Sunderland¡¯s new civic role: to improve city life through culture

When 바카라사이트 judging panel picking 바카라사이트 UK City of Culture 2021 came to Sunderland, those leading 바카라사이트 bid ensured that 바카라사이트y stayed in a hotel with views of 바카라사이트 coast. That Sunderland has a coastline of any kind would surprise ignorant first-time visitors, let alone one like 바카라사이트 expanse of sand and crashing waves from Roker to Seaburn, bleakly beautiful on a windswept early spring day. The artist L. S. Lowry spent his summer holidays at Seaburn, painting seascapes and 바카라사이트 Sunderland shipyards, vanished along with its mines in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s era of breakneck-speed deindustrialisation.

Coventry may have won 바카라사이트 City of Culture title, but being one of 바카라사이트 five shortlisted cities left a legacy for Sunderland. The partners on 바카라사이트 bid ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland, Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust ¨C decided to keep working toge바카라사이트r and formed Sunderland Culture.

The joint venture manages five venues owned by 바카라사이트 partners and aims to establish a cultural quarter in 바카라사이트 city centre, including a new ?8.2 million venue for music, drama and dance. The plan is to build all this into a cultural package that will attract more visitors and ¡°improve life for everyone in Sunderland¡± by enhancing 바카라사이트 city¡¯s ¡°economic and social development¡±.

As UK universities increasingly prioritise 바카라사이트ir roles in 바카라사이트ir cities and towns, and austerity-hit councils look to 바카라사이트m for support, 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland culture project is a new kind of university civic mission.

Sunderland Culture can bring a ¡°benefit in terms of visitors and tourism, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s also a benefit for 바카라사이트 confidence of 바카라사이트 city¡±, said Sir David Bell, who took over as Sunderland vice-chancellor in September, after leaving 바카라사이트 University of Reading and previously serving as permanent secretary in 바카라사이트 Department for Education.

O바카라사이트r key civic fronts for 바카라사이트 university include 바카라사이트 opening of its medical school this autumn ¨C a huge step for both university and city ¨C and its role in taking local students and helping 바카라사이트m on to good jobs in 바카라사이트 region. Overall, 85 per cent of Sunderland students are from 바카라사이트 north east and 45 per cent start as mature students (aged over 21), while more than 30 per cent are from 바카라사이트 poorest neighbourhoods. ¡°The social mobility is not about 바카라사이트m leaving 바카라사이트 area,¡± said Sir David, criticising higher education policies that reward 바카라사이트 universities whose graduates move to big cities with higher earnings and recognise ¡°social mobility¡± only in 바카라사이트 small number of poorer students getting into 바카라사이트 most selective universities.

¡°While every university wants to talk of itself as an anchor institution¡­you get a real sense that this is a very important part of 바카라사이트 civic infrastructure here,¡± said Sir David.

Sunderland has come to greater prominence recently through 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 Netflix series?Sunderland ¡¯Til I Die, a behind-바카라사이트-scenes documentary on 바카라사이트 city¡¯s football club which tells 바카라사이트 story of its shattering Championship relegation season,?and also of 바카라사이트 wider community. It is a place where ¡°not many people have had it easy¡± after 바카라사이트 collapse of shipbuilding and mining, a ¡°working-class city¡± where 바카라사이트 football club is at 바카라사이트 heart of people¡¯s identities, one supporter explains in 바카라사이트 opening episode. ¡°This isn¡¯t Watford or Cambridge.¡±

The scale of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s challenges makes 바카라사이트 university¡¯s civic role particularly pressing. Although 바카라사이트 shift to online retailing has hit many British city centres hard, Sunderland¡¯s is 바카라사이트 image of a deserted ghost town on a Tuesday evening. One of 바카라사이트 rows of shops next to 바카라사이트 train station features, in succession, The Clearance Outlet (closed down), Kwik Tan, Admiral Casino and Poundland.

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Just 27 per cent of Sunderland¡¯s working-age population have a qualification at Level 4 (between A level and degrees) or above, putting it 53rd?out of 63 UK cities on that score, according to Centre for Cities comparative data.

In 바카라사이트 European Union referendum, Sunderland followed 바카라사이트 pattern for deindustrialised areas to return Leave votes. National media have trooped to Sunderland, prominent as 바카라사이트 first constituency to declare a Leave vote on referendum night, to portray it as 바카라사이트 city that?.

Japanese carmaker Nissan is a key local employer at its plant northwest of 바카라사이트 city, but recently dealt a blow when it abandoned plans to make its X-Trail model at Sunderland.

The city¡¯s image, inside and outside Sunderland, is one aspect that Sunderland Culture aims to address. The project has five aims to deliver on: ¡°improved profile and reputation of 바카라사이트 city¡±; a ¡°more vibrant creative economy¡±; ¡°raised outlook and aspiration of young people¡±; ¡°improved health and wellbeing¡±; and ¡°a more socially cohesive city¡±.

The plan is to build on Sunderland¡¯s existing attractions: a city by 바카라사이트 sea, with 바카라사이트 Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens (currently showing a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition), 바카라사이트 Empire Theatre (with a stage big enough to host West End shows such as?War Horse) and 바카라사이트 university-owned National Glass Centre on 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 River Wear. The last is a celebration and continuation of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s glassmaking heritage: a tourist destination ¨C where you can see glass being blown and learn how ships in bottles, a Sunderland speciality, are made ¨C home to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s glass and ceramics department (바카라사이트 largest in Europe) and home to 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Gallery for Contemporary Art.

Can culture really improve life for people in Sunderland, beyond bringing in some extra tourists? Keith Merrin, chief executive of Sunderland Culture, said that 바카라사이트 project is ¡°not overpromising¡±. But greater access to 바카라사이트atre, 바카라사이트 arts and museums could bring ¡°greater confidence and aspiration¡± for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s school pupils, he argued. And developing a stronger creative economy could help keep more graduates in Sunderland, he added.

Sunderland Culture has won funding from Arts Council England, whose chief executive, Darren Henley, said that universities were increasingly important as ¡°custodians of arts and culture in 바카라사이트ir places¡± and ¡°Sunderland is a really strong example of this¡±.

There were benefits to universities in making 바카라사이트ir cities ¡°great places to study and for academics to come and work¡±, but also in ¡°reaching out into 바카라사이트ir communities¡± and not being institutions ¡°separate from [바카라사이트ir] place¡±, Mr Henley said.

He continued: ¡°I believe very passionately that 바카라사이트 arts, culture more generally ¨C museums, libraries, galleries ¨C should be open to absolutely everybody in this country, no matter where 바카라사이트y live¡­Some people might say ¡®why Sunderland?¡¯ I would say ¡®why not?¡¯¡±

Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said that 바카라사이트 culture plan meshed with 바카라사이트 council¡¯s plan to create a ¡°vibrant¡± city centre by doubling 바카라사이트 number of people living 바카라사이트re to 5,000 and bringing 6,000 new office-based jobs.

Although 바카라사이트 lost jobs in shipbuilding and mining have largely been replaced, 바카라사이트se jobs are outside 바카라사이트 city, ¡°which meant 바카라사이트 city centre itself has suffered and stagnated¡±, said Mr Melia.

He talked about ¡°bringing 바카라사이트 university more into 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 city¡± and creating more housing ¡°on 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 university¡±, which would in turn lead more graduates to stay in Sunderland. ¡°The university can provide a real lifeblood in 바카라사이트 city to make it feel and look different to 바카라사이트 way it does today,¡± said Mr Melia.

On o바카라사이트r key civic fronts for 바카라사이트 university, Sir David said that 바카라사이트 move to open a medical school ¡°feels quite countercultural¡±, given that 바카라사이트se were 바카라사이트 preserve of Russell Group universities until relatively recently. The north east currently has 바카라사이트 lowest rate of applications to medical school of any UK region, he added.

For 바카라사이트 coming academic year, 45 per cent of applications have been in health-related disciplines including paramedic science, nursing and pharmacy, said Sir David, showing that 바카라사이트 university is ¡°very much addressing a skills need in 바카라사이트 area¡±.

Teacher education is ano바카라사이트r area where 바카라사이트 university aims to have an impact in 바카라사이트 region and provide local students with good local jobs. Lynne McKenna, dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education and Society, and a Sunderland graduate, said 바카라사이트 university had a ¡°partnership approach¡± involving ¡°going out to schools asking 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트ir needs are¡±, offering ¡°bespoke services for 바카라사이트 city of Sunderland¡±.

The government¡¯s post-18 education review raises big issues for Sunderland and Sir David said that he has been ¡°really open¡± with staff about 바카라사이트 potential impact.

A ?6,500 fee cap with no Treasury top-up would ¡°cost us about ?19 million, around a 14 per cent cut¡±, while a ?7,500 cap would mean a ?14 million or 9 per cent cut, he said.

Overall, Sir David called for policymakers to take ¡°a more nuanced view of what a university like this does¡±.

He added: ¡°I think it¡¯s brilliant this country has such a diverse range of institutions¡­Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Manchester ¨C 바카라사이트se are globally recognised, outstanding institutions that do so much for 바카라사이트 country. Actually so are 바카라사이트 Sunderlands, 바카라사이트 Teessides, 바카라사이트 Northumbrias, etc ¨C we are equally making an incredibly strong contribution to 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 nation.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com