Community Wealth Building: A New Progressive Economy Through Creativity

Community wealth building is a progressive approach to economics and economic development. "It seeks to change the way that our economies have come to function by aiming to keep more wealth and opportunity for the benefit of local people."

An example of how culture and creative industries can lead community wealth building is in Islington, where the council leases office space and ensures it benefits local people and businesses.

Islington’s business property is in such high demand, that the rising costs exclude local businesses. So the Council leases office space at peppercorn rents, to a variety of affordable workspace providers.

The Council ensures these workspaces benefit local people and businesses, by providing employment and skills training and incubating start-ups.

They’ve achieved this in collaboration with the local creative industries sector (a tech cooperative, Outlandish). This tech coop supports the creation of worker-owned businesses in the area. The new approach also increased access of black and minority ethnic and women residents into the tech and digital sectors.

Another example is a local fashion design and garment making coop that has developed accredited training, employment opportunities and new local businesses in partnership with the council.

The FC Designer Workspace was converted from disused garages It offers local designers affordable workspace, masterclasses from industry experts, and the chance to network with like-minded entrepreneurs.

These projects demonstrate how affordable workspaces and effective support for local creative talent help communities to create their own wealth and jobs.

Procurement Processes

Our members have expressed a sense of exclusion from procurement. We need to encourage and include smaller creative and cultural businesses in the process of providing local contracts and services.

For Local Authorities to become more inclusive they need to reach out and invite participation from a broader range of sectors. It’s not enough to ‘be open’ to applications. The process needs to reach out to local businesses, organisations and self-employed communities.

Progress

Scotland’s recently published strategy for economic transformation relies on local authorities to include everyone involved in the economy from freelancers and social enterprises to big corporates.

Some local authorities have Supplier Development support for SMEs within the procurement process.

One authority held a Business Gateway Workshop on Winning Public Procurement to provide information on tendering for contracts.

This is positive, though the majority of areas do not have a proactive approach to encouraging freelancers, partnerships and local consortiums.

We need a simple, transparent and open system that encourages small, creative, local partnerships and consortiums to get involved. And a process with equality of opportunity across Scotland.

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Sources

  • https://cles.org.uk/what-is-community-wealth-building/the-principles-of-community-wealth-building/

  • https://cles.org.uk/community-wealth-building-in-practice/community-wealth-building-places/community-wealth-building-in-islington/

  • https://www.islington.media/news/islington-council-and-fashion-co-operative-open-unique-affordable-workspace-supporting-local-fashion-talent-in-latest-chapter-of-community-wealth-building-campaign

  • https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-national-strategy-economic-transformation/

News, Policy PositionsLori Anderson