Cultural infrastructure at a crossroads - Research Café

Nearly ten years on from the Greater Manchester devolution deal and following a pandemic, ongoing local authority austerity and cost of living crisis, this hybrid event explores cultural policy and planning in the city-region. Join us to find out what the future might hold for Greater Manchester's cultural infrastructure.

We consider what opportunities there are for those involved in arts, culture and creative enterprise in a trailblazing Mayoral Strategic Authority and hear how the challenges for these sectors are met on the ground.

This research-led discussion will feature provocations from international cultural policy scholars and a panel of expert respondents, who represent policy and practice within local, strategic authority and national government departments.

Speakers include:

• Prof Justin O’Connor – Hallsworth Visiting Professor/Professor of Cultural Economics, Adelaide University and author of Culture is not an Industry (Manchester University Press) and Global Cultural Policy at a Crossroads (European Journal of Cultural Studies)
• Prof Abi Gilmore – Professor of Cultural Policy, Art History and Cultural Practice, University of Manchester and UKRI DCMS Cultural Placemaking Policy Fellow
• Dave Moutrey - Creative Manchester Honorary Research Fellow and Director of Culture, Manchester City Council
• Marie-Claire Daly - Head of Culture and Creative Industries, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
• Pete Courtie – Head of Culture and Placemaking, Rochdale Development Agency
• Millie Behrens – University of Manchester GM Policy Fellow, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

This event is free, but registration is required. We invite you to join us for a drinks reception from 5.45pm after the event in the South Foyer of Samuel Alexander Building.

Accessibility

We want to make the event a positive experience for all participants. If you have particular access or dietary needs, please let us know in advance by providing details of any accessibility needs when registering for your ticket or by emailing us at creative@manchester.ac.uk.

About the speakers

Justin O’Connor is Professor of Cultural Economy at Adelaide University, Visiting Professor at the School of Cultural Management, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Hallsworth Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester. Justin’s research led to the establishment of Manchester’s Creative Industries Development Service (CIDS), of which he was co-chair. Justin was lead academic advisor to Manchester’s Urbis museum of the contemporary city, and led the team which established Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Between 2012-18 he was a member of the UNESCO ‘Expert Facility’, supporting the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity.

Justin recently co-authored Red Creative: Culture and Modernity in China (2020, Intellect), and Culture is Not an Industry (2024, Manchester University Press). More information on his website.

Abi Gilmore is Professor of Cultural Policy at the University of Manchester. Her PhD on popular music, cultural policy and urban development and ensuing research positions have focused on similar topics connecting culture, policy and place, including an AHRC funded study of the Millennium Dome, an ESRC study of Local Music Industries and Economic Development in Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, and the development of local cultural strategies and creative industries mapping. She has also worked in research leadership with cultural sector public bodies in the North West, including Arts Council England and as the founding Director of the Northwest Culture Observatory. Current research and policy engagement is part of her recent role as UKRI Policy Fellow on Cultural Placemaking with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and a Co-I on the ESRC Strategic Hub for Local Policy Innovation Partnerships, leading the Culture and Place strand.

Dave Moutrey OBE, Honorary Research Fellow, Creative Manchester, and Director of Culture and Creative Industries for Manchester City Council, is responsible for leading on the creation and delivery of Manchester City Council’s cultural and creative industries policy and strategy working closely with the city’s cultural and creative industries sector on joint working and other collaborative initiatives. He was appointed to this role after a 6 year part-time secondment to the Council as Director of Culture.

Until March 2024 he was Director and Chief Executive of HOME, a purpose built multi-art form venue that opened in May 2015. He conceived and led both the merger of Cornerhouse and Library Theatre Company to create the organisation to operate HOME and the £25m capital project to create the building which has attracted almost 1million visits per year since opening.

Dave was awarded an OBE for services to culture in 2022 and a Doctor of Arts honoris causa by the University of Salford in 2018. He is a member of the Chartered Management Institute and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. In February 2022 Dave was appointed by the Secretary of State at the DCMS as Chair of the Theatres Trust. He was previously an advisor to the British Council and still holds a number of non-executive roles on not-for-profit boards.

Millie Behrens is a University of Manchester GM Policy Fellow from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). She leads on cross-cutting Place & Communities strategy and Policy in DCMS in the central Strategy Unit of the department. Through the policy fellowship, she is working with and building networks across researchers at the University of Manchester particularly related to creative placemaking, planning policy and community engagement and co-creation. Millie has worked at DCMS for over 4 years in various roles, prior to this working in regional and community sports development.

About Creative Manchester

Creative Manchester is an interdisciplinary research platform based at The University of Manchester. The platform champions research in creativity and creative practice, bringing together research communities with external stakeholders to explore new research areas and address strategic opportunities. Please visit the website for more information: Creative Manchester.

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