Developing Keswick

Created By: Martin Hess

Currently Used By: Martin Hess, Jamie Doucette and Kate Stokes

Instructions

Developing Keswick 2017 [Martin Hess and Jamie Doucette]

Keswick is a small market town situated in the Lake District, Cumbria. This location, combined with the economic histories and socio-economic structures of the town and West Cumbria more broadly speaking, creates opportunities as well as problems for the development of Keswick as a place to work and live.

The aims of this brief exercise are to:

• introduce you to some key issues in economic geography
• appreciate the role of place and space for socio-economic development
• develop skills in team work, negotiation, creative thinking and critical awareness
• help you get to know your fellow students

The exercise is structured as follows:

• Coach transfer to Keswick
• Briefing in the Theatre by the Lake
• Fieldwork in Keswick, collecting and documenting information
• Debrief and discussion in the Theatre by the Lake

In Keswick, you have two hours to tackle the research task, which is in essence very simple. In three groups, and on the basis of what you know and what you can see/learn from exploring Keswick, I want you to come up with one new economic development scheme for the town, based upon some rudimentary research. The point here is to give you a very cursory task that gives you a sense of how researchers think and act on the ground. We also want to help you develop skills for indentifying global connections.

In the debrief, I will ask you to outline your chosen scheme (5 mins). In so doing, I want you to tackle the following five deceptively simple questions in as much detail as possible. I will interrogate vague plans, as will your colleagues!

• What? Outline the nature of your scheme fully and clearly. What kind of development might help Keswick? What geographical connections would it take into account? Be as precise as you can!
• Where? Be specific about the geographies of what you are proposing. What are its spatial boundaries and / or characteristics? Is it about a particular site or place in Keswick, Keswick as a whole, or is it about trying to connect Keswick across space?
• How? What processes need to take place to make your scheme happen? What connections need to be made? What are the likely problems or barriers that might occur? How will your project be funded?
• Who? Which different social groups will be involved in your scheme? Who stands to benefit? Who might potentially lose out? What might the roles of the public sector, private sector, voluntary sector, communities, families, key individuals etc. be?
• Why? Most importantly, justify and explain the nature of the scheme. What is it trying to do? What problem / challenge facing Keswick does it seek to address? What larger issues does this bring up? Why is it more important than other challenges? What evidence do you have to back up your arguments? What will be the socio-economic benefits for the town?

Structure: I recommend that you spend the first hour filling out the chart: aka, completing primary research. Feel free to check in with me to help brainstorm your plan and report on your data. You should be able to find me at Cafe Marienda in the market square (or, if sunny, on one of the patios outside).

Any small problems drop by the cafe or, if serious, ring the School mobiles [XXXXX] or emergency services. Make sure you are back at the Theatre in time for the debrief and return trip to Newlands.

Equipment

Each student should have:

- a pen

Staff require:

- printed copies of hand-out (text above)

Handouts

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