[matilda] Open Letter on WIKI

[Dan]

Cheers Jenny,

If anyone wants to get a handle on what we'd be up against, I'd strongly 
suggest reading the prospectus for 'Creative Sheffield'.

You can download it from:

http://creativesheffield.co.uk/

(Indeed, that's all you can do on their website; after a year, that's 
how transparent they are.)

What does it do?  Well, Sheffield is lucky! Because -

"Sheffield will become the first UK city to put its economic strategy in 
the hands of a new high level economic board, bringing together 
experience and expertise from:

1.International markets where Sheffield has the potential to achieve 
much greater penetration
2.Cities which are already performing at the level Sheffield aspires to 
achieve
3.National and regional agencies with the influence and resources to 
help Sheffield achieve its goal
4.The champions of change who are leading Sheffield's own renaissance.

(You'll notice in the list of board members very few from 4.)

They say

"Sheffield is determined to take its place in the front rank of Europe's 
leading ‘creative producer’ cities, decisively stamping its 
long-standing reputation for innovation and quality on today's 
international markets and making a unique contribution to the UK's 
economic growth."

"Sheffield is determined...?" Are we? Er...

The current board is telling; I've pasted that below.

Its a limited company, with a 'high level board' and all of the business 
model methods that go with that - which are profoundly anti-democratic. 
  And they're openly leading on Sheffield's economic strategy - but 
that's not all!

They're getting close to £100 m (60 to 80 to play with some 'flagship 
projects') - I'm particularly fond of this:

"The use of major flagship projects to achieve a step change in the 
competitiveness levels of cities and regions is well documented in other 
countries but is less well developed in the under-performing regions of 
the UK.  Sheffield is determined to become an exemplar city-region in 
this field."

"Sheffield is determined... !" I'd love to go and ask people!

Flagship projects?  You'll be pleased to know that it looks like 
Creative Sheffield will be leading on the Porter Brook site.

Dan
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Members on the Creative Sheffield Shadow Board (as of March 2005) include:

Sir Howard Bernstein, Chief Executive, Manchester City Council

Professor Bob Boucher, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sheffield

Neil Bradbury, Regional Director, North East and Yorkshire, English 
Partnerships

Professor Diana Green, Vice-Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam University

Martin Havenhand, Chief Executive, Yorkshire Forward

Mrs Julie Kenny CBE, Managing Director, Pyronix Ltd

Susan Law, Managing Director, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Sir Peter Middleton GCB, Chairman and Chief Executive, Barclays Bank plc

Ray Mills, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Councillor Tim Rippon, Cabinet Member, Sheffield City Council

John Ritblat FRICS, Chairman, British Land

Councillor Jan Wilson, Leader, Sheffield City Council