Culture is the final component in helping Croydon to fulfil its potential.
That was the view of Jo Negrini, the borough’s executive director of place, in the Develop Croydon session at MIPIM 2016.
She said development and new buildings were not themselves enough but that Croydon had underlined its commitment with the appointment of a new creative director.
“It’s OK to say we’ve got all these opportunities in terms of individual sites but if you have got the infrastructure, if you haven’t got the power, the basic stuff, but also the fibre optics, the cultural infrastructure, the educational infrastructure, the health infrastructure, we’re not going to be able to create the sort of places we really want to,” she said.
Jo Negrini (right) speaking at MIPIM 2016
“It is now all about the place. We’ve got everything else in place but the key thing for us now is to work on our cultural offer and really tackle the thing that held Croydon back more than anything else which is identity and perception.”
Paula Murray will shortly take up her role as creative director having moved from Brighton & Hove where she was assistant chief executive of the local authority and Ms Negrini believes her arrival is a coup for Croydon.
Part of her role will be driving a new operating model for Fairfield Halls, which closes for two years to allow for a £30million refurbishment, but also to develop a new cultural problem for the borough.
Ms Negrini said: “Paula has been instrumental in driving the creative/tech offer in Brighton which has been so successful.
Part of the audience for the Croydon debate
“A new cultural programme will be as much about how Croydon looks and feels and its cultural offer in the streets as it will within venues.
“For us it’s putting a marker down – we’ve got fantastic partners – there’s so much happening. I know they all say that but there’s more happening in Croydon than anywhere else.
“From our point of view that missing bit has always been about what people do in their leisure time – where they hang out, who do they go and see, what kind of music are they going to listen to.
“Mixed with the tech offer that we’ve got, it’s a really phenomenal opportunity.”