Justine Simons has said her \u201cNorth Star\u201d is to make sure everyone in London can lead a \u201ccreative life\u201d, as a \u201cparticipant, an audience member, or in a job\u201d.<\/p>\n
But the capital\u2019s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, who received an OBE in 2015 for services to culture in London, told Arts Professional maintaining the metropolis\u2019 reputation as a global cultural superpower was not something people could \u201ctake for granted\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy North Star has always been to keep London as the top of its game as a world-class creative capital well into the future, and for everyone in London to lead a creative life,\u201d Simons said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s something we can\u2019t take for granted,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen on its own; we have to all work really hard behind the scenes collectively to keep ourselves in that premiere position.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018London\u2019s no longer on its own\u2019<\/p>\n
Simons was speaking at an event held at Acme Artist Studios\u2019 newly-acquired premises in Deptford, a former propeller factory.<\/p>\n
For some years, the organisation has leased the building for use by hundreds of artists, but funding from the likes of Greater London Authority (GLA), individual donors, and grant-making organisations such as the Julia Rausing Trust has enabled Acme\u2019s leaders to purchase the building outright, for use by artists in perpetuity.<\/p>\n
In an event held to celebrate the \u00a3250,000 contribution made by the GLA to Acme\u2019s acquisition, as well as a wider \u00a32.2 million investment in London\u2019s Creative Enterprise Zones<\/a> (CEZs) announced today (15 January) by Mayor Sadiq Khan, Simons said the building had been \u201csaved\u201d.<\/p>\n