Launch of Salford Creatives
I’m based in Salford. I’m a creative. So when I spotted a poster advertising the launch of Salford Creatives, I had a hunch this might just be the event for me.
Held in an arched railway tunnel in the New Bailey area, just behind Salford Central station, I turned up not really knowing what to expect.
I was greeted with the obligatory (but actually very nice) tote bag, before the space gradually filled with an eclectic mix of designers, artists, musicians, makers, poets and plenty more besides.
The assembled throng, or rabble, as Salford Creatives are now collectively known, gathered to hear Salford City Council leader, Mayor Paul Dennett, speak passionately about the importance of Salford’s creative community and the role it plays in making the city such a fascinating place to live, work and play.
One thing from Paul’s speech particularly stuck with me: “It’s Salford’s time.”
He talked about the success of our creative neighbours in Stockport in changing perceptions, attracting new audiences and raising the ambition and expectations of the area. It’s somewhere I know well, having previously worked on projects for Stockport Council, Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, STOK and One Stockport.
And I really do believe it’s Salford’s time too.
There’s a huge amount of potential here. Salford is already an exciting, creative and increasingly ambitious place to live and work, but I’ve always felt it has a genuinely creative heart that, historically, hasn’t always been fully recognised or capitalised upon.
So it was great to meet and chat with fellow creatives who seem to share that same belief. People who clearly want to do more, make more and shout a little louder about what Salford has to offer.
The big question, of course, is what happens next.
I really hope Salford Creatives becomes more than a great launch event, a nice tote bag and a room full of enthusiastic people. I hope it develops into something that creates genuine, long-term change for Salford’s creative community – connecting people, creating opportunities, raising ambitions and putting the city’s creative talent firmly on the map.
And hopefully, I’ll get the chance to play a small part in that too.
It’s Salford’s time. Let’s see what we can create. For more info or to get involved, check out https://salfordcreatives.com/
