A Proud
Creative City

In his Manifestos for the Creative City, poet Pier Giorgio Di Cicco asserts that society requires a refreshed ethos for cities, one built on awakening the artist citizen in each of us – where a city then rejoices in its uniqueness, beyond a “point of pride.”

With such a wonderful exclamation, I cannot help but ask what a city like this must look like, feel, sound and behave like – don’t you? Perhaps this is a provocation for each of us to take a pause, to be creative, to imagine a place of joy to get this evolution started? Maybe then we can be creative and collaborate on a dream for a welcoming and vibrant city – one that allows us to aspire for a collective potential that exceeds expectations?

At the core of Di Cicco’s hopeful idea are ingredients that cSPACE shares – that creativity is a renewable and powerful resource, and that “the purpose of art is to make the city fall in love with itself.” Even more so, that in supporting the conditions for artists to thrive, we can also help awaken an inclusive and passionate city where citizens’ stand proud!

Nearly a decade ago, a shared vision was imagined that our city could achieve such an ideal. With the inception of cSPACE’s mission to develop sustainable spaces for the creative community, and with the transformation of King Edward School into a vibrant arts and community hub, we now have a tangible foundation for this wonderful idea of change to germinate and be a beacon for our community.

In my new role as General Manager, our renewed commitment to these newsletters is to share how our authentic place, our remarkable people, and the proliferation of creative ideas are taking flight here at cSPACE. We welcome you to come visit us, to contribute your own passionate perspective, and to join our daily celebration for what a creative and vital city should be!

Deeter Schurig