What is: A ‘Creative District’?

‘Creative districts’ (or ‘cultural districts’ ) are places where businesses, non-government organisations, funding bodies, and institutions (e.g., education, local government) come together to share artistic, cultural, and social resources for collective action. They are generally small, localised spaces in which cultural or creative activations occur that aim to enhance liveability and social cohesion and strengthen the local economy.

Importantly, creative districts tend to make space for local creative-based activism, or what has been described as ‘artivism’ , defined by Jennifer Garcia-Carrizo and Rachel Granger as ‘an especially rich transformative method for changing our minds or inspiring us, with a view to taking on new perspectives or to reimagine the world in which we live” (2020, p. 179).

As a partnership between RMIT University, Merri-bek City Council and Creative Victoria, the Brunswick Design District (BDD) is a creative district that supports creative industries and practitioners, businesses, designers, artists, galleries, makers, musicians, venues, and design research and education. It is on the land of the traditional owners, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation: the land currently known as Brunswick.

Shaped by numerous waves of migration, Brunswick has a diverse population and a mix of enterprise and opportunity. The area has been a hub for a mix of industries, included clay pits, quarries, brickworks and foundries, and early local manufacturing including textiles, footwear, hosiery, clothing, brick, and rope production.

The BDD is a dynamic example of a creative district that has been shaped by its industrial history, the diverse community, and the vibrant everyday cultural practices that take place across the area. We look forward to finding out more!