City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Context
With around 570,000 inhabitants, Essen is one of Germany’s ten biggest
cities and lies in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in the middle of
the Ruhr Metropolis where 5.2 million people live. The Ruhr Metropolis with
its 53 communities is Europe's third biggest agglomeration after Paris and
London. Essen looks back at 1160 years of history with its younger past
dominated by coal and steel. After the Second World War, the city started to
develop a strong tertiary sector, but is also facing the challenges of postindustrial transformation on environmental, social and economical level.
Nowadays, Essen is a modern business, commercial and service metropolis
and is home to the headquarters of some of Germany’s biggest companies:
These include e.g. RWE AG, Evonik Industries AG, E.ON Ruhrgas AG, Karstadt
Warenhaus GmbH and Hochtief AG. The Messe Essen is one of the top-ten
German trade fair locations.
Essen is also shopping city, university city and a stronghold of culture in the Ruhr Metropolis. Only to mention three important higher
educational institutions, the numbers illustrate the young talents' potential: the University of Duisburg-Essen with 40,000 students, the
FOM (University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management) with 13,000 enrolled students and the Folkwang University of the
Arts with 1,500 students.
Monuments of former industry stand as symbols of the city’s successful structural transformation. UNESCO has listed the most famous
landmark of the Ruhr region, the Zollverein Colliery along with the adjacent area of the coking plant, as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
PACT Zollverein, with its emphasis on dance, the North Rhine-Westphalian Design Centre with its internationally renown “Red Dot
Design Museum", and the Zollverein School of Management and Design have their offices at Zollverein XII. In 2010, the RuhrMuseum
also moved to Zollverein's historical coal washing plant. A collection of international renown can be found in Essen's Folkwang Museum
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
with its prominent new building by architect David Chipperfield which
was opened in 2010.
"Change through culture – culture through change": the theme that
palpably characterises the entire region and the city of Essen has also
convinced Brussels. The European Commission appointed Essen, along
with the Ruhr District, as European Capital of Culture “RUHR.2010” in
2010. A title that acts as recognition of the work that has been done
here over the years.
All this taken into account, culture,
arts and design have a tradition and a future in Essen. The support of Culture and Creative
Industries (CCI) in order to raise Essen's attractiveness is part of the Sustainability Agreement of
RUHR.2010 and, therefore, integrated in several strategies on city and state policy level. One of the
undertakings to secure the continuation of the process “Change through culture – culture through
change" was Essen's application for the title of UNESCO City of Design in 2014, which
unfortunately did not succeed. For almost one hundred years, design in Essen has been connected
to the name "Folkwang". It stands for the "close union of the arts" as well as for the reciprocal
penetration of art, design and society. The City of Essen is continuously strengthening the newly
formed network “Essen.Design” and has integrated the support of CCI into its future-oriented
action concept Essen.2030 as a special potential. The concept underlines the influence of culture
and creativity on all aspects of life and their innovation potential and integrates the support of CCI
also as a driving force in urban development. One of the key elements of Essen strategy to support
CCI and develop the City Centre is the project “Creative Quarter City Noth.Essen”. For the first time,
the comprehensive strategy Essen.2030 as answer to the central question “How do we want to live
in future?” is being developed, which acknowledges the role of culture and creative industries as an
important factor for shaping an urban future in a city which is attractive to live, work and invest in.
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
“Creative Quarter City North.Essen“ – Measures for a Sustainable Structure and Development as Creative
Hotspot
The M ission and Challenges
Since 2005, within the scope of a targeted Urban Development Strategy, the City of
Essen has dealt with the challenges resulting from demographic change and their
impact on societal development and especially on urban geography. As key element of
this discursive process, the “Perspective City Centre” was designed in 2007 and the City
North was identified as an important field of action. In the shadow of the high street,
the City North could despite of intensive public promotion and funding not develop a
distinctive profile. The situation had even sharpened through the opening of the
shopping mall Limbecker Platz on the western border of the quarter. Due to the
strategic collaboration of the Culture Department with the Economic Promotion
Agency (Wirtschaftsförderung EWG) empty spaces and shops were actively made
accessible for artists and creative entrepreneurs to give the quarter a new cultural
development philosophy. Pre-conditions and assets were taken into account when the City of Essen was taken up into the
project family “Creative.Quarters Ruhr” which emerged from the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010. To secure the
sustainability of the begun process, the City of Essen is now developing the City North as Creative Quarter together with
significant co-operation partners, stakeholders and the actors on site.
Objectives and Target Groups
The individual support of creatives and artists is an essential task of local cultural policy. In Essen, there are more than 500
artists working in around 130 studios and hubs as professionals and semi-professionals trying to make a living. Their creative
and artistic potential immensely enriches the cultural life in Essen and the whole region. At the same time, Essen has a long
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
tradition of design and art in the educational field for more than 100 years with the
Folkwang University of the Arts. The graduates from the fields of design,
photography, dance, music, and theatre/acting enjoy an excellent reputation. The
University of Duisburg-Essen’s Faculty of Art also trains students for professional
careers in creative and artistic fields. Additionally, at the Free Academy of Fine Arts
Essen (Freie Akademie der Bildenden Künste – fadbk) releases many graduates each
year. To offer those talents a professional perspective in life, the support of creative
and artistic professionals is a declared aim of the strategy. Against this background,
the following objectives were identified:
•
to develop art, culture, and creativity as quality brand of the city
•
to raise public awareness through densification and profiling
of the creative potential in the Creative Quarter
•
to create strategic and interdisciplinary interdependencies
•
to build up efficient local, regional and international networks
In practice this means:
•
densification of the creative scene by connecting education, urban planning
and cultural & creative industries
•
aid for creative start-ups and freelancers to support the creative milieu as
economic factor
•
development of a key location (an incubator for (co-)production and as
showroom)
•
temporary and long-term activation of empty spaces together with local
actors and stakeholders
•
connection of the quarter to the local, regional and international network
•
improvement of the urban living quality and shape of a local identity under consideration of the creative milieu
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Problem /Solution Trees
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Space for Art
The steadily growing figures of start-ups and professionals in branches of CCI bring about the need
for spaces for production and presentation. Those lie close to each other in the Creative Quarter
and are able to send a strong impulse due to their proximity. It makes sense to build upon the
grown structures in order to open up new approaches and fields of actions. In the northern city
centre, from Schützenbahn to Weberplatz and Kopstadtplatz to Rheinischer Platz, the preconditions to develop the urban area as Creative Quarter are ideal – its already existing and
established cultural sites, its empty spaces and public places was identified as perfect breeding
grounds with the necessary freedom for creatives and their projects. Other advantages of the
central location are the proximity to the University of Duisburg-Essen, to the Design Centre of
North Rhine-Westphalia (Design Zentrum NRW) and the Red Dot Design Museum and to the Free
Academy of Fine Arts in Essen-Kupferdreh.
Densification of the Creative M ilieu
The activation and provision of spaces for creatives follows the idea of revival and
regeneration of already existing creative quarters. For that, diverse space offers
are necessary that encourage participation and progression and together form a
model of a creative quarter in a deprived district, where locations are made
available for all creative talents, where professionalisation and start-up support
for creative talents and entrepreneurs is given and where contact and
collaborations are encouraged by co-working, creative hubs and network events.
Nevertheless, the quarter with its empty spaces to be filled and its lively
gastronomic scene and nightlife also offers the space and freedom for cultural
initiatives and projects. Since 2010, there has been a continuous development
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
and progress of the urban renewal process. After the activation of key location „Atelierhaus Schützenbahn 19/21“ as studio
house and creative hub with 10 studios, there has been a lot of positive feedback and further demand from the young art scene.
Therefore, a second hub „Atelierhaus Viehofer Strasse 38–52“ with 20 additional studios was opened up in October 2013.
Additionally, artists and creative industries have settled in the quarter and are sending a permanent cultural impulse for the
borough and the whole city. The appeal of the quarter has increased and the demand for space from cultural and creative
projects and initiatives is increasing. Today, there are more than 20 creative locations and over 200 active artists (thereof 40 in
our studio houses). Events, projects, workshops & network events foster the development process towards a creative quarter.
The main event ART WALK, which takes place yearly since 2012, is a showcase for the whole network with a diverse programme
(design fair, exhibitions, concerts, performances) and serves as a successful presentation of the artistic and cultural activities
and of the positive development of the quarter to the public. The overall aims are:
•
the stabilisation & extension of the structures on all levels, the establishment of the quarter as location for CCI, spillover
effects with other economic sectors and a long-term positioning of Essen as competence centre for design with
international renown
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
•
to strengthen the innovative and economical power of CCI
•
to expand education & professionalisation for creative
people to help them establish on the market, to support
entrepreneurship & start-ups, to retain and gain young
talents
•
to link the creative sector with other sectors to foster
spillovers (e.g. urban development, industry, SMEs and
academia)
Target groups are freelancers in creative and artistic fields and
entrepreneurs who want to settle in Essen, as well as local
enterprises, universities and academies. The public administration
departments, institutions and networks are actively involved and
benefit from the local, regional and international networks and
presumably result in expansion and new settlements.
Organisational Structure and Tasks
Creative Quarter City Noth.Essen is a development initiative by the Culture Department of Essen City Council. The aim is to let
the borough shine in a new light through the settlement and support of artists and creatives, as well as through projects to
densify the creative potential and make the activities visible in urban space together with cooperation partners. The Culture
Department and the Economic Promotion Agency of Essen City Council offer comprehensive assistance for artists and start-ups
in CCI.
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
The Creative Quarter is member of the project family „Creative.Quarters Ruhr“ and financially supported by the Ministry for
Family, Children, Youth, Culture and Sports of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. To secure the sustainability of the European
Capital of Culture „RUHR.2010“, the project is guided by the european centre for creative economy (ecce) and the regional
economic development agency for the Ruhr Metropolis (Wirtschaftsförderung metropoleruhr). The support of CCI in order to
raise the Ruhr Region's attractiveness is part of the Sustainability Agreement of RUHR.2010 and, therefore, integrated in several
strategies on city and state policy level. The process in Essen follows the guidelines for an integrated strategic approach, which
requires the use of bottom-up methodology such as open planning conferences and regular roundtables.
Positioning
The development initiative “Creative Quarter City
North.Essen” offers efficient and sustainable approaches
for the connection of art, CCI, urban planning, and
academia. Artists and start-ups in CCI make use of the
individual support offered and also benefit from the
densification of the creative potential, the activation &
provision of spaces for production, sale and presentation.
A new identity and image is created which is also
perceived within the context of international networks
and the overall urban development of Essen. The
initiative is understood as part of Cultural and Creative
Industries (1,722 businesses, 2.9 billion ₠€ turn-over,
9,230 employees, 12,978 jobs; source: Expert Consult,
17/01/2014, “Analyse der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft
in Essen”) and part of the strategy process “Essen.2030”
in which the City Council describes their role and fields
of action.
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Strategy
Piggyback Principle and Cooperation Strategy
By means of culture support and funding, sustainable systems for CCI are implemented and the quarter is revitalised in its
attractiveness and urban quality. The actions and measures taken aim at a durable settlement of creative potentials from the
city in the quarter and, at the same time, connect the actors and stakeholders and mobilise them to open up strategies for a
long-term integrative process with spillover-effects on different sectors. The expected result from the connection of creatives,
commerce, gastronomy, real estate and local promotion association is a win-win-situation that will contribute to revaluation,
rivitalisation and positive development of the City North and the positioning of Essen as a hotspot for CCI.
In order to take citizens’ will and needs into account, to enable participation and to secure an open and transparent
development, the City of Essen has assigned the Federal Housing and Urban Development Association (Bundesverband für
Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung vhw) to conduct a study of the social cohesion in the quarter from February until June 2015.
Based upon the results of the study, an Integrated Action Plan is composed and implemented in 2016.
Transnational Learning from Creative SpIN and Im plem entation
Lessons learnt from transnational seminars and actions undertaken by the international
project partners have shown Essen City Council that the approach to create spillover effects
from CCI on urban development and regeneration by the project “Creative Quarter” is a
feasible measure and can serves as a microcosmic model with charisma for the whole city
and the newly developed brand “Essen.Design”. Core elements – such as innovative
collaborations, an appropriate mixture of top-down and bottom-up approaches,
transparency through round tables and communication, open spaces and the use of
innovative methodology and participative formats – should be maintained and extended.
Additionally, we realised the importance of Creative Hubs, Makers’ Space or FabLabs. Even
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
though the existing Studio Houses offer affordable work space for artists
and creatives, they do not offer showrooms nor exhibition rooms which
are essential to give them access to the market, meet potential
customers to offer their creative services or to sell their products and
pieces of art. Therefore, the Local Action Plan contains the plan to open
up a Creative Hub as a new central location for the Creative Quarter in
2016. It should contain a makers’s space with a FabLab, a co-working
space, a showroom for frequently changing exhibitions, meeting rooms
and a small event hall. Target groups are students enrolled in
creative/artistic as well as technical/ICT study programmes at the
above-mentioned educational facilities, artists and creative
professionals, start-ups and freelancers along with citizens’ initiatives.
The Hub should be open to the public and professionals to foster innovative
collaborations and to initiate projects. Another aim is to fill and revitalise the
empty spaces by attracting other businesses from the field of CCI and artists to
settle in the quarter. This will also draw positive attention to the City North and
along with events, on the one hand organised by Essen’s Culture Department and
on the other hand initiated by creatives and initiatives supported by the City
Council, promote the regeneration of the quarter towards a vivid creative hotspot.
The partners involved in the project “Creative Hub” could be the Folkwang
University of Arts, the University of Duisburg-Essen and the network
“Essen.Design”. They should share their expertise and knowledge and play an
active role in the design and the on-going operations.
Projects
Space for
Art
Sep 2012
1. ART
WALK
Nov 2013
Nov 2014
3. ART W ALK
Oct 2013
2. ART W ALK
Launch website
and Facebook
Opening Studio
House
“Viehofer
Strasse
1. ART W ALK
Opening Studio
House
“Schützenbahn
Concept “Space
for Art”
Milestones &
Events
Dec 2011
2. ART
WALK
3. ART
WALK
Aug
2015
Nov
2015
1. ART
POINT
4. ART
WALK
Opening
Creative Hub
2015
4. ART W ALK
Communication
Oct 2011
1. ART POINT
Networking
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Tim e Scale
2016
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Finance
Cost Position
M easures
Tim e Period
Funding Source
Studio Houses
(Schützenbahn & Viehofer
Strasse)
30 subsidised studios
2012 – 2016
City of Essen
Com m unication m easures
PR, website, Facebook,
own publications/
documentations
Monthly: 1 workshop/
presentation & 1 day
open consultation
2012 – 2016
State funding “Creative.Quarters
Ruhr”
Professionalisation &
Qualification
Projects
ART W ALK
ART POINT
Creative Hub
1 day festival/ open
door
10 day art festival
FabLab/Makers’ Space,
showroom &
exhibition space, open
space citizens’
initiatives & creative
projects,
professionalization
consultation, events &
networking
Am ount in ₠€
initially annually
95,000
25,000
?
2012 –
2015 –
2016 –
10,000
State funding “Creative.Quarters
Ruhr”
Tbd. EU implementation network
project
30,000
500,000
54,000
130,000
City of Essen – Local Action Plan – Creative Spillovers for Innovation, URBACT II
Local Support Group & Partners
Nam e
Function
Organisation
Role in ULSG
Andreas Bomheuer
Chairman
Division 4 – Culture, Integration &
Sports, City of Essen
Chairman
Anika Ellwart
Owner
agency artwell
External Expert, Strategic Advisor
Bernd Fesel
Strategic Advisor
european centre for creative economy
Strategic Advisor
Dr. Bernd Mengede
Head
Culture Department, City of Essen
Dr. Uwe Schramm
Head and Curator
Kunsthaus Essen
Interface with local art scene, expertise in support
and professionalisation of artists
Alfons Wafner
Advisor
Culture Department, City of Essen
Coordination & moderation
Bitte ergänzen um: Best
(GBV 6)
Düdden, Gehlert
Netzwerk Essen.Design
(Folkwang Mehnert,
Lengyel, Zollverein, Red
Dot etc.)