: Development of the designer fashion sector
Aim: To establish a designer led fashion industry in order to increase the number of designer-makers and encourage stronger links with mainstream
apparel and textile industries

Cost Range
5.1 Assess Design, Feasibility Study to look at the need for DCC C of C, 2001 Consultants £30,000 High
Marketing and a locally based academic and continuing education facility; NWIFHE, UU,
Technology a heritage/archive/research function; LEDU
proposal a business incubator and clustered workspace for clothing and
textiles related businesses; and
a retail space.
5.5 Business See action 6.1 DCC High
Development and
Advice and
Marketing Support
JUNE 2000 56
Action Area 6: Cross sector development initiatives aimed at micro and small business development
Aim: To generate higher start up and success rates amongst micro and small businesses in the creative sector

Cost Range
6.1 Business Support Creation of business support centre with a dedicated manager DCC LDO/ 2000 ongoing Office space £60,000 High
Centre and Manager - one stop shop for micro and small businesses within the LEDU/DP/ Meeting room
cultural economy. Remit: To provide advice on starting up a NWICA/NWI Manager
new business, expanding an existing business, funding, / University of
marketing, finding appropriate business space, training and Ulster/ Private
business skills. Provide meeting place and opportunity to Sector
network and share experience.
6.2 Managed Providing 40 low cost managed workspace units (total 5,000 DCC LDO/ LEDU/ 2001 ongoing Redevelopment £100,000- High
Workspace sqft) for new businesses within the sector. Tenants would Private Sector - lease, £150,000
Provision cover service charges but rents would be held at a minimal refurbishment
level. This could be provided through the redevelopment of (Year 1 costs)
an existing building in the city centre
6.3 Promoting Derry Creation of specific marketing fund to: DCC NITB/ LDO/ 2000 - 2005 £50,000 High
City Cultural a: enable applicants to travel to trade fairs in UK and overseas Private Sector initially
Industries to raise the profile of their business and Derry as a location for
cultural industries
b: specifically promote Derry as a centre for quality in the
cultural industries
c: production of brochures
JUNE 2000 57
Action Area 7: Cultural Animation
Aim: To increase cultural activity within Derry and attract residents and visitors back into the city centre

Cost Range
7.1 Review festival Prepare a focused strategy and action plan. Consider ways of DCC NITB/ NIFC/ 2000 ongoing Festivals £150k High
strategy and prepare continuing and building upon the success of Halloween, Foyle ACNI/CCI management
focussed plan for Film and other Festivals. Network with other festivals and and
festivals, events and their organisers to bring in new attractions and share development
cultural animation. experiences. Look at ways of creating a year round festival Fund
programme. Opportunities could include: A): Summer
music festival - attract major bands; use outside locations such
as St Columb’s Park or Guildhall Square; small acoustic
performances in cafes and bars.
B) A Derry Festival - co-ordinated or themed offer of music;
food; theatre; film; art; craft; poetry etc. This could take place
at any time of the year C): North West Craft Showcase - see
action 4.4 D): Food Festival - see action 10.5
7.2 Create working See action 1.3 High
group to co-
ordinate audience
development,
marketing and
programming
JUNE 2000 58
Action Area 8: Cultural Tourism
Aim: To increase the number of visitors coming to Derry as a Cultural Destination

Cost Range
8.1 Branding and See action 6.3 and 10.6
marketing of
existing attractions
8.2 Establish a clearly Please refer to Diagram 1 DCC DoE/ 2000 Public realm High
delineated cultural LDO/CCI/ works
quarter within the DVCB /NITB
Walled City and use
this as a unique
selling point for
Derry
8.3 Link the cultural Set up working group with representatives from key sectors to DCVB NITB/DCC/C 2000 ongoing Staff time High
industries, evening increase communication and develop the cultural tourism CI DoE/
economy and product in Derry Private Sector/
tourism sectors. Venue
Operators
JUNE 2000 59
Action Area 9: Improving the operating environment of evening economy businesses
Aim: To encourage the growth of economic activity and diversify the evening economy base

Cost Range
9.1 Evening economy A cross departmental one-stop-shop for existing businesses CCI DoE/DCC/ 2000 -2003 Salary £20,000- High
development co- and new start ups advising on licensing, entertainment DP/ Private £25,000
ordinator licensing, planning, fire and safety, environmental health. Sector/
Courts/Police
9.2 Evening economy Inter-agency evening economic liaison group involving all CCI DoE/DCC/ 2000 - To meet High
steering group parties with the aim of facilitating future economic growth. DP/ Private quarterly - staff
Sector/ costs
Courts/Police
9.3 Re-appraisal of Review of PPS5 to widen sequential test to include non-retail DoE DCC/CCI 2000 Staff time
planning policies to town centre uses.
facilitate future
growth
9.4 Encourage review Presentations to and discussions with Licensing Magistrates, DCC /CCI DCC?DOE? 2000 Staff time
of NI Regulatory Police, Environmental Health, Health and Safety Private Sector
Regime for the
Evening Economy
9.5 Public Realm Opportunity to input into DoE’s design proposals for the key DoE CCI/DCC/ 2000 Staff time
improvements routes and spaces Private Sector
JUNE 2000 60
Action Area 10: Developing the market for the evening economy
Aim: To create a greater demand for the evening economy and attract a diverse range of people into the city at night

Cost Range
10.1 Branding the Consolidate existing clusters - such as the Strand Road - and DoE Planning Private Sector/ 2000 Staff costs and High
clusters brand to differentiate. Establish two new clusters at the DCC/CCI promotion
Diamond and the Waterfront
10.2 What’s On Guides A series of pocket guides to the city on shopping, eating out, DVCB DCC/NITB/C 2001 Staff costs and £40,000
nightlife etc. To be made widely available to visitors and CI/ Private production
residents. Sector sponsors
10.3 Web pages What’s on guides to be available and regulated updated on the Nerve Centre DVCB/ CCI/ 2000 Staff costs £3,000
internet. DCC/NITB/
Nerve Centre/
Private Sector
sponsors
10.4 Family Nights A pilot of up to four nights in the year 2001 where a range of DCC CCI/Venue 2001 Staff time and £10,000
events for families have been programmed, including free operators/Priva programming
entry into cultural venues, discounts at restaurants etc. te Sector
10.5 Theme NorthWest Ireland Food festival - to take place over a long Vintners and DVCB/NITB/ 2001 marketing/
nights/festivals weekend featuring local produce, gourmet food and a celebrity Restauranteurs CCI/ Bord celebrity fees
chef. Failte
10.6 Promoting evening Promotional material to highlight evening economy as an asset DVCB /NITB/Bord 2000 Staff costs and
economy and reason to visit Derry. Failte / CCI existing
marketing
budget
JUNE 2000 61
Action Area 11: Reducing Urban Fear
Aim: To overcome negative perceptions about the city centre and enable all people to make the most of the city centre offer

Cost Range
11.1 Conduct an Assess current provision with a view to production of strategy DoE/ DCC CCI 2000 - 2001 Production of £20,000 High
assessment of covering the following areas - functional, ambient, installation strategy
current lighting and architectural. Priority areas include - Waterloo Place,
(refer to 1994 study) Guildhall Street and Place, Strand Road, Shipquay Street,
Waterfront, car parks, areas within and around walls.
11.2 Upgrade shop Develop a programme to replace solid shutters with CCI DoE/LDO 2000 -2005 3 year £50,000- High
fronts and reduce replacement grilles or reinforced glass. Encourage retailers to programme £100,000
use of shutters leave lights on.
11.3 Policing Introduction of foot patrols at night Police DCC 2000 Staff costs High
11.4 Establish safe Improvements should be focused on key areas to ensure that DCC/ DoE CCI 2001 Staff costs High
walking routes and all people feel safe in the city at night and are comfortable
nodes through the parking, walking and enjoying the facilities on offer.
city after dark
11.5 Positive PR and Public should be kept informed of progress and achievements DCC 2000 Staff costs
media campaign
JUNE 2000 62
Action Area 12 Cultural facilities and the evening economy
Aim: To ensure cultural facilities operate as part of the evening economy offer

Cost Range
12.1 Extend opening Opening up these venues to the public for longer will DCC Venue 2000 Additional High
hours of existing encourage people both to use them more and come into the managers operating costs
venues to at least city centre. E.g. pilot openings in the evening.
8pm
12.2 Develop and See action 1.3, action area 7 and action 6.3 High
publicise an events
programme
12.3 Encourage private Gaps analysis so that approaches could be made to major CCI Private 2000 Staff time £3,000
sector development operators not represented in the city Sector/DoE/
District
Partnership
12.4 Look into See action 2.1
development of new
cultural venue
12.5 Encourage use of As part of the lighting strategy - see action 11.1 High
light sculptures and
holograms
JUNE 2000 63
Action Area 13: Transport Management
Aim: To provide safe and convenient means of access to the city at night

Cost Range
13.1 Buses Introduce pilot late night services with door-staff supervision Bus Operator CCI/Private 2000 Self financing
Sector
13.2 Taxis Designate taxi ranks in prominent and safe locations such as DoE/ Taxi DCC/ CCI 2000 Staff time High
Waterloo Place. Assoc.
13.3 Car Parks Upgrade car parks at Bishop Street, Victoria Street and DoE LDO/CCI 2001 Costs to be High
William Street. Extend hours of parking attendant and assessed
improve lighting.
13.4 On Street Parking Review on street parking restrictions in core area after 6pm DoE LDO/ DCC/ 2000 Staff time High
CCI
13.5 Night time vehicular Review access to Waterloo Place, Waterloo Street, Guildhall DoE LDO/DCC/ 2001 Staff time
access to pedestrian Square etc to improve natural surveillance at night CCI
area
JUNE 2000 64

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Cultural Industries and Evening

Strategy prepared by:

Table of Contents ................................................................................................1

Table of Contents ................................................................................................2

2. The Cultural Industries ....................................................................6

2.1 Definition of Cultural Industries .......................................................6

2.2 Economic Impact.............................................................................7

2.3 The Performing Arts (venues as people attractors).......................9

2.5 The Media Industries (Film, TV, Recorded Music) ......................13

2.6 Contemporary Crafts and Design .................................................17

2.7 Clothing and Textiles Design ........................................................19

2.8 Cultural Animation .........................................................................21

2.9 Cultural Tourism ............................................................................22

2.10 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Summary ...........................................24

2.11 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Challenges.........................................25

2.12 Derry’s Cultural Economy: Proposed Strategy.............................26

3. The Evening Economy..................................................................27

3.1 Definition of the Evening Economy...............................................27

3.2 The Evening Economy in Derry: Economic Impact .....................29

3.3 Economic Development of Evening Economy Business ............31

3.4 Audience Development and Marketing ........................................32

3.5 The Problem of Urban Fear ..........................................................33

3.6 Cultural Facilities And Events........................................................35

3.8 The Evening Economy in Derry: Summary..................................38

3.9 Developing the Evening Economy in Derry: Challenges .............39

3.10 Evening Economy in Derry: Proposed Strategy...........................41

4. The Public Realm ..........................................................................43

4.2 Assessment ...................................................................................44

4.3 Strategic Issues/Proposals............................................................45

Appendix2 Action Plan ......................................................................................51

# Film, broadcasting (television and radio).

# The Design Industries.

Table 1: Number Of Companies By Activity

Business Type No. %

Activity Sept 1995 Sept 1997 Change

2.3 The Performing Arts (venues as people attractors)

2.4 Galleries and Studios (The Visual and Plastic Arts)

Table 3 :Radio Foyle

Indicator Radio Foyle Radio Ulster

Hours of output 2,600 5,528

Average weekly reach 15+ 24 32

Audience 27,000 409,000

BBC Northern Ireland Annual Report

Strategic Issues/Proposals - Film

# business development and support

# access to suitable managed workspace

Strategic Issues/Proposals - Music

# Register craft products and skills.

1. A Craft Centre for Excellence could:

2.7 Clothing and Textiles Design

# a locally based academic and continuing education facility;

4. The location of a building-based initiative is also worthy of careful consideration. We would

Argument and Initial Assessment

NITB definition of Cultural Tourism

• Setting in train a long term process of cultural image development;

• Setting up a festivals group to agree key tourism/arts festivals for development.

2. Further consideration needs to be given to expansion of tourism infrastructure. Too much

AA1 Development of cultural venues, facilities and programmes

AA2 Development of the fine and contemporary visual arts economy

AA3 Development of the music and the media Industries

AA 4 Development of the contemporary crafts sector

AA5 Development of the designer fashion sector

AA7 Cultural animation