1. Possibilities of Emptiness:
Working with the Echoes of Industrial Culture
Professor Dr Mike Robinson
Director, Ironbridge International
Institute for Cultural Heritage
University of Birmingham, UK
5. Reflections on a World Without
Remains and Reminders
• Histories are all in
the future
• A place of different
conversations
• Amnesiac
communities
• Does it matter?
6.
7. BIG Question
Assuming we consider industrial heritage
to worth retaining, preserving, protecting,
interpreting, etc. …….
HOW do we go about it?
8. SHIFT
From:
• emphasis on
‘museumification’
• reliance on public
sector subsidy /
culture
• public sector /
‘expert’ management
10. The Fate of Industrial Space
Without an agenda for industrial heritage we
are condemned to coffee shops, housing estates
and retail parks
At the same time:
How many art centres do we need?
12. Multi-level Approach
Policy Level
• Integrated Industrial Heritage Landscape
approach
• Urban vision – alignment of community desire,
political will and financial planning
• Embedded in economic policy and contemporary
industrial sectors
• Planning for scaling back public subsidy
13. Sheffield’s Little
Mesters Yards
• Positive incentives for
continuing industrial
use
• Adaptive re-use
• New re-incarnations
14. Multi-level Approach
Site Management Level
• Flexible utilisation of resources – planning
• Maximising audience appeal / participation
• Flexible utilisation of resources – diverse
revenue streams/ stakeholders
• Planning for scaling back public subsidy
The complete antithesis of the industrial spirit and productive cultures
Camp and furnace liverpool, Camp and Furnace is a cultural hub over 34,000 sq.ft comprising events spaces, bar, eatery, nightclub, photographic and location studios, indoor boutique caravan hotel and pop-up retail. Very simple materials, low cost, robust, accessible, the servery is stacked spruce ply boxes, brick fireplace, ply tables, wire log baskets