These are uncertain times for us all, and while some business sectors are slowly getting back on their feet, theatres, concert halls and other arts, cultural and creative businesses continue to face tough times. London’s West End fixture the Phantom of the Opera has been forced to close after a 34-year run and the Creative Industries Federation has predicted a 30% decline in revenue from ticket sales and the loss of more than 400,000 jobs across its various sectors.

 

That is bad news for the UK economy, for all of us who enjoy such activities and for developers accustomed to working with partners to bring the arts and culture to urban regeneration. This is what we’ve done at Ballymore, nurturing creativity and community through buildings, public spaces, events and other initiatives to enrich the places we make. We’ve created the English National Ballet’s new home at London City Island, in east London, worked with occupiers, like music production company The Woods, to host events and provided showcases for local makers and artisans. Through these diverse activities, we have laid the foundations for our developments to become thriving places and brought a host of benefits for existing and new communities.

We recognise the contribution that creative industries make to our neighbourhoods and the unprecedented challenges they now face, with many struggling to stay in business. So over recent months we have looked at what we could do to help them continue to reach audiences and markets, while also enabling our communities to enjoy culture and creativity.

 

Inevitably, through lockdown there was a shift to online activity but, drawing on the range of talent across our developments, experiences have remained inextricably linked to place. English National Ballet streamed performances and its Artistic Director and Principal, Tamara Rojo, hosted daily ballet classes on YouTube and social media. Another London City Island-based creative,The Woods, produced a podcast series featuring celebrity guests. The resulting City Island Podcast raised money for charity and proved to be among London’s most-searched-for podcasts.

 

In developing online experiences, it has been important to consider not only the range of talent across our developments, but also the wellbeing of our communities during a time of uncertainty. Mindful of the latter, we teamed up with publisher Penguin Random House, a tenant at our Embassy Gardens development, in south west London, to bring a guided meditation hosted by mental health campaigner Ruby WaxOBE, as well as a virtual book club and short story competition. A series of masterclasses aimed at bringing people closer to nature was also developed in partnership with terrarium designers Botanical Boys, in association with our biophilia-inspired Wardian London development in Docklands.

 

As lockdown has eased, it has been possible to begin re-introducing live events. At The Brentford Project, in west London, we are partnering with classic and supercar hub, Duke of London to create a 1950s American-style drive-in cinema this August, naturally showing automobile-themed classics, such as The Italian Job. It is a small step but sold-out shows prove the appetite for outdoor entertainment. 

 

As well as being individually successful, these initiatives have resulted in a dramatic increase in resident engagement, confirmed by our Blife residents’ app during lockdown. Blife’s resident forum saw comments rise by more than 3,000% and likes rise by almost 18,000%. By fostering connections between our creative partners and residents we have maintained the spirit of entrepreneurship and community, although the threat to London’s broader cultural scene remains. 

 

As we deal with the impacts of COVID-19 on our cities, where changes in travel and working practices are seeing more people ‘stay local’, it is more important than ever that our regeneration activity provides a mix of uses to create sustainable places. With retail’s shift online being accelerated by COVID-19, the arts, culture and creativity become central to that mix.

 

We will continue to support businesses and events, such as east London’s Unity Arts Festival and Dublin’s Fringe Festival. We are driving ahead with plans to add public art to London City Island and incorporate a theatre into our upcoming Mill Harbour development, providing an important cultural venue for Canary Wharf.We firmly believe that such activities, whethergreat or small, add vibrancy, distinctiveness, employment, aspiration, pride and community to the places we regenerate. An investment in arts, culture and creativity to help it through the crisis today will more than repay itself tomorrow.