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Culture can make a huge difference to an area’s economy and evidence of this can already be seen in Thanet.
From a position in the early 1990’s, when unemployment rates hit 15% and the area was suffering from massive deprivation, a major investment in culture over the last decade has helped to transform the area.
Ramsgate’s seafront has become an attractive destination for visitors and residents, with a thriving cafe culture now established around the Royal Harbour Marina. Regeneration grants have helped to create a cultural quarter in Margate’s Old Town, with the arrival of restaurants, galleries and niche shopping. Much of the attraction of Broadstairs to its many visitors is cultural, including its literary links to Charles Dickens and the hugely successful Folk Week Festival each year.
Many people are already employed in Thanet in culture related jobs. These include the tourism sector, which is estimated to support 4,481 actual jobs (Thanet Tourism Economic Impact Estimates 2003). Research has also shown that creative and cultural industries in Thanet already employ nearly 800 people, around 2% of the total workforce, in 148 predominately small businesses.
But culture is about more than improving our economy. It is also inclusive and provides opportunities for the whole community to participate in a range of different activities. To do this, it is vital to ensure that everyone has access to cultural facilities in the area.
Another important element of culture is lifelong learning, whether it is through learning a new skill through adult education, at local leisure centres or through participation in community groups and local organisations, such as theatres, arts or sports groups or involvement in events in the area. The area’s further and higher education sites, Thanet College and Canterbury Christ Church University, between them offer a range of courses focusing on culture, including photography, music, digital media, art and design, the performing arts and catering. Canterbury Christ Church also holds weekly term time live commercial music performances at Horizon’s Bar and exhibitions of art and photography in their Atrium Gallery. Ursuline College in Westgate is a Specialist Sports College and also holds the Sportsmark Gold Award from Sport England in recognition of the quality and amount of extra-curricular sports provision on offer to pupils.
Culture also provides opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of the community, particularly through sport, play and leisure activities that include physical activity, such as walking or work on local allotment sites.
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