As part of our work, Many Studios managed the logistics of 16 international travel mobilities, including incoming and outgoing airport transfer from 9 different countries, accommodation in three cities, internal travel between Glasgow, Edinburgh and London, daily expenses and per diems. We created a programme that could engage widely across various sectors (hub leaders hailed from tech, fashion, design, visual arts, and socio-economical development hubs) whilst also creating tailored opportunities to respond to those respective sectors and disciplines.

Often small and medium in size, creative businesses are often operating ambitious models with small, dedicated teams. A study tour allows hub leaders to step outside the physical place of production to allow space for perspective whilst exchanging experience and knowledge between peer hubs and hubs operating in a very different contexts. It is this combination of difference and similarity that often leads to new ideas and problem solving within current models.

This programme brought about the potential to build a practical and resource-focused network across West, East and Southern Africa and the UK. We brought together a wide and diverse ‘library’ of knowledge and skills, for exchange and peer support with conversations focusing on sustainability and business growth. Hubs found a commonality in the understanding of the value that creative and cultural innovation and activity has socially, economically and politically on all our nations, and a desire to grow the sector for these purposes. By bringing together hubs from a range of disciplines and sectors, the group found valuable perspectives from those working in an entirely different contexts to their own, providing a unique perspective on the work that they are doing and trying to do. 

There are undoubtably challenges within this exchange structure. Primarily, hosting a large group of creative practitioners and visiting a diverse scope of home hubs, within a relatively short time, can be challenging in terms of the quality of exchange between hub leaders. Without focused, long-lead dialogue, it is difficult for visiting hubs to build links with the home hubs. Of course, some practitioners within any group will take initiative and find a way to build a relationship within this format, but this can not be guaranteed and it’s certainly not accessible for everyone. 

Following the design and implementation of the UK tour, Many Studios produced a research paper for British Council Nigeria that analysed the structure of creative economy programmes and interrogated the practicalities of international exchange to understand how best to facilitate international partnership working to allow for long-term impact. The report considered the capacity for learning according to the restrictions and benefits of intensive tours and made recommendations on how best to design exchanges to address the most common issues that new and emerging hubs face at these stages of their development and to feed into the long-term sustainability of creative businesses.

• Client: British Council Nigeria, British Council UK

• Location: Scotland, England

• Completion: 2018

• Areas Specialism: Quality, Production, Business Growth and Sustainability in the Creative Industries; Creative Networking; Support Programs; Policy.