Ningbo and Nottingham seek more cooperation in cultural creativity

A booth called "Creative Nottingham" displays cultural cases from British companies during the 2018 China (Ningbo) Cultural Industrial Fair from April 13 to 16 in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Ningbo's rapidly growing cultural and creative industries have been attracting more and more exchanges and cooperation with companies from its British sister city, Nottingham.

This year, during the 2018 China (Ningbo) Cultural Industrial Fair (NBCIF) from April 13 to 16, a delegation of cultural and creative companies from Nottingham demonstrated their expertise and successes in film, TV, and other cultural sectors to Chinese people.

These companies are not just from Nottingham, but also from areas around the city, according to Robert Dixon, head of Business Growth and International Strategy, Nottingham City Council.

"15 representatives from a number of different businesses involved in film production, video games and art services attended the fair," Dixon explained.

The UK was the first country in the world to put forward the idea of developing creative industries and also the first to implement public policies facilitating their development. Today, creative fields make up the second largest sector in the UK, the largest being financial services.

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province has been rapidly developing its cultural and creative industries in recent years. In 2017, the total value added of the city's creative sector reached 71.67 billion yuan ($11.41 billion), accounting for 7.27 percent of its total GDP, said Lin Daji, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee, at the Ningbo-Nottingham Cultural and Creative Industries Forum on April 13.

In his speech, Lin called on all parties to work together to expedite the cultural development of Ningbo and Nottingham.

"Nottingham and the UK are strong in design and creativity, while China has different cultural strengths," said the official, who is quite optimistic about the two cities' cultural ties.

In terms of what he thinks have the most potential for cooperation in the future, Dixon said technology, digital design and mobile phones are worth exploring.

Darren Barker, a member of the British delegation, is the founder of Barker Langham, a London-based cultural consulting firm specializing in the conceiving, strategic planning and development of cultural heritage projects in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

This marks the first time Barker has come to China, and he chose Ningbo as the entrance point into the Chinese market.

"Ningbo's cultural and creative industries are emerging and I hope to have conversations with people here and see whether people would like to work with us," said Barker. In his view, there's a connection between the UK and Ningbo, and he believes he's starting in the right place.

Lin Daji, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee, delivers a speech at the Ningbo-Nottingham Cultural and Creative Industries Forum in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on April 13. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Ningbo and Nottingham became sister cities in 2005. The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, founded a year earlier, is a joint venture between China and the UK and also serves as a bridge between Ningbo and Nottingham.

Robert Dixon, head of Business Growth and International Strategy, Nottingham City Council, is interviewed at the Ningbo-Nottingham Cultural and Creative Industries Forum in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on April 13. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The two cities have conducted exchanges and cooperation activities in a wide range of fields over the past decade, including education, trade, investment and culture. In 2011, nine museums in both cities jointly set up an international alliance and in 2017 and 2018, art troupes from Ningbo performed in front of Nottingham audiences during the Chinese New Year.

Dixon believes that the person-to-person relationship is the most important for sustainable and comprehensive relations, "We come to Ningbo and meet businesses, organizations and the government here, while the Ningbo government sends people to serve on the Nottingham City Council for a period of time, which I think is a powerful way of demonstrating the link between the two cities. The personal links are probably what make the most sense."