Emerging spatial relations of artists and art scenes through the lens of art schools in Manchester and Leipzig

This chapter provides an overview of empirical research on the location choice, place engagements and mobility dynamics of art school students and graduates in Manchester and Leipzig. It highlights firstly the importance of place within creative industries research as interconnected and relational phenomena and questions the reliance on talent attraction and sector clusters to make a successful creative city. Secondly the chapter outlines a focus on practice in understanding formation of sense of place and spatial relations in the art world. Key literature is introduced to allow for a better positioning of the research question and subject area contemporary art and the art world within the field of creative cities and regions, after which place concepts and theories are introduced to detail from what theoretical perspective empirical findings were analysed. After outlining case study contexts, the empirical section discusses findings between the cases Manchester and Leipzig and their respective art schools, with the aim to summarise key findings and analyse them in their significance for understanding geographical dynamics of the art world as an example of mobilities in creative work and networks.