About Contemporary Urban Centres
Contemporary Urban Centre's are a new idea for the 21st Century. An Arts, Cultural and Social enterprise, Contemporary Urban Centre's will reflect the themes of contemporary life in the urban environment, particularly from the point of view of marginalised and excluded communities. By celebrating, exploring and engaging with the vibrant yet latent talent of the dispossessed, Novas aims to break the cycle of poverty and exclusion.
The Novas Scarman Group will launch four centres in England in 2007 and 2008 in London Bridge Bankside (Launched in April 2007), Liverpool (2008), Dean Street (2008) and Camden Town (2008).
Each Contemporary Urban Centre will have its own identity reflecting the themes and issues of its location taking into account architectural, cultural and community heritage. All Contemporary Urban Centre’s will contain Café’s, Bars, Art Galleries, Retail Units, Training Units, Conference Facilities and Meeting Rooms. Performance Venues, Restaurants, Hotel, Living accommodation, Gym, Cinema will also feature in certain schemes in London and Liverpool.
The aim over and above excellence in these areas is to create an employment and training infrastructure for marginalised communities, homeless and socially excluded people, artists, people from Black and Minority Ethnic community groups and the diverse local communities represented in the urban environment in the world today. Through the Contemporary Urban Centre the Novas Scarman Group will develop sustainable responses to discrimination and inequality and provide an infrastructure that will better enable people to contribute to and benefit from the wider employment and social opportunities.
The aim of Contemporary Urban Centre's is to highlight the work and objects of the Novas Scarman Group in tackling discrimination, social exclusion and poverty through working with local, regional and national organisations as well as with international partners. Thus the programmes will be keenly focussed on involvement and participation.
The Novas Scarman Group has developed significant international links and Contemporary Urban Centre's will be the main vehicle for advancing these objectives and working with partners from around the world.
The social justice objectives of the Group are underpinned by sound business methods and an emphasis on social enterprise/business, both for excluded communities as well as in the management of Contemporary Urban Centre's. Our aim is to support marginalised groups and offer a diverse approach involving training and employment, self-development and cultural expression. To achieve this we need to ensure that profits, sales and other income are maximised, including accessing grants, Trusts and private sector sponsorship.
