Exploring ‘post-industrial’ urban identities through the cultural and creative sector: A comparative study of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England and Hamburg, Germany (EE/DRFGEO7P/61935)

In the context of de/re-industrialisation, EU expansion and neo-liberal globalisation, the transformation of former industrial cities in Western Europe has been considerable. In order to attract/retain capital, labour, visitors and residents, cities have sought to alter socio-economic structures, built environments and re- brand. At the heart of such efforts have been attempts to foster both new economic activities and new post-industrial subjectivities in the shape of the cultural and creative sector. The consequences of change and the extent to which cities have been able to facilitate such growth is far from uniform. Such differences highlight the need to question the homogeneity implied in the concept of ‘post-industrial’, particularly across national boundaries. There is also a need to address the diversity of experiences and to further explore the complex dynamics of socio-spatial positioning within cities undergoing change. Adopting a comparative approach across two European cities, this studentship will attempt to understand the emergence of this sector, but more importantly its implications for both ‘post-industrial’ places and identities. It will pay attention to the characteristics and experiences of those involved in this sector, their emerging/shifting connections with place, migratory histories (internal and transnational) and social identifications (with particular attention to class and ethnicity). The fieldwork will examine two cities that share industrial pasts, yet have experienced different transitions. The first is Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the North East of England. The second is the city of Hamburg in the north of Germany. The study asks: How do those in the cultural and creative industries relate to the shifting urban landscape characterised by post-industrialism? How do those working in this sector identify with/against place in established or new ways? How is change in these places experienced and conceptualised through such employment? And more generally what does this tell us more generally about post-industrial identities and social difference in a period of uneven transition?

Enquiries regarding this studentship should be made to: Dr John Clayton, [Email Address Removed]

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.