Which UK city is the most creative? Sheffield?

‘Sheffield, city on the move’. So began the 1997 mega-hit, ‘The Full Monty’. It was of course being ironic. The clip in question was from a 1960s information film extolling the virtues of ring roads, clean air and the wonders of the steel industry.

As it turned out it was less than prophetic and following the slow demise of our beloved and prized steel industry, Sheffield really did struggle to find its feet. In fact, it’s only in the last 10 years that the city has actually managed to successfully shake off its stainless straitjacket and get down to finding the real lifeblood of the city.

‘Get back in’t corner Sheffield yer daft beggar’ came the cry from Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester as they forged ahead with their fancy architecture, twangy bands, wine bars and design agencies. Sheffield may be overshadowed by its glamorous neighbours but true individuality always shines through and isn’t it always cooler to be the outsider? It’s Chicago to New York. It’s Leonard Cohen to Bob Dylan. It’s The Wire to CSI. And, ironically, Pulp to Oasis.

Sheffield has slowly but surely got up off the canvas. It has watched and waited, noting the mistakes made by its neighbours as they rushed on ahead. Now is the time for Sheffield to blossom, to puff up its chest like a particularly proud budgie.

Being the underdog of the North is actually something to be proud of! You can hear it in the lyrics of Jarvis Cocker and Alex Turner, in the stubborn patriotic tone of the locals, in the edgy, awkward underground arts scene and the hedonistic club life. It doesn’t have one of the highest retention rate of students in the country for nothing.

Sheffield has broken ground a fair few times and it deserves credit for treading its own path or banging to a different ‘Drum’ if you will (sorry ‘Drum’). True creativity is an organic wonder, unbound by fashion or celebrity and in the best instances creates new and wonderful genres.

From the ashes of punk came an electronic dawn lead by The Human League, ABC, Heaven 17 and Cabaret Voltaire. This evolved into the hugely influential Warp Records label, which in turn lead to UK independent film finding a new voice with Warp Films. The epicentre of the dance explosion of the early/mid Nineties was Gatecrasher. Creative performance is harnessed in the largest theatre complex outside London.

A groundbreaking era of design, influencing and shaping everything from computer games to magazines and album covers was lead by The Designers Republic. Yet the point was, Sheffield didn’t shout, didn’t hang its Duffle coat off its slouched shoulders and arrogantly offer to lamp anyone who felt differently, didn’t build towering office blocks of finance to boast of its wealth. No, it quietly got on with what it does so, so well; erudite, witty, urbane and deft creativity reflecting life in a Northern town.

To quote our Jarvis: “We’re making a move, we’re making it now, we’re coming out of the sidelines.”

(Photography courtesy of TimParkinson, Flickr)

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