It’s a shame that Nottingham can’t promote local talent

As a director of a Nottinghambased consultancy, I read with interest your article highlighting the work of the talented London-based Belgian graphic designer Sara De Bondt (Profile, DW 30 April).

But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was disappointed when I saw she had been commissioned to create the visual identity for Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham’s soon-to-open contemporary art space.

Clearly De Bondt has extensive experience in this area, but I find it a real shame that none of the many creative talents in Nottingham were used to create the identity for the new venture.

There is plenty of excellent creativity around Nottingham that could, and would, have thrived on creating a suitably contemporary and imaginative identity.

It’s doubly disappointing, as Nottingham is currently nailing its colours to the mast of creativity by bidding to be World Design Capital in 2012 – which is very commendable, and something I heartily condone. But if we’re that good, how come we can’t use our own designers when it comes to a major design project within the city?

If we don’t, or won’t, invest in the talent on our doorstep, how can we expect to be taken seriously when we promote ourselves as a creative city?

I’m not sure whose decision it was, or how it was made, but I suspect that if Leeds, Manchester or Liverpool were to need something similar, they would look locally.

This is something to keep in mind if, as a city, we are to aspire to compete with other major cities in the UK.

Stephen Seamark, Creative director, Dandy Collective, by e-mail