Laura Klonowski
Music has been firmly placed at the heart of Cardiff’s future because as of today the capital of Wales has been officially named the UK’s first ever Music City. Work has now began to develop a new music strategy which will aim to protect the city’s music scene and boos it’s overall international profile.
The strategy will also see Cardiff leading the way in Britain in assessing ways is which music can help create the type of city people want to live in and move to.
The plans are being worked on by the council and Sound Diplomacy who already work in Barcelona, San Francisco and London. In Cardiff they will work with the entire music sector in the city and its stakeholders to a form a music tourism strategy.
The idea is to work alongside musicians, promoters and venues, right through to planners and licensing authorities to look at the value music can bring to Cardiff.
The aim will be to develop policies that treat music as an infrastructure and deliver a thriving music ecosystem, which will create vibrant communities and build an international profile while also increasing the value of music in the city of Cardiff.
As the council set to work on these plans, music fans are invited to attend a celebratory evening on Womanby Street from 6.45pm on Thursday, (December 14th) evening to hear speeches from local politicians and supporters of the Save Womanby Street campaign. This campaign was launched to protect local venues. And the Cardiff council have agreed to buy a derelict building next to Club Ifor Bach which will protect the street’s many live music venues from potential unsuitable residential developments.
Speaking on behalf of the campaign, Alex Owen told Wales Online; “December 14 will be a momentous day. After months of campaigning it is great to see a city’s dreams become a reality. We can’t wait to be working with Cardiff Council and Sound Diplomacy, pioneers of music cities, to protect and support our music so it can thrive. The ambitious plans that have been set out mean that we are not just talking about protecting live music, but planning to help it thrive for decades to come. This is far from the end but it does signal a new beginning to make Cardiff the very best for music development in the UK. On the 14th we will be celebrating the achievements, the partnerships and the power of our community on Womanby Street across all venues. We invite anyone who loves music to join us in celebration and show the world Cardiff means business when it comes to music. Exciting times are here.”
Cardiff Council leader Huw Thomas also added: “Music is an incredibly powerful force for good in our everyday lives, but more than this, it has the power to shape cities, particularly ones with the distinctive cultural offering that we have here in Cardiff. That’s why this announcement is such great news, not just for musicians and concert-goers, but for everyone who wants to see Cardiff develop its international profile, make the most of its potential and become a truly great world capital.”
While Sound Diplomacy CEO Shain Shapiro said: “It’s an honour and a responsibility to be working with Cardiff council to add up, measure and assess the music infrastructure across the city. The council have shown through their efforts on Womanby Street and their increased engagement in music that to them, music is of economic, social and cultural benefit to the city. We take this incredibly seriously, and will work to develop a music policy that musicians, businesses and residents can benefit from and be proud of.
You can find out more about the party taking place on Womanby Street to celebrate the signing of Cardiff Music City deal by visiting their official Facebook page!
Are you excited that Cardiff has been named the UK’s first Music City? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix.
