I read Hamiltons Creativity and Identity Strategy, and without sounding like a book review I found it hard going and full of what I would call sales or fancy talk and then when I clicked on “Want to find out more link” at the end I got a message saying “The page you are looking for has moved or no longer exists.” so I presume with the changes in council representatives since 2010 when this was written that this strategy are no more… I subsequently did search the council site and found the document but apart from a brief mention is some committee minutes about the temporary disruption events can have and the potential mess left behind there was no mention or updates on projects, etc. Considering the money probably spent on this and getting the internationally renowned creative thinker Charles Landry over to “engage” on this it all seems a bit superficial  and an expensive waste of time.

Charles Landry according to his website quote “is an international authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change. He invented the concept of the Creative City in the late 1980’s.” unquote. Again it all sounds like interesting stuff but apart from this one document there is no evidence of anything else happening, pity because if Hamilton was quote “striving to be a city that introduces and explains itself – communicating in a way that demonstrates layers of depth, where the intent is grasped instantly” unquote – whatever that means it seems the current council either disagrees or can’t understand (like me) what it all means, apart from having a lot of events in Hamilton.

In summary I think the Creative City as per Florida and Landry is a great concept apart from these two being paid a lot to talk or “engage” and write books about this the hard work is transferring these ideals into action and then of course waiting to see if it actually makes any difference.

Note: According to Event Finda apparently Palmerston North was “indexed against 14 other similar sized international cities” by Charles Landry and there is a report on idealog about this with Palmerston North coming 8th out of 17 comparable cities on his creative city index.

Okay now we are indexed what happens next…?

Footnote: During my investigation I came across TED Ideas worth spreading: which is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks and found the talk Do Schools Kill Creativity? by Sir Ken Robinson fascinating and somewhat reassuring at the same time and certainly got more value than Florida and Landry because I could directly relate to the context.

Ode to Florida, that is Richard Florida

It started with some economic sense

It ended in a book some say is all for the cents

T for TECHNOLOGY with logic in base 2

There are many ways to the string variable “do”

T for TALENT your kind of weird

As your words and actions we don’t know and fear

T for TOLERANCE of the open kind

Although real life often just wants to work blind

We now come to the PLACE

Or is it the end I don’t want to face

Anyway what ever PLACE suits your mind

I hope it exists and the weather is kind

The Rise of the Creative Class made him a star

And the critics clamored from near and a far

But creative we do and imagine it might be

The future is waiting then pass and set in the sea

Change to our city is what needed

But how many have really succeeded

And the change required is like the lyric of a song

 “transformation from post-manufacturing ugly duckling to a gay-friendly, hipster swan”*

Don’t follow the work we are fed

Move the jobs to the people instead

So Florida we have listened to your will

And we finish by paying the $35,000 bill

*Note – Quote from The Ruse of the Creative Class

Imagine a city infested with implied dynamic thinkers, creators and implementers, some searching for ideas, some for inspiration and others for a pencil.  Can you picture casual attire and flexible working hours simmering within  crafted shadows and inspiration lurking under each Foosball table. Could you believe a place where invention is weaved into the raw fabric of its creation and is then mixed with open plan offices to bring you a brotherhood  of creatives and all this via the latest multi-audio-graphic-violators ever devised…

Be warned, as this is CREATIVE CITY and is being nurtured, attracted and sustained in a place near YOU!

Rise up creatives the imagination is for the taking

Take down the those who are faking

Make good the minds eye

You lie

Tree