Lana's Definition of the Creative Industries + Place vs. Space

A Definition of Creative Industries
For the sake of simplicity in our project, it might be best to classify creative industries as those that have direct creative outputs. We can adopt, develop, or modify a system that maps other contingent entities, such as those that provide various kinds of support to creative workers, those that provide creative inputs, and those that facilitate the creative outputs but do not directly produce them independently.

Place vs. Space
We've been talking a lot about about Central Square as a place for creative industries and have wondered what it is that makes it such a "place." Josh and I thought that it would be worthwhile to check about some of the thinking that's been done about placiness of place and the differences between it and space. I looked around for a good, quick introduction and found this, "What is a 'Sense of Place.'" by Jennifer E. Cross. Please read it before Wednesday, when I'm in charge! Woohoo!

Lana

Definition of The Creative Industry

The Creative Industry is defined to be the subset of the economy which directly produces a creative output. This output relates to both tangible products and intellectual property.

Company Info

I couldn't remember which places we had decided not to do (aside from Faneuil Music) so if I put them on this list, my apologies.

Cambridge Library -
45 Pearl Street
(617) 349-4010
Fax # (617) 349-4418

Creative Stride -
184 Green St. Suite 1
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 395 0226
Fax # 315 351 7098

The Phoenix Landing -
512 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 576-6260

The Plough and Stars -
912 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 576-0032

WRCA 1330 AM -
552 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 492-3300

Make Music Cambridge -
Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA 02238
www.makemusiccambridge.com

Classifying Central Square (First Column)

Core:
Pino Bro: tattoo parlor

Publishers CG: publishing company

Central Square Theater: theater company

Gioiosa Design: graphic design company

Out of the Blue Studio: will create paintings on request, close ties with the interior decorating industry.


Periphery:
Velin Studio: showcases the works of Velin Petkov, a photographer (depends if actual photography is taken place or just a showroom.)

River Gods: night club

BetaHouse: location where freelancers and artists work

Integrated CADD: CADD company

Cantab Lounge
:
Loponkhler Fine Art: a store that sells fine art.

Unsure:
Community Mapping, Geoffrey Dunn Street.

The Middle Column

Here are the breakdowns for the businesses in the middle column:

CORE

Harmonix

Creative development of music-oriented video games like Rock Band.

http://www.harmonixmusic.com/

Green Street Studios

"Center for movement and dance" for artists and students

http://www.greenstreetstudios.org/

HMFM Architects

Architectural firm headquartered in Cambridge that focuses on educational buildings.

No website

Pfeufer/Richardson PC Architects

Full service architectural firm in Cambridge.

http://www.pfeuferrichardson.com/

Center for New Words

Writing center for women, focusing on reading, writing, blogging, performance arts, etc.

http://www.centerfornewwords.org/

PERIPHERY

Classic Graphx

Printing services with some graphic design

http://www.classiccopy.com/

MIT Museum

Local museum with lots of MIT relics, world's largest collection of holograms.

http://web.mit.edu/museum/

The Middle East

Club/restaurant/nightclub/venue for lots of independent artists, well-known in the area.

http://www.mideastclub.com/

T.T. the Bear's Place

Club/venue with live music 7 nights a week.

http://www.ttthebears.com/

Enormous Room

Lounge/bar/club/venue with live music

http://www.enormous.tv/

Hollywood Express

Independent video rental store, local hangout of many movie buffs.

http://www.hollywoodexpressvideo.com/

OUT

Kowal & Associates

Does contact center consulting and line monitoring... totally irrelevant.

EDP Services

Custom infrastructure for financial institutions...

Motus Games

Develops hardware for the Nintendo Wii.

GamerDNA

Hosts "clans" and online gaming groups.

the first half of the right column

and here are my contributions from the list:

1. CURRY INTERACTIVE

'a versatile, multi-disciplinary studio providing expertise in all aspects of interactive, print and identity design.'

http://www.curryinteractive.com/

core: like other design firms, curry interactive directly produces creative output.

2.  IDEO

'we are a global design consultancy. we create impact through design.'

http://www.ideo.com/locations/studios/

core: directly creates design solutions, systems, industrial products, etc.

3.  CONYNGHAM AND ASSOCIATES

architecture firm [no website]

core: produces direct creative output -- architecture services

4. CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY TV

'the voice and vision of cambridge, ma...a public forum for all Cambridge residents, businesses and organizations. CCTV provides training and access to telecommunications technology so that all may become active participants in electronic media'

core: perhaps debatable at first because it labels itself as a 'forum' which leads one to think of merely a 'media venue,' but it also offers programs, initiatives, and community projects.

5. IMPROV BOSTON THEATRE

'25 Years of the art of comedy!'

http://www.improvboston.com/

core: direct creative output - improv comedy shows, classes, etc.

6. MIDDLESEX LOUNGE

no site, but yelped pretty well http://www.yelp.com/biz/middlesex-lounge-cambridge#hrid:FMEsE2AMPWmek2EPgnsSMg/query:Middlesex

periphery...maybe not even?: restaurant, club, happyhour

[here is my favorite yelp...hah]

I arrived here at 10pm to start my Bachelorette party. The place was basically empty until about 25 of my loveliest ladies showed up and populated the belly of the Middlesex beast. We were like mighty gazelle and the men around us were on the prowl, obviously staring and circling us. We probably didn't stand a chance. I started my night off with a Margarita. Damn, that bad boy was strong and tasted quite acidic, however, it was a good drink, but I'm still not sure why places in Boston have been putting OJ in perfectly good margarita's lately. I sucked that one down pretty fast, the music was fantastic a mix of late 80s and 90s -- By 11pm the whole bar was pretty damn packed. My ladies were chatting up various men folk in the bar, and surprisingly, despite my concerns about the place -- the guys weren't bad at all, in fact, I might even say they were Nice. Cool. And FUN. There was some weird dancing French guy, but for the most part, the doods didn't skeeze me out. 

I squeezed up to the VERY crowded bar and put in a drink order within 3 minutes, I had a very, very, VERY delicious mojito in my hand. Totally worth the wait. And again, the awesome tunes kept on coming.

I'm sorry Middlesex, I had you completely wrong -- I thought you were somewhat hot girls & douchebags, but instead you were cool girls and nice bags. I will be back to offer my ladies up to the (middle)Sex gods.

7. THE DANCE COMPLEX

'a volunteer based, artist run organization dedicated to promoting, advancing, and sponsoring artistic endeavors, creative work and education in dance and the movement arts'

http://dancecomplex.org/

core: offers dance workshops, classes, performances...

8. CAMBRIDGE SEVEN ASSOCIATES

' a world-renowned architecture firm that maximizes the power of collaboration to bring fresh solutions to complex design challenges.'

http://www.c7a.com/

core: provides direct architecture services