Creative & Cultural
The creative and cultural sectors have been at the heart of our work since our inception and currently form a significant strand of our activities and contracts.
Much of our work has been around developing the creative industries and reinforces the aspirations of the DCMS's creative economy agenda as outlined in a range of research and policy documents over the last 10 years. The DCMS economic figures show that the creative sector has been growing at a faster rate than the rest of the economy for some time now.
We have been instrumental in developing the creative industries via wide range of important work including:
- Business Support to the Sector (we have supported hundreds of creative businesses via a range of support programmes)
- Capital Projects (creative industries hubs and business units)
- Economic Impact Assessments of the creative industries (large scale mapping of areas such as Devon and Cornwall plus an evaluation of the Objective One funding on the sector in Cornwall)
- Marketing & Market Research (Cornwall Arts Marketing, Newlyn Art Gallery, Dartington International Summer School)
- Cultural Tourism (Essex, Devon, West Cornwall)
- Skills development (Creative Skills in Cornwall, CPD initiative for Arts Council England, Thames Gateway, LSC London East strategy, Local Skills Agreements)
- Education and Young People (Specialist Arts Colleges, Creative Partnerships, Youth Arts Strategies)
- Cultural led regeneration (Creative Plymouth, Ilfracombe Sea Front, Business Immprovement Districts)
- Evaluation (e.g. London youth Music Action Zone, Mediabridge, Digital Arts Centre)
- Board Development (Performing Rights Society Foundation, Raw Material)
- Festival Development (Golowan Festival, St Ives Festival, Southwark Festival)
- Network Development (Digital Peninsula Network)
- Funding and funding strategies (Barbican Theatre Plymouth, Plymouth Arts Centre, Theatre Royal Stratford East)
Our expertise
Kevin Brownridge, attended the 2010 Forum on Cultural Industries in Barcelona. Following Kevin's presentation in Brussels last November at a seminar on ‘Culture in Economic & Social Development – Evidence from the Structural Funds’ where he spoke on the effects of culture-based projects on local and regional development, he went to Spain where he was invited by the Minister of Culture to take part in the European Forum on Cultural Industries in Barcelona. One of Kevin's key points is the need to carry out research (such as our Counting On Creativity report) into the impact of creative and cultural projects in order to provide evidence to the European Commission for the inclusion of culture as a mainstream theme in regional development. Kevin is seated far left in the photo,
We were also appointed by Arts Council England to the Sustain Programme consultancy panel and worked closely with prestigioius clients such as Brighton Dome and Festival Ltd.
Some examples of our work are:
Krowji (formerly Redruth Creative Parc)
On behalf of Arts Centre Trust Cornwall we have undertaken early feasibility and demand study work for the establishment of a creative industries centre on the site of the old Redruth Grammar School. We are now in the business planning phase. Krowji will house 15 of the key strategic and policy making organisations within the creative sector, 30 business incubator units for emerging companies, and 35 units for mature businesses. This is a key infrastructural project for Cornwall which supports the Camborne, Pool, and Redruth Urban Regeneration Company's creative industries strategy
Cornwall Arts Marketing (1999 - >)
Perfect Moment have been involved in the ongoing development of Cornwall Arts Marketing - a county wide agency which has had great success in promoting "cultural Cornwall" and delivering real economic benefits to the range of partners that have featured within a number of successful Objective One bids. They are currently involved in advocating at European level to have Cornwall nominated a "Region of Culture" (click here for website).
Tate St Ives (2009)
Development work on the proposed second phase expansion work for the renowned gallery in Cornwall.
Dartington Arts Park
Perfect Moment worked on the concept development and business planning phase of the proposed Dartington Arts Park. In September 2005, the Dartington Plus partnership, secured grant funding to carry out a detailed scoping study to explore the creation of an Arts Park on the Dartington Hall Estate, near Totnes in South Devon. The outline plan shown here is just one of the options for developing a creative enterprise presence on the Dartington estate.Creative Plymouth (2007 -8)
Development and business planning activities on behalf of Plymouth City Council and Arts Council England South West for Creative Plymouth, a City Council led initiative designed to help make Plymouth one of Europe’s finest waterfront cities. Our work focused on how best to support the creative industries in Plymouth and embed creativity across a number of policy areas.
Dartington International Summer School (2005 - 2006)
A staggering third of Dartington International Summer School's (DISS) customer database took part in Perfect Moment's survey to understand more about this internationally renowned music summer school. This key market research has allowed DISS to build a detailed profile of its customer base. A number of qualitative and attitudinal questions allowed the DISS team to understand their customers wishes and needs and make plans to improve and customise the experience for their loyal and committed audience.
Counting on Creativity (2006 - 2007)
A research project to evaluate the cumulative impact of Objective One project investments on the development of the Creative Industries sector in Cornwall, highlighting opportunities for future structural fund investment in the sector and producing best practice guidelines that can be shared with other EU regions.
Creative Skills (1998 -2005)
Perfect Moment have worked since 1998 as project consultants developing the capacity of the organisation. The project is now the leading one of its kind in the UK with strong links with Truro College (F.E.) and Dartington College (H.E.). It is a sector led initiative delivering annually, to 300 practitioners, a range of training and support services
Arts Council England Sustain Programme
Perfect Moment are pleased to have been appointed by Arts Council England as one of around 20 consultancies selected to offer support to arts organisations as part of the Sustain Programme. Sustain is Arts Council England’s £45 million response to the impact of the recession on arts organisations whose sustainability is important in delivering its mission of great art for everyone. Sustain provides additional financial and technical support, over and above existing funding programmes, and will be made available to organisations to help them maintain their artistic, financial and organisational viability during the recession and implement essential changes to ensure their long-term sustainability.
Association of Town Centre Management, Arts Council England, and Arts & Business (2005 - 6)
Research programme undertaken in conjunction with Creative Cultures and Cultural Capital Ltd into the relationship between the Arts and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). Research covers both UK and International BIDs and culminated in a seminar attended by over 60 Town Centre Management representatives at Arts Council England London in July 2006.
Heartlands (2006)
Perfect Moment helped with the successful early stage project development on Cornwall’s Heartlands Project, part of the Big Lottery Living Landmarks scheme. Heartlands is a vision to transform Pool - the most derelict urban area in Cornwall - into a truly great place to live, work and visit by creating an inspirational cultural landscape which celebrates and reignites its local tradition of innovation, enterprise and creativity. The project secured £22m, one of only three in the UK to receive funding.
Wilnecote High School
The long term development of a range of arts facilities and public library space into this successful community school in Tamworth in the West Midlands. Alongside all the feasibility work and project development we also assisted the school in securing Specialst Arts College Status in Performing Arts.
Outset Centre 
Initial development of concept leading to feasibility study and project development of a £1.5 million youth arts training centre and associated business start up units. Funding was secured from a range of sources including the local authority, Objective 2, NOW SRB programme, and English Partnerships. Subsequent advice was provided to help secure the addition of a UK Online Learning Centre within the building.
Devon Artsculture (2005-6)
Development of successful Objective 2 application for £1.2 million rural economic support programme in Devon
Arts Council England, Devon County Council, and Torbay Council (2005 - 6)
Economic mapping of creative industries in Devon and Torbay. This involved the analysis of national datasets, a survey of 257 creative businesses, focus groups, one to one interviews and a literature review. Results published in the Building Creative Success reports (see Downloads for copies of reports).
Newlyn Art Gallery (2006)
Market research to deepen the knowledge about visitors to the Gallery involving surveys undertaken in the Shop and the Gallery.
Creative Value (2003)
Economic mapping of Cornwall's Creative Industries in conjunction with the Cultural Policy Planning and Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University leading to the publication of the Creative Value report.
Thames Gateway London Partnership and LSC London East (2003)
Mapping of creative sector education, training, skills, and business support provision across the 13 boroughs of the Thames Gateway.
London East Learning & Skills Council
Production of ‘Delivering What The Sector Wants’, a creative industries strategy for Thames Gateway during the transition from TECs to LSCs.
Digital Peninsula Network (2000-2003)
We led a successful bid for a £160,000 programme to establish DPN - a unique association of over 100 private sector organisations brought together to promote the key role of ICT in the regeneration of Cornwall. The network has since flourished and attracted significant funds from the RDA and others to deliver a range of services to the ICT sector.