It's not grim up here, it's great
Jul 1 2004 By Ross Smith, The Journal
Chasing a chimera
A top academic last night said the region should give up trying to close the North-South divide and settle for a better quality of life.
Fred Robinson, professor of social policy at Durham University, called on development bosses to move away from the "politics of envy" in the light of a report claiming the gap is widening.
He said: "I challenge regional organisations to say whether they really do believe we can close the gap.
"If it's not a realistic aspiration, we need to think about playing to our strengths, appreciating the quality of life that many of us have here rather than chasing the chimera of the same level of growth and spurious prosperity that the South-East has."
He said there are pockets of deprivation that need to be tackled within the North-East.
But beyond that, further economic growth would risk damaging the countryside and way of life that makes the North-East an attractive place to live.
"The politics of envy is rather unpleasant, and I don't think it puts us in a very good light," said Prof Robinson.
"Nor does it take into account quality of life issues. The quality of life in the South-East, which is rapidly being paved over, many would say is declining.
"The quality of life in the North-East would be threatened by the same rapid growth."
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Sakoba Dance Theatre
The charismatic Bode Lawal is the son of a Nigerian chief and a powerful dancer whose admirers include Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis.
But he sees a bright future for his Sakoba Dance Theatre on Tyneside where it is now to be based.
"I feel Newcastle is the right place for me to experiment and explore my new work," he said, adding that he could feel an "intense energy" in the region.
The company was previously based in London but Arts Council England, North East provided project funding of £144,000 - with an additional £50,000 from the Northern Rock Foundation - to enable Sakoba to create new work in Newcastle to perform and then take on tour nationally.
Pauline Myers, a dancer newly recruited to Sakoba and currently living in Leeds, said the company would help to create new opportunities for dancers in the North-East. "It is a fantastic company," she said.
Sakoba will have its headquarters at Dance City whose new premises are being built on St James' Boulevard, Newcastle.
Bode and his Sakoba Dance Theatre will makes their North-East public debut at Newcastle City Hall on Saturday when they perform in a concert called Spotlight, showcasing talented performers from different cultural backgrounds.
