A Relational Creative City: Mapping Networks between Public, Private and not for Profit Sector in the Creative Industries

Large attention has been recently drawn towards the role that arts, culture and creativity can play in regenerating and developing cities. Within this framework, the paper uses social network analysis (SNA) to explore not only the impact of physical regeneration but also the role played by networks of knowledge and support within the urban creative economy. Although this method is not new, it has only marginally been adopted by researchers in this field. By using the example of a research undertaken in Newcastle-Gateshead and the North East of England, investigating the networks and relations between creative industries, the paper aims to contribute to this debate both from a methodological and theoretical perspective. The findings reveal the importance of knowledge and support networks in the field of creative industries. It suggests the need to adopt an ego-centric networks approach, in order to gain a full understanding of who are the key actors in a local system and the way they interact. Furthermore, not limiting the knowledge interaction to the business level, it enables to demonstrate the importance of interconnections with the public and the not for profit sector.