Sheffield Cultural Industries Quarter (CIQ) was the UK's first business development area explicitly devoted to cultural industries. This former cutlery and manufacturing area, ¾ of a square mile in the heart of the city, was zoned for creative businesses and cultural production twenty years ago. Today the CIQ is home to more than 300 enterprises, making it the largest creative and digital cluster in the region.

'CIQ Uncovered' will ask some searching questions about Sheffield's experience. Led by some of the Quarter's key players,this half-day master-class will attempt to assess successes and failures, interrogate policies and present models for future development. Has the city's 20 year investment in the Creative Industries paid dividends or was it a flash in the pan?

CIQ Uncovered is based on a long-term research project that, unusually, incorporates both hard analysis and creative evaluation, putting together a 'rich picture' of the CIQ using a variety of analytical techniques.

Component parts include an impact analysis, film and video material, timelines, maps, systems analysis, historical narrative, specially commissioned commentaries, academic papers and political reports. The project draws on arts, urban planning, economic development and entrepreneur support, and includes evidence from a multiplicity of players and witnesses. Conference delegates will receive a free CD rom which releases the first tranche of this material.

Passes

£ 60: Early-bird rate (until 21st Sept)
£ 80: Standard rate (until 2nd Nov)
£ 90: Last-minute rate (until 20th Nov)

Date and Venue

1.30-5.30pm
Wednesday 20th November 2002
The Workstation, Paternoster Row, Sheffield
How to get there .

A full-day tour to media centres in Huddersfield and Bradford, taking in some of Yorkshire's leading creative industry projects.

Established in 1995, the Media Centre has grown to become one of the most innovativeclusters of creative and media businesses in the UK.

Located in Huddersfield at the heart of West Yorkshire's excellent road and public transport infrastructure, The Media Centre is just twenty-fiveminutes from both Manchester and Leeds. It is now well established as an ideal location for creative and media businesses, providing high quality services at extremely competitive prices.

From its recently refurbished warehouse buildings, providing seventy-twooffice spaces and twenty-onelive-work units for over eighty companies employing three hundredpeople, The Media Centre is at the centre of a thriving community of innovative businesses and creative enterprises. It also provides internet access for the public; a Digital Research Unit and the medialounge, a showcase for the creative use of digital technologies.

The Company responsible for managing the buildings, developing the services and delivering an innovative research and commissioning programme from the Digital Research Unit is Kirklees Media Centre Limited. This is an independent, non-profit distributing Company, committed to re-investing in the creative and media sector.

The day will include an in-depth look at the Media Centre, which provides serviced office accommodation, an innovative commissioning programme, exhibition space and production facilities for digital media. The opening of the Media Centre triggered substantial new investment around it in loft apartments and specialist retailing, and the Centre now supports a growing cluster of creative and media enterprisesacross the town centre and further afield.

Bradford has some of the greatest assets and potential in Europe for the development of new media - vibrant and creative companies, a cost effective business and living environment and world-class showcases and seminar environments such as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television and the University of Bradford.

bmedi@ emerged out of this creative and commercial environment. Officially launched in July 2001, bmedi@ now has more than one hundredmembers - individuals, companies and representatives from the education sector, the local authority and regional bodies. They share a common aim - to promote the Bradford District as a centre of excellence for new media, to grow existing new media companies in Bradford and to attract new enterprise to the district.

bmedi@ is especially aware of the historical drift of highly skilled, youthful new media enthusiasts from Bradford to the South of England. bmedi@ is addressing this loss of creative talent through a number of economic initiatives. One such initiative is the creation of "clusters" of workspaces where new-start media-related businesses can share ideas and energy in a supportive environment with other like minded businesses.

The first such "incubator" has been set up at the Business and Innovation Centre in a partnership involving Bradford Council, Manningham and Girlington Regeneration Partnership and bmedi@.

Called "The medi@ Zone", it is conveniently adjacent to the university and college. It offers a dedicated, fully furnished office suite for up to six new start businesses at highly favourable rent and on flexible terms - just what new businesses need to grow and flourish. The medi@ Zone has meeting and conference facilities on site, shared office equipment and provides newly- established businesses with the right professional image and atmosphere expected of a creative business.

Passes

£ 60: Early-bird rate (until 21st Sept)
£ 80: Standard rate (until 2nd Nov)
£ 90: Last-minute rate (until 20th Nov)

Date and Venue

8.45am - 4.00pm
Saturday 23rd November 2002
The coach departs from the Showroom Cinema. How to get there .