British television executive Sir Peter Bazalgette joined 60 members of staff and students from Bath Spa University last month to officially launch its new Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries.
Sir Peter, who delivered the inaugural lecture at the launch event, spoke about the importance of the creative industries in the UK and shared ideas about the role of the arts in creating empathy amongst people, which is a theme he explores in his recent book, The Empathy Instinct.
The university-wide research centre will bring together practitioners from across the creative industries, supporting and enabling collaboration around the centre’s core themes of creative entrepreneurship and research.
Sir Peter Bazalgette said: “If you ask me what the greatest challenge is for the creative industries today I’d say without hesitation that it is encouraging the next generation to consider a ‘creative’ career over and above more traditional career paths like accountancy or law.
“We also have a job to do in attracting talent from all backgrounds and increasing diversity within the industry, which we’ll only be able to do if we create the right networks, much like the new Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University, which provide opportunities to meet and collaborate with like-minded people.
“If we’re going to have a really creative industry that truly lives up to its name, it should be drawing on all the cultural influences we have in our country – and I don’t think it does that currently.”
Kate Pullinger, director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries and Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media at Bath Spa University, continued: “Sir Peter’s inaugural lecture, with its emphasis on the importance of the creative industries to our economy as well as our lives, provided the perfect kick-off for the new Centre.
“His exploration of the idea of the ’empathic citizen’ who is enabled by the arts to experience and understand the lives of other people is inspiring for students and practitioners alike.”
The Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries will officially open to external practitioners in the summer 2018. Those interested in collaborating with Bath Spa University on creative research projects should contact Kate Pullinger on 01225 876285 or via [email protected].
