The cultural industries and a model of sustainable regeneration: manufacturing "pop' in the Rhondda Valleys of South Wales

Abstract

Many UK cities that experienced industrial decline during the 1980s and 1990s have turned increasingly to the cultural industries and the production of consumer culture in an effort to diversify local economies and rebuild local communities. This paper attempts to synthesize a range of academic literature addressing the role of the cultural industries in delivering sustainable regeneration. Literature from geography, leisure studies, tourism studies and cultural studies is reviewed in relation to the wider policy context of urban regeneration, neighbourhood renewal and social inclusion. This paper then evaluates three specific policy issues that have given rise to previous debate. First, the issue of linking national and local policy agendas is discussed; second, the role of the cultural industries in generating and integrating economic and social capital is assessed; and third, the place of "flagship' projects and the role of public-private partnerships is explored. Drawing on and developing guidance from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the paper then proposes a series of 11 principles that can be seen as forming the basis of potentially sustainable cultural projects that can contribute positively towards regeneration, renewal and inclusion. These principles are examined in relation to the case study of The Pop Factory, a recent cultural project developed in South Wales with explicit regeneration, renewal and inclusion objectives.