Keith Hackett and Liverpool's creative industries
A collection documenting Keith Hackett's work and the emergence of creative industries in Liverpool
Keith Hackett's life and work
Born in London in 1954, Keith Hackett’s past jobs include: laboratory technician, bar work, food processing, adventure play-worker, building work and trade union banner making.
Hackett attended Manchester University between 1972 and 1975, studying Geology. In 1979, Keith Hackett's file at Longsight Employment Exchange in Manchester, where he was signing-on, stated simply “this man will never get a job”. This assessment proved accurate and Keith moved through various temporary jobs and unemployment – relocating to Merseyside for work in 1981 (against the prevailing economic tide of the time) to lead the St Helens Play Council.
In 1986, Keith became a registered sole trader, working as ‘a consultant’ – although his business cards later used the term “Expert”. Specialising in employment-related research, strategic planning and project financing, Keith worked with cultural organisations and enterprises, higher education institutions, community organisations, governmental bodies and industry consortia throughout Europe.
Keith Hackett is best known for his detailed knowledge of utilising public and private finances in Europe to grow jobs and generate employment in the less traditional industrial sectors. He also authors and speaks regularly on these topics. Keith Hackett has been various elected representatives and was, from 1987 to 1995, an elected City Councillor in Liverpool for the Abercromby ward.
Keith Hackett moved to Liverpool in 1982, following a decade of political and community activity in Manchester. His move to Liverpool was intentional – motivated by his conscious desire to understand the nature of Europe’s first post-industrial city and participate in its redefinition and remaking. From the moment of his arrival in 1982, Keith threw himself into the cultural, community and political life of the city.
The Keith Hackett Archive
The Keith Hackett Archive covers the time Keith spent in Liverpool between 1982 and 2005.
The archive tracks and records the emergence of the creative industries in Liverpool in detail and their role as a cultural, economic and social force in the city at the time.
It contains: working papers, records, published studies, correspondence, photos, videos and much more. Sections of the archive focus on the development of LIPA, North West regional and local projects including SNIP (Third Sector Technology Centre), Framework for Change, Toxteth TV, and the Penny Lane Development Trust, as well as other projects including Banking on Culture and Employing Creativity.
This archive is currently uncatalogued. Please contact the LJMU Archivist for further information.