Can Sydney keep creativity?

The City of Sydney has opened three underused spaces for use by artists.

The decision came just before last Saturday’s debate on whether the city is pricing out creativity as part of Sydney Vivid festival.

Sydney’s artistic community was divided during the debate; many artistic organisations and individuals claiming artists are often pushed out of spaces they help gentrify.

Imogen Semmler, artistic director of Rinse Out Inc and Underbelly Arts, said artists “find cheap real estate on the fringes then it becomes expensive because it’s cool and everyone wants to move there and then the cycle starts again.”

Ms Semmley said the problem is worse in Sydney.

“Real estate prices are now so ridiculous… we are running the risk of losing entire creative communities interstate or to regional areas. They literally have nowhere to go.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said programs like Creative Spaces and Pop-up Rocks, which provide cheap space for artists, are drawing the artistic community in.

“We are committed to supporting our creative industries and community organisations, because we know they have rich social and economic benefits for our global city.”

Tony Shannon, business advisor for Creative Industries Innovation Centre said supporting artists doesn’t just involve rental assistance.

“Government assistance to creativity does not have to come in the form of rental assistance.”

Mr Shannon said it’s important to help creative people run their own businesses, employ more people and market their art.

Nicole Dennis, urban planner from the Academy of Emergency Art disagreed.

“It may be affordable to be an artist, but what type of artist and is that the kind of artist our society needs, of course there is a market for a range of things, but are we pricing out those artists that challenge us conceptually and produce the kind of art which doesn’t have a market.”

Ms Dennis criticised the government and the private sector for neglecting creativity in their planning.

“This is really a planning issue, planners have not planned for creativity in Sydney really at all, the new Sydney metropolitan plan 2036 doesn’t map or analyse cultural or creative capital.”