Dissertation topic

After long and thorough discussions, a topic was born.

The role of creativity in cultural regeneration. A case study of Folkestone.

And a presentation was delivered in late March, a link for which you can see below:

The role of creativity in cultural regeneration from Simeon Katsarov

In the next few posts I'll start discussing my literature review development and other points of view.

Creativity in Folkestone. . .

I believe that creativity and seaside goes hand-by-hand. There is not a single seaside town I have been that is not somehow influenced by a creative notion here and there. It is probably the liminal sense of living beside the seaside, I do not think there is one answer.

Creativity in Folkestone is everywhere in the town, from the permanent works of the Folkestone Triennial, to the community involved events of Strange Cargo (an arts organisation, born and based in Folkestone).
From the small businesses in the Creative Foundation's Creative Quarter to the fascinating ever-changing exhibitions at Georges House Gallery.

And yet, if I talk to people that haven't got interests in art, somehow they don't appreciate the amount of work it is thrown from the creative industries in this town.
Personally for me the town is divided in four types of Folkestoners:
1) London-working (or other bigger town), which we rarely see in town;
2) Low-income workers - predominantly carers of various kinds, retail, etc.;
3) Middle-income workers - estate agents, bank workers, etc.;
4) Creative industries - galleries, photo studios, art shops, independent artists, even hairdressers and florists (I would think of them as people that make products with a creative touch).

Does everybody gets why there is a Creative Quarter? Or is it just where the 'arty-farty' people reside?


Today I'll be visiting Brighton and will be looking at their creative scene and will try to talk with people to see if they feel there is a segregation as I feel there is in Folkestone.

Creativity

CREATIVITY:

Combining

Relations with

Each

Artistic

Thread of

Ingenuity.

Various

Innovations

Transformed by

You

History has shown us that creativity is the key factor in producing authentic products that can last.

Whether it's a painting, an architectural piece of work, or even the knitted piece that you have in your house from your grandmother's mother, it is important for everybody to be able to recognise creativity and encourage it.

This is the main reason I wanted to do my master's dissertation on creativity and Folkestone! To be able to foresee something, you have to find its true foundations in the past!