Creative hubs — the future of the creative economy
A dynamic ecosystem of creative spaces and communities has developed over the last 10 years. They are guiding and supporting different creative ventures but can easily be misunderstood and often undervalued.
The word “ Hub “ became a universal term to label centers of creative enterprise. Hubs became nests for freelancers and micro SME' s to gather, connect and collaborate. They give light to forgotten areas of the city, gather people and connect previously invisible communities by inspiring new cross-disciplinary collaborations and community engagement.
What is “ Creative hub “ ?
The creative hub is commonly associated with other terms such as the creative quarter, creative district, etc.
As for definition :
“ A creative hub is a place, either physical or virtual, which brings creative people together. It is a convener, providing space and support for networking, business development, and community engagement within the creative, cultural and tech sectors “
This definition can offer “the first cut “ of five variants :
- Studio — a small collective of individuals or small business in a coworking space
- Centre — A large-scale building which may have other assets such as a cafe, bar, cinema, maker space, exhibition space
- Network — A dispersed group of individuals or businesses
- Cluster — Co-located creative individuals and business in a geographic area
- Online platform — Uses only online methods — website/social media to engage with a dispersed audience
Creative hubs are more than a building and more than a network. They are embedded in their communities and regions. Their economic, cultural and social activities are different which makes every hub different depending on the local context.
Creative hubs tend to be localized in their activities but the “ local “ is an urban cultural system that extends beyond a single building or network of buildings. Which networks are linked and which forms of cultural production are supported and connected, becomes one of the defining characteristics of the hub and also self-defines its mission.
What exactly do creative hubs do?
All hubs aim to make a difference to businesses, economies and communities.
- 84% of hubs help freelancers work more effectively, be socially connected and productive
- 76% of hubs support local creative economy
Depending on the activities or processes that can be different for every creative hub, the focus can be on generating, transferring or transmitting knowledge through education or training, internal or external networking, offering services and facilities for cultural entrepreneurs.
Who owns and operates the hub may vary but all of these hubs have sustainable and complex balance. This brings us to the value that every creative hub brings in a wide range of impacts on the local community such as
- Jobs
- New products and services
- Informal education and engagement
- Talent development
- Training
- Innovative models of organizing
- Research and development
- New cross-disciplinary collaboration
- Quality of life enhancements
As for the future…
Hubs operate in different ways to institutions of the past. Their uniqueness and their newness are their strengths but also their biggest challenges. By incubating product and service innovations, experimenting with challenging new ways of working and thinking, they play an important role in the future of the creative economy.
