A children singing in a mic.A children singing in a mic.
A text image with "the sixty six"A text image with "the sixty six"

Our two year research into the #66 region has told us that the region is not balanced.

Thankfully balance is easily achieved by small interventions and adjustments.

#BALANCE
Woman singing to the crowd.Woman singing to the crowd.
Handwritten text saying "66 people 66 places"Handwritten text saying "66 people 66 places"

Successful places need to be in balance. There is no point in having the best housing if only a certain demographic can afford to live in it, there is no point in just having lots of jobs if the place is dull (like an oil rig), there is no point in having just fantastic scenery if the young are bored by the lack of variety of activity and too many of them leave and don't come back.

Draw of a map of the 66 region.Draw of a map of the 66 region.
#CULTURE

If a place is to be successful, healthy, and prosperous it must be culturally rich.

Handwritten text saying "Culture means a wide range of things"Handwritten text saying "Culture means a wide range of things"
Winter drovingWinter droving

For places to be stand-out and appeal to a broad demographic they must also have - and be seen to have - new and aspirant things. Bright, go ahead, things like festivals and activities that encompass both the spectacular, the contemporary and outstanding such as MIMA and Locomotion, and the rooted and progressive such as the Festival of Thrift, Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF), Winter Droving and Kendal Calling.

Handwritten text saying "Be contemporary & outstanding"Handwritten text saying "Be contemporary & outstanding"
A piece of art with a womam... (I don't know how to describe it)A piece of art with a womam... (I don't know how to describe it)
A woman taking a photo on the mirror.A woman taking a photo on the mirror.
Handwritten text saying "#66"Handwritten text saying "#66"
A child touching a window with neon lights dogs on it and another child in a wheelchair talking with people on the street.A child touching a window with neon lights dogs on it and another child in a wheelchair talking with people on the street.
Handwritten text saying "Bring more world class art to the region"Handwritten text saying "Bring more world class art to the region"
#TECHNOLOGY

“We need to develop the digital talent of the future, this is the biggest barrier for growth for businesses.”

The desire to be digital is the desire to be up to date. The #66 region won’t achieve this desire without investment in our children and young people’s cultural capital.

We need to ensure that our children in the #66 region have high aspirations so that the 10 year old girl in west coast Cumbria or the 12 year old boy in rural Pennines can believe they can and gain the skills they need to become a digital animator, programmer, entrepreneur or digital leader.

A girl using VR A girl using VR Handwritten text saying "Nevermind workington man what about workington girl and her digital future?"Handwritten text saying "Nevermind workington man what about workington girl and her digital future?"
A participant of ANIMEX.A participant of ANIMEX.Handwritten text saying "Sometimes the thing to do is juts obvious!"Handwritten text saying "Sometimes the thing to do is juts obvious!"
#ENVIROMENT

The #66 is already an extraordinarily green place with its natural assets in both landscape and seascape.

A group riding bikes.A group riding bikes.

If we disregard the desire to improve our environment, to live in more sustainable ways, to eat better and to live better on a local and global scale we may as well forget any desire to meet the needs of the young and ensure that we are - and are seen to be - a leader in innovative thinking and living

A group of people campingA group of people camping
Handwritten text saying "Eco tourism"Handwritten text saying "Eco tourism"

The #66 purpose is to support the development of a sustainable tourism economy in places that recognise they need to innovate and build confidence if they are to be viable and future-proof, places that are not on the mainstream tourism map, but that can be relatively easily reached and explored.

A zero emissions busA zero emissions bus
Handwritten text saying "Not just transport! Green Transport"Handwritten text saying "Not just transport! Green Transport"

Issues of connectivity were raised over and over again. Affordable and sustainable transport is a key element to making a place liveable and visitable, allowing a flow of people across the region and for example between the polycentric nature of Tees Valley and connections between rural Cumbria and it’s towns and city of Carlisle.

#COMMUNITY

There are thriving community and voluntary run cultural / heritage / social / environmental initiatives across the #66 region

Couple in the balcony during warsaw in flowersCouple in the balcony during warsaw in flowers
Handwritten text saying "Warsaw in Flowers"Handwritten text saying "Warsaw in Flowers"

If we disregard the desire to improve our environment, to live in more sustainable ways, to eat better and to live better on a local and global scale we may as well forget any desire to meet the needs of the young and ensure that we are - and are seen to be - a leader in innovative thinking and living

Handwritten text saying "All of this is a waste of time if you don't approach it with diversity and inclusion at its heart"Handwritten text saying "All of this is a waste of time if you don't approach it with diversity and inclusion at its heart"
A group in wheelchairs.A group in wheelchairs.

We must ensure that communities are well served and involved as collaborators, coauthors and co-designers in the creation and delivery of new programmes of activity in their locality.

Conclusion

Handwritten text saying "You write this bit..."Handwritten text saying "You write this bit..."
A drawn showing the intersection between culture, sustainability, digital and tourism and all of it results in liveability.A drawn showing the intersection between culture, sustainability, digital and tourism and all of it results in liveability.

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