In the event, the 1970s marked a turning point. Competition from Asian steel-makers and the energy crisis brought 10 years of job loss and restructuring to the steel industry, culminating in a 13 week national steel strike at the beginning of 1980. By this time 50,000 jobs had gone in steel and associated sectors. Sheffield was now rapidly becoming a place where employment in manufacturing was, for the first time in 150 years, a minority experience. It was clear that Sheffield could no longer rely on steel for its prosperity - what could take its place ?

Regeneration is now recognised as the principal task of all the city’s institutions, and the public, private and not-for-profit sectors now work together within Sheffield First Partnership to make Sheffield a successful city – with a good deal of success.

In recent years, Sheffield has become:

» The fastest growing city in England outside of the Capital
» Top among the major cities league for school GCSE results
» England's safest city, with the lowest levels of crime
» A healthier city, with premature deaths due to major causes falling ahead of Government targets
» A more equitable city, with every ward in the city experiencing at least a halving of unemployment rates

Located within a couple of minutes walk of Sheffield City Centre, the CIQ is home to over 270 organisations, including film, TV, video and radio (production and broadcasting), science and technology, new media design, training and education, live performance, music, arts, crafts, traditional industries and a wide range of support services from PR to event and personal management.

Download a map of Sheffield CIQ.This file is in pdf format. To read it you will need the freeAcrobat Reader, available from Adobe .

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By rail...

Sheffield is two hours from London St Pancras by rail.

Sheffield's railway station is on the edge of the Cultural Industries Quarter, only a moment's walk from the conference venue and five minutes from the city centre.

Tickets and Timetables

You can find out timetable information and buy tickets for all UK rail destinations at The Trainline and Midland Mainline , or by calling National Rail enquiries on .

Destination Times

Manchester Airport – The UK's busiest international airport outside London, under an hour away by road and rail.

London Heathrow , Gatwick and Luton The UK’s leading international airports are two and a half hours away by rail.

There are smaller international airports at Leeds/Bradford , (60 minutes away by road) East Midlands (Nottingham, 60 minutes away by road/rail) and Birmingham (90 minutes by road/rail).

Sheffield Airport - Ten minutes drive from the city centre, with flights to Jersey and Belfast.

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Accommodation

There is a good range of hotels within easy walking distance of the conference venue. Please contact them directly to arrange your accommodation. We recommend early booking.

To make a reservation, contact the hotel of your choice, and quote "Creative Clusters". The number of rooms offered at these rates may be limited and are, therefore, subject to availability. At the time of making a reservation, you may be asked for details of a credit or debit card to guarantee the booking. We suggest that you check the hotel's cancellation policy at this time.

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Research and text by: Simon Blanchard, Sheffield First for Investment and Creative Clusters.

Sheffield Images Courtesy of Sheffield City Council