How York can replicate the Bilbao Effect to boost its economy: Cherie Federico

We are committed to supporting the creative industries in York and North Yorkshire. I want to see opportunities for sector growth across media such as film, VFX, games, animation and computer arts.

Right now, the creative industries contribute £109bn to the UK economy and employs 2.3 million people. Most media arts jobs are based in London and the Southeast with 62 per cent of the sector being located there and less than 5 per cent of jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber.

One of our barriers is that creative industries and by extension, heritage, are not placed under the same umbrella as sectors such as retail, hospitality, transport and services.

I am calling for a new focus and a reframing the sector within those parameters. I run my business just the same as any other. We all rely on supply and demand.

York is one of 22 cities worldwide that was selected by UNESCO because of its outputs in media arts. Other global destinations that share this status include Austin, Texas; Sapporo, Japan; and Toronto, Canada. Our outputs in York are on a par with these global destinations.

We need to reinvent ourselves as a regional city that thinks nationally and internationally.

I have been working with various partners in York to develop Reignite, which is a showcase of businesses in region that have national and international outputs. It’s important for businesses outside of the sector to understand the breadth, scope and reach of this industry. There are jobs that will be needed in five years that simply do not exist right now.

The creative industries influence placemaking globally and contribute to inclusive, sustainable and more dynamic cities. Culture can and should influence urban planning and city-wide development. There is a significant economic case here, just look at The Bilbao Effect, which is a term used to describe the social and economic impact of the Guggenheim Museum built in 1997. Today remains one of the world’s most visited museums with substantial economic uplift year after year in Bilbao.

The creative industries deliver different strategic outcomes beyond core values including economic development and social cohesion, job creation, talent development and innovation.

We must embed the sector and vision into the ecosystem of the city and evoke a sense of place, pride and ambition for local, national and international excellence.

York has a unique cultural heritage and a set of conditions that define it, but there is untapped potential, which needs collaboration, ambition and aspiration. The sector must be quantified, and it must be acknowledged that the economic impact goes far and wide in York’s economy. We must leverage our UNESCO status for sector growth, skills development and job creation.

Reignite is about developing York and North Yorkshire’s knowledge-based economy, as well as supporting and nurturing hundreds of people to flourish. Other organisations already listening, and the importance of Creative Industries on the region’s economy is on the agenda at this year’s York & North Yorkshire Business Summit, on October 27.

This movement is about inward investment and attracting high level film, games and VFX companies to relocate to York and North Yorkshire. This is about reigniting the city.

Cherie Federico is Director of Aesthetica