Why we filmed Ripples Out, by Yorkshire Forward
Yorkshire Forward commissioned a film to understand the impact of its major regeneration project, Holbeck Urban Village, on neighbouring areas of inner city Leeds. The resulting documentary, Ripples Out, offers a frank insight into the ripple effect of development on communities.
Thea Stein, director of economic inclusion for Yorkshire Forward, explains the lessons Yorkshire Forward has learnt from it.
The Holbeck Urban Village development has been happening now for at least 10 years and it is only part way to completion.
From the beginning we, along with Leeds City Council, have had a strong desire to ensure that those communities surrounding the development - Holbeck and Beeston – benefit from the area's regeneration. We want to explore as many avenues as possible to find out how these communities are experiencing the development.
We commissioned some very experienced community film makers, and Together for Peace to work with ourselves, Holbeck and Beeston residents, the Urban Village developers, local authorities and other stakeholders to look at what people's experiences have been so far. The only stipulation we gave the film makers was to make an honest film which included as many points of views as possible. We simply wanted to see and to learn.
This feature was not born out of an outcome Yorkshire Forward needed to have - we wanted a film that looked at the whole system. There are no heroes and no villains. The film took months to make and gives personal accounts from a wonderful mix of people from residents, local politicians and business owners to those architects and developers involved in creation of the Urban Village, all with different viewpoints and all trying to get the best for their area.
‘Ripples Out’ has now been shown publically three times, including a showing at Yorkshire Forward offices, a centre in the Urban Village and in a community setting. It has become both the talk of the school playground and the local business community, sparking lively debate and discussion. It has proved a wonderful social documentary and a great vehicle to get people talking about what matters to them.
View Ripples Out online at: http://www.lippy.tv/
Posted on Tuesday, 10th November 2009 | This entry has 3 comments
Rob Greenland | Wednesday, 11th November 2009 | 11:52 AM
I saw Ripples Out at the screening in Holbeck, and a group of us watched it again at Progress School in Leeds. I’d encourage anyone involved in regeneration in Leeds or elsewhere to watch it, there’s plenty in there to provoke thought and debate.
The “no heroes and villains” line is one that I think the film-maker mentioned too. Clearly there is no real future in setting developers against local people and vice versa, but I think it is up to each of us to decide whether there are heroes and villains in this story.
Maybe heroes and villains is too strong, but there is a clear division between those with power (money, leverage, influence) and those without. I may not call Yorkshire Forward, the developers, the City Council and others villains, but the film made me angry and I wasn’t alone - there was plenty of anger in the community centre in Holbeck.
I am always hearing from powerful people and institutions how they have learnt their lessons. I remain sceptical about the capacity for organisations to really learn - and to change what they do. I don’t doubt Thea’s commitment, but as soon as the diggers move back into Holbeck Urban Village, I think the lessons learnt will soon be sacrificed on the altar of economics. Land values will top trump people once again.
I’m not pretending this kind of thing is easy to get right - and I congratulate YF for commissioning this film. But we should not underestimate how much of a shift is required. This isn’t about a bit more money being spent on helping people to access concierge jobs, or slightly better consultation with local people about housing. It’s about a more fundamental rethink of what progress means for our city. We know that progress doesn’t come from ripples out - or trickles down - so what are we going to do next now that we know that?
Phil Kirby | Wednesday, 11th November 2009 | 12:27 PM
I’ve seen Ripples Out a few times now, once at the Round Foundry and several times at home with friends and neighbours. I live on Beeston Hill and most of the people in my street and beyond are pretty clueless as to what’s going on. It’s not accurate to say that there’s an Us and Them attitude . . . people simply don’t register what’s happening in Holbeck Urban Village. It’s a different world, just not relevant. I don’t know any of my neighbours who have ever been in the Round Foundry, even though many of them use the church on Sweet Street. Partly it’s the expense . . . £3:60 a pint in The Cross Keys versus £1:80 in The Brit. Most of the people I know are on benefits so that is out of the question. Partly it’s psychological barriers . . . it just doesn’t feel comfortable.
As far as businesses around here goes, plenty like me are thinking of scarpering. It’s very easy to be on the dole around here, but having an LS11 postcode is not exactly good for your small business. One of the illuminating moments in the film was when one of the business people based in the Round Foundry was talking about the types of employment that locals could avail themselves of . . . it was strikingly clear that he saw us as “rude mechanicals!” We’re capable of sweeping up and looking after the car parks, but we’d better leave the creative work, the stuff that pays well, to the people who understand that kind of thing . . . people who get shipped in from nicer parts of town. People who get to work via Neville Street!
Much as I admire what’s happened in The Round Foundry and Holbeck Urban Village it does feel very inward looking. I can’t see much evidence of anything rippling out.
Alan Bruce | Friday, 13th November 2009 | 11:55 AM
Two really interesting comments here. It is clearly a good effort at telling an important story, but the second comment makes it clear how bad the regeneration sector is at telling local people what it is up to. In a totally different sort of area I stumbled upon this sort of situation and we ended up chartering a couple of buses to take local school kids around development sites to hear from developers etc. what they were up to. This was so positive that we then had to do it again for the parents! Overall this sort of exercise and the film are peanuts compared to the money spent on bricks and mortar, but so vital.