The Curator in Context

Individual cities develop unique know-how and innovations, which makes them highly competitive – if nurtured! To be useful, the Curator must intimately comprehend the historic and present context of local manufacturing, the extensive expertise base, and how this knowledge can be transferred, shared, and developed. Only then can they lead, encourage, and support appropriately.

There is no template for the perfect Curator. Be guided by the needs of the city and the local manufacturing scene. This should form the basis of who fills the position and what they set out to achieve.

The goals of the Curator may arise strategically with strong policy influence (top-down) or by identifying street-level concerns that rally applicable actors on the foundations of shared identity or a sense of feeling threatened (e.g., from eviction as land is zoned for real estate speculation).

A Curator Profile

Who can be a Curator is not prescriptive. It may be an individual, group, or board comprising of public or private enterprises. Generally, public authorities are expected to step in to support the ‘vulnerable’ manufacturing sector, but where the will is lacking, business and community groups who identify the need for a Curator can team up to take the lead.

Liable contenders or participants could be any of the following:

• city authorities,
• public agencies,
• industry leaders,
• small-scale manufacturers,
• artisans,
• community group representatives,
• city planners,
• housing groups,
• developers,
• investors,
• researchers,
• charities, not-for-profit and voluntary organisations,
• activists,
• freelances,
• universities,
• chambers of commerce.

How to Create a Curator Role

Cities of Making identifies these steps to get you started:

1. Establish the scale your Curator will work at: do they represent manufacturers within a building, block, neighbourhood, or the whole city?
2. As a minimum, establish the backing of private manufacturing enterprises. If they don’t recognise the authority of the role, it will have little impact.
3. The position is strengthened with buy-in from the public authority, not least because the Curator will play the part of go-between. Get the administration on board, and extend impact by rallying community-based organisations, businesses, NGOs, entrepreneurs, and anyone else with a vested interest in the presence of local production.
4. With stakeholder recognition secured, identify, and define the Curator’s objectives. These should reflect the relevant needs and site, as per the scale set out in step 1, and are explained in detail here.
5. Source funding to make it all possible. Ensure your target budget is realistic and provides long-term sustainability. Remember, a group will require more workspace and resources than an individual.

Financing Your Curator

Your city needs a Curator. The biggest challenge is often how you can afford it. Thankfully, there are some fairly straightforward options.

1. Authorities

If the city is behind the push for the role, the administration may find room in their annual budget to bankroll it. Simple. If they need a little persuasion, point out the public cohesion and economic benefits through additional trade and associated tax that can be raised by having the role in place. A small municipal tax increase could be introduced.

• Business Incentives

Economic gain can be used as leverage to encourage manufacturers and other local businesses to make contributions. Although start-ups probably lack the capital, established industrial companies may be able to invest. Convince them how they can recoup their investment through cost-savings, such as using improved infrastructure that results in more efficient resource, energy, and logistics networks, or the promise of new technologies. Approach local philanthropists.

• Place-Based Financial Levers

Hefty blanket charges like business rates are known to push manufacturers out. But if they’re localised and strategic, they can be effective. Structural financing – charging businesses on the micro-scale – where companies see they will end up benefitting from changes the Curator enacts, can help raise capital with minimal backlash.

• Membership

Maybe a community group wants a neighbourhood-level Curator. An energy co-operative, for example, might wish to negotiate tenure of a building where they can install solar panels. It is common for them to meet expenses by charging membership fees.

• Project Funding

If your Curator is implemented as part of a research project for which you are seeking funding – such as an EU grant programme – restricted costs can likely be included in the budget proposal. If in doubt, ask. Hold discussions with local companies in advance to raise match-funding to strengthen your application and underpin the Curator’s position within the business community.

• Loans

Could you charge for the services the Curator offers to claw back finance at a later stage? In that case, a bank, city authority, community interest group, or building management company may be willing to provide a cash injection to set up the role and support the implementation of the financial mechanisms.

Establishing the Curator Role in a Nutshell

Curators respond to identified needs. You should begin by bringing together interested stakeholders and generating buy-in from all agents that are due to benefit and are positioned to provide valuable input. Don’t feel restricted: the private and public sectors, community groups, research, educational, and financial institutions, and citizens are all potential supporters and profiteers. Define your objectives, source the right individuals for the role based on their skills and knowledge of the city and manufacturing base, and explore your breadth of funding opportunities. With all this secured, the Curator can get to work, making your city a haven for urban manufacturing.