Should York’s ancient Guildhall become a centre for the digital arts?

IN A city such as York, the ancient and modern are bound to collide. We may have medieval street plans and bits of surviving Roman wall, but York is also a modern city with two thriving universities and a great reputation for science.

If all goes to plan, that collision between old and new could soon find its perfect expression at the Guildhall. City of York Council wants to convert its medieval former HQ into a centre for a new and very 21st century industry: the digital media arts.

The plans are certainly ambitious. At a cost of £9.23 million, the medieval building and its various more modern annexes would be extensively refurbished.

The listed council chamber wouldn’t be touched. But annexe buildings which once housed council staff could be converted into flexible office space, where graphic design firms would rub shoulders with software engineers, visual artists, website designers and computer games businesses.

Picture a buzz of bright young whiz-kids with laptops writing software for Playstation video games or mobile phone apps, or else designing corporate logos and web branding for major supermarket chains, and you wouldn't be far wrong.

The proposals, admittedly still in their early stages, also envisage workshops, exhibition and conference spaces, and access through to the banks of the River Ouse behind – with potentially even floating pontoons for displays and other events.

On one side of the complex would be a new café bar; on the other, between the Guildhall and City Screen, a new restaurant.

Council bosses believe that, as well as opening up the Guildhall and improving access to the riverbank behind, the new digital media and arts centre would create or 'safeguard' (for which read keep in York) at least 200 jobs – in computing, IT and the digital media, but also support jobs, including in the bar and restaurant.

More important, perhaps, they believe such a centre could secure York's growing status as a city with a thriving digital and media arts industry.

It might surprise you to know that there is such an industry in York. But the city's recent designation as a UNESCO city of digital media arts was no accident.

Revolution Software, which makes the hugely popular Broken Arrow games, is based here. And there are a host of other digital arts companies, too – everything from graphic design firms, website designers and visual artists to software designers and TV and computer gaming businesses.

According to figures compiled by the council's economic team for the draft local plan, the creative and media arts sector in York employs about 2,600 people. The jobs pay well above the national average salary. And the sector contributes something like £300 million towards York's economy.

It is a high-growth sector – not surprising, when you look at the explosion in smartphones, tablets and other modern gadgetry that have become such a part of our modern lives. It has the potential to employ a lot more bright young people in York on very good salaries.

Earlier this month, Charles Cecil, the founder and boss of Revolution Software, claimed York had the potential to be a new San Francisco – a thriving powerhouse of digital creativity and innovation, leading the world in the new digital industries and creating wealth and good jobs along the way.

That’s the dream. The problem is that there’s a lot of competition from other cities– and York doesn’t have the kind of flexible office space such thrusting, modern, fast-on-their feet creative businesses need.

Greg McGee of Proudly In York during the tour of the Guildhall
Greg McGee of York art gallery According to McGee during the tour of the Guildhall 

Choosing the Guildhall to provide this space makes a kind of sense. After all the building was originally a base for York’s medieval guilds.

“It was created to be a centre for the guilds, and I see this... as about creating a modern guild, a new base for a new industry," said Tracey Carter, the city council’s assistant director of finance, property and procurement, addressing a group of local digital arts entrepreneurs who toured the building last week.

Among those taking part in the tour were Revolution's Charles Cecil; Matt Lazenby of graphic design firm Lazenby Brown; Greg McGee of York art gallery According to McGee; Owen Turner of York-based branding and design agency United By Design; and Dom Smith, editor of arts and music magazine Soundsphere.

They're all small companies, in terms of the number of people they employ. Even a hugely successful business like Revolution only has a core staff of about five or six people, although it takes on many more when creating a new game, says Charles Cecil.

But between them, these and other similar companies provide a significant number of jobs. All were genuinely excited at the prospect of a digital arts centre at the Guildhall.

Dom Smith, right, from Sound Sphere magazine and Jay Silence, left
Dom Smith, right, from Sound Sphere magazine and Jay Silence, left

Lazenby Brown is in constant 'digital connection' with a host of other creative businesses – artists, graphic designers, software designers and the like, Matt Lazenby says. At the moment it has small offices in Shambles. But working in a digital arts centre alongside other creative businesses would bring real benefits. “When people come together, ideas spark.”

Owen Turner, MD of United by Design, which has done web design, logos and corporate branding for clients like ASDA and the University of York, says a 'creative hub' is just what the digital arts industry in York needs to grow.

"A hub would enable us to collaborate with our clients and other 'creatives' in the city - designers, illustrators, photographers, musicians," he says. "It would help us focus, help us spark off each other."

The extra office space could also mean that in future, when working on a major new project, Revolution could recruit local freelances rather than finding them overseas, added Charles Cecil.

At the moment, his company uses a lot of freelances from the US and elsewhere. "But I know in York we could have more people if there was a way of connecting with them."

For and against

TURNING York’s ancient Guildhall into a centre for the digital arts certainly sounds exciting and York does have to invest in industries of the future if it is to continue to thrive and compete. But do the proposals stack up?

The bulk of the £9.23 million investment needed would come from the City of York Council: £1.4 million of it from the authority’s Economic Infrastructure Fund; £4.6 million through borrowing; the remainder potentially through grants or other sources.

Under the proposals, the council would keep ownership of the building, but would bring in a private sector ‘partner’ to run it.

The council points out that a new use must be found for the Guildhall: doing nothing is not an option. It would cost £350,000 just to carry out very basic repairs. More substantial repairs and maintenance to safeguard the building for the next five years would cost nearly £2.5 million, with little to show other than an empty building.

Tracey Carter, the city council’s assistant director of finance, property and procurement, argues that a digital media arts centre will bring real benefits.

“You would be surprised by how many people work in the creative sector,” she says. “There are large numbers of businesses employing large numbers of people and in terms of high wages, it is the second best sector in the city.”

The council estimates that the creative and media arts sector generates about £300 million a year for the city’s economy. The sector is growing at 4.6 per cent a year, making it one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the city.

A successful digital media industry in York would also create knock-on jobs in support industries in the wider economy, the council says, as well as making York more attractive to businesses thinking of coming here.

An initial £500,000 of council funding has been released to begin work on detailed designs. There will be consultation once more detailed plans have been prepared, the council says. It is hoped work could begin in 2016 and be completed by 2018.

Local politicians, however, remain divided about the proposals. Labour and the Greens are strongly in favour: but the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have concerns about whether proposals stack up economically, or represent good value for money.

FOR...

Labour

“The creation of a digital media arts centre at the Guildhall represents far more than the approximate 200 jobs that would be created there,” says council leader Dafydd Williams.

“Since we successfully became a UNESCO City of Media Arts, we have a window of opportunity to capitalise and help generate far more jobs in this sector. Further jobs will be created elsewhere as businesses see York as a centre of expertise in digital media arts.”

Greens

There is a real need for incubation space and larger offices for the city’s burgeoning creative and digital companies, says Green councillor Dave Taylor.

“This needs to be in the city centre and a prestigious address will impress clients and collaborators.”

STILL HAVE CONCERNS...

Liberal Democrats
“This is an expensive project for the council to be funding at a time when we are seeing services cut,” Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Keith Aspden says.

“Residents will question why this scheme – however appealing it may sound – is being funded ahead of Yearsley Pool, Castlegate or basic things like road repairs.

“We are yet to see a proper business case and there are still many unanswered questions, including who exactly will use the centre, how the council will get a return on its investment, and why the project was turned down for funding by both the Leeds City Region and the Heritage Lottery Fund.”

Conservatives

“We don’t think there has been enough proof of the business case for taking on what is very significant further borrowing,” says Conservative group leader Cllr Chris Steward.

“The business case is based on a big jump into office space for a very specific sector and one which the council has no proven track record in.”