The Vision
During the Spring Forward night some
years ago I did not sleep, but I did have a dream. My mind raced.
The hunters have hunted and the gatherers have gathered and it is time to be around the camp-fire and drum, tell stories, sing, dance and make music and pictures.
Every town should have at least one Creative Café. They would be good at airports too. Ideally, everyone in the world should be within an hour of a Creative Café.
These are cafés where anyone can go to drink coffee, eat cakes and other such, a little in the way that the Viennese coffee houses used to operate. These may also be licensed so a glass of wine may be an option. There people can meet to discuss creative ideas or just soak up the creative ideas of others. Typically, writers meet to share writing and experiences. Artists display their work where the café area doubles us as a gallery. A shop may be present to sell creatively produced items, items produced by the famous and the less-well known as appropriate to each location.
Less conventional forms of creativity are also made welcome, and the visitors are not those actively engaged in creative activities. The atmosphere in the places foster creative activity.
The hunters have hunted and the gatherers have gathered and it is time to be around the camp-fire and drum, tell stories, sing, dance and make music and pictures.
Every town should have at least one Creative Café. They would be good at airports too. Ideally, everyone in the world should be within an hour of a Creative Café.
These are cafés where anyone can go to drink coffee, eat cakes and other such, a little in the way that the Viennese coffee houses used to operate. These may also be licensed so a glass of wine may be an option. There people can meet to discuss creative ideas or just soak up the creative ideas of others. Typically, writers meet to share writing and experiences. Artists display their work where the café area doubles us as a gallery. A shop may be present to sell creatively produced items, items produced by the famous and the less-well known as appropriate to each location.
Less conventional forms of creativity are also made welcome, and the visitors are not those actively engaged in creative activities. The atmosphere in the places foster creative activity.
Location is important. Where Creative
Cafés are found in a university town, they are available for town and gown, and
not out of sight of the public, hidden on a university campus.
Some are cafés that are already there
and have taken on this creative activity. Others are purpose made and
typically, they are in converted chapels, old barns, converted mills or state
of the art modern buildings. Conversions will be tastefully done, in an
environmentally friendly way. Getting it right is more important than money,
though no one’s business should suffer because of it, and may even benefit
indirectly financially because of added value. There is no formula – each one suits
its location. Often the catering is local and creatively in-keeping.
Events may take place there – poetry readings, book launches, viewings of art and sculpture, soap-boxing of creative solutions, theatre performances, film screenings, recitals, exhibitions, concerts, conventional or less conventional – at any time of the day, in keeping with local cultures. As well as any event taking place, there is free access for like-minded people who wish to meet together. Some events are free, some events make a charge to cover costs, and some aim to make a profit – for a particular cause or to further promote the work of the Creative Café Project. Some events will have a fixed-price charge. Some will ask for a donation.
Arts councils and states may support the cafés, but they will not control them. They belong to the people, but the people are entrepreneurial and move towards the highest high, rather than sinking to the lowest low. The aim is the celebration of creativity. They outshine the French “Maison de la Culture” and are less eccentric than the French “salon”.
Whoever manages the cafes, at local, national or international level, has good business skills. The main brief is to keep the cafés vibrant and running effectively. This includes taking account of finances, but not to make huge profits, unless, for an individual café, it seems appropriate to support some cause or help other cafes to get up and running, or needing itself major refurbishments or expansion.
Events may take place there – poetry readings, book launches, viewings of art and sculpture, soap-boxing of creative solutions, theatre performances, film screenings, recitals, exhibitions, concerts, conventional or less conventional – at any time of the day, in keeping with local cultures. As well as any event taking place, there is free access for like-minded people who wish to meet together. Some events are free, some events make a charge to cover costs, and some aim to make a profit – for a particular cause or to further promote the work of the Creative Café Project. Some events will have a fixed-price charge. Some will ask for a donation.
Arts councils and states may support the cafés, but they will not control them. They belong to the people, but the people are entrepreneurial and move towards the highest high, rather than sinking to the lowest low. The aim is the celebration of creativity. They outshine the French “Maison de la Culture” and are less eccentric than the French “salon”.
Whoever manages the cafes, at local, national or international level, has good business skills. The main brief is to keep the cafés vibrant and running effectively. This includes taking account of finances, but not to make huge profits, unless, for an individual café, it seems appropriate to support some cause or help other cafes to get up and running, or needing itself major refurbishments or expansion.
Any café can join the project and
there is no fee to pay. This web site acts as a platform for informing the world
about where these cafes exist. The project aims to enhance the experience of
those who visit the creative cafés.
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