As a Nottingham-based agency, I read with interest this week’s Design Week article highlighting the work of the talented London-based Belgian graphic designer Sara De Bondt. But I would be lying if I didn’t say I was more than a little disappointed when I spotted she had been commissioned to create the visual identity for the new Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham’s soon-to-open contemporary art space.
Clearly Sara has extensive experience in this area, but I find it a real shame that any one of a broad range of creative talent in and around Nottingham were not used to create the identity for the new venture. There is plenty of excellent creativity around the city that could, and would, have thrived on creating a suitably contemporary and imaginative identity.
It’s doubly disappointing as Nottingham as a city is currently very proudly nailing its colours to the mast in relation to creativity, by bidding to be ‘World Design Capital’ in 2012 - highly commendable, and something I wholeheartedly condone. But if we’re that good, how come we can’t use our own designers when it comes to major design project within the city?
If we don’t, or won’t, invest in the talent on our doorstep, how can we expect to be taken seriously when we promote ourselves as a creative city?
I’m not sure whose decision it was, or how it was made - but I suspect we can be sure that if Leeds, Manchester or Liverpool were to need something similar, one suspects they would look locally. Something to keep in mind if as a city we are to aspire to compete with other major cities in the UK.
Maybe this has more to do with the difference between local art and design, designers and artists being copted only when they’re useful as quango marketing tools rather than agents of real, local regeneration (with the democratic) right to engage and construct the local reality?
Interesting that you had to read this in Design Week first, isn’t it?
Posted by Soapsoane on Friday, May 1st, 2009 at 09:54am
I was born and bred in Nottingham (although now live in London) and completely agree.
I’m sure De Bondt is a great designer, but
Nottingham is a wonderful city, full of creative people. And yet those with talent are not encouraged – the local paper seems to barely employ any local people and there are no schemes to encourage young local kids into the journalism profession (I began life as a journalist and Nottingham was frankly, impossible). Those who do venture off on their own path – like the wonderful Leftlion (their recent Art of Leftlion exhibition was fab) face a way too long hard slog to get the recognition they deserve, and despite many attempts at government funded ventures, our film and TV industries are fledgling at best (thank god for Shane Meadows). TV companies close, the local news stations move their East Midlands bases out of the city (out of the whole bloody region) and of course, the people with the abilities and talent move with them. As you say – this wouldn’t happen in Manchester or Liverpool.
In fact, the Liverpool Capital of Culture example is a good one - it really did amazing things for the city. If Nottingham wants to be Design Capital, it should start by encouraging creative people of all disciplines to stay in the city and build an atmosphere that supports them.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 01:14pm
Disappointing
Thursday, April 30, 2009
As a Nottingham-based agency, I read with interest this week’s Design Week article highlighting the work of the talented London-based Belgian graphic designer Sara De Bondt. But I would be lying if I didn’t say I was more than a little disappointed when I spotted she had been commissioned to create the visual identity for the new Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham’s soon-to-open contemporary art space.
Clearly Sara has extensive experience in this area, but I find it a real shame that any one of a broad range of creative talent in and around Nottingham were not used to create the identity for the new venture. There is plenty of excellent creativity around the city that could, and would, have thrived on creating a suitably contemporary and imaginative identity.
It’s doubly disappointing as Nottingham as a city is currently very proudly nailing its colours to the mast in relation to creativity, by bidding to be ‘World Design Capital’ in 2012 - highly commendable, and something I wholeheartedly condone. But if we’re that good, how come we can’t use our own designers when it comes to major design project within the city?
If we don’t, or won’t, invest in the talent on our doorstep, how can we expect to be taken seriously when we promote ourselves as a creative city?
I’m not sure whose decision it was, or how it was made - but I suspect we can be sure that if Leeds, Manchester or Liverpool were to need something similar, one suspects they would look locally. Something to keep in mind if as a city we are to aspire to compete with other major cities in the UK.
Steve put this here at 17:11pm
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Maybe this has more to do with the difference between local art and design, designers and artists being copted only when they’re useful as quango marketing tools rather than agents of real, local regeneration (with the democratic) right to engage and construct the local reality?
Interesting that you had to read this in Design Week first, isn’t it?
Posted by Soapsoane on Friday, May 1st, 2009 at 09:54am
I was born and bred in Nottingham (although now live in London) and completely agree.
I’m sure De Bondt is a great designer, but
Nottingham is a wonderful city, full of creative people. And yet those with talent are not encouraged – the local paper seems to barely employ any local people and there are no schemes to encourage young local kids into the journalism profession (I began life as a journalist and Nottingham was frankly, impossible). Those who do venture off on their own path – like the wonderful Leftlion (their recent Art of Leftlion exhibition was fab) face a way too long hard slog to get the recognition they deserve, and despite many attempts at government funded ventures, our film and TV industries are fledgling at best (thank god for Shane Meadows). TV companies close, the local news stations move their East Midlands bases out of the city (out of the whole bloody region) and of course, the people with the abilities and talent move with them. As you say – this wouldn’t happen in Manchester or Liverpool.
In fact, the Liverpool Capital of Culture example is a good one - it really did amazing things for the city. If Nottingham wants to be Design Capital, it should start by encouraging creative people of all disciplines to stay in the city and build an atmosphere that supports them.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 01:14pm