Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“1 Relevant Background Information
1.1 As Members will be aware, the Council’s Cultural Framework for Belfast 2012–15 was agreed at September Development Committee and published in October 2012.
1.2 By 2020, everyone in Belfast experiences and is inspired by our city’s diverse and distinctive culture and arts. Arts and heritage are valued for enriching quality of life and creating wealth, and the city’s culture and creativity is renowned throughout the world.
1.3 On 20 June 2013, the Committee agreed to launch a new “Flagship Fund” for arts and heritage projects called the Creative and Cultural Belfast (CCB) fund. Its purpose is to challenge social exclusion. Proposals must demonstrate how they support the objectives of the funding scheme: namely projects must support the Cultural Framework’s Distinctly Belfast and Inspiring communities themes and be:
· cross-community
· cross-city
· delivered in partnership between cultural and community organisations
· benefit hard-to-reach areas and communities.
1.3 Budget
£150,000 has been ring-fenced for the Flagship Fund in the 2013/14 Department budget, with the same level of support projected for 2014/15 and 2015/16 subject to approval of draft budget estimates. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) agreed to provide match funding of £450,000, bringing the total available budget for the CCB fund to £900,000.
1.5 Grants will be administered in two bands:
1. Standard grants of up to £95,000. Three grants will be awarded in 2013/14. Projects can run for up to a maximum of 18 months. Applications for standard grants are likely to open again in April 2015; and
2. Exceptional grant of up to £300,000. Only one grant in this band will be awarded. Projects must run for a minimum of 18 months and finish no later than 31 March 2017.
1.6 Criteria for decision-making
Interested organisations were required to submit an expression of interest to the Tourism, Culture and Arts (TCA) Unit. TCA officers determined whether the project proposal was likely to meet basic eligibility criteria and be a good fit with the objectives of the funding scheme. Applicants were then issued with an application form.
1.7 Completed application forms were then assessed in three stages.
1. Eligibility check. Applications were checked against the basic eligibility criteria.
2. Risk assessment. Officers carried out a risk assessment to determine whether the proposal was realistic and achievable.
3. Scoring criteria. Officers then scored applications against the following criteria:
1. Fit with the objectives of the fund
2. Effective project management
3. Value for money
2 Key Issues
2.1 Applications received
The CCB fund opened on 6 September 2013. It was widely advertised in local newspapers, via the TCA Unit and Community Services mailing lists, on the Council website and on partner websites, such as ACNI and Community Arts Partnership (CAP). Representatives from 61 cultural and community organisations attended an information session in City Hall on 30 September. Officers from the TCA Unit also provided one-to-one advice sessions to 19 organisations seeking further guidance and support.
2.2 Twenty-six expressions of interest were received, of which 23 organisations were invited to make an application. Proposals that were unsuccessful were offered a debrief and signposted to alternative sources of funding where appropriate.
2.3 The closing date for receipt of completed applications was 29 November 2013. A total of 15 applications were received. Ten applications were for the standard grant of up to £95,000. Five applications were for the exceptional grant of up to £300,000. All applications were deemed eligible.
2.4 Principles of the assessment process
Applications are received and eligibility checked by the Central Grants Unit before being passed to TCA officers for scoring. Officers undertook thorough assessments of the applications, which were then agreed by a panel of officers and a representative from ACNI.
2.5 As part of new centralised grants processes, an independent moderation panel made up of a Head of Service, Unit managers and a second representative from ACNI was established. This moderation panel sampled applications and verified and validated scores.
2.6 Recommendations
Due to the finite number of grants available, only the highest scoring application for the exceptional grant, Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich working in partnership with the Spectrum Centre, is recommended for funding.
2.7 Cultúrlann also applied for a standard grant for a scaled-down version of their project as contingency. While their standard grant application also scored highly, it has been deemed ineligible as the same project cannot be funded twice. Therefore, the three highest scoring applications for the standard grant (excluding Cultúrlann) are Replay, ArtsEkta and Golden Thread Gallery, and these applications recommended for funding.
2.8 Partnership working to strengthen the sector
In addition to supporting individual arts and heritage organisations and projects, the Cultural Framework aims to strengthen the sector at a strategic level.
2.9 Members agreed previously to establish annual service level agreements with two of the sector’s key umbrella organisations, Audiences NI and CAP. These organisations delivered specific work with Council-funded arts and heritage organisations, maximising the benefit of the Council’s investment and contributing to the targets published in the Cultural Framework. Actions included:
- An audit of Belfast audiences to increase our knowledge and understanding of audiences
- Training and skills development in subjects such as marketing, audience development and cultural tourism
- Development of a community ticketing scheme to encourage community groups to attend arts events
2.11 Extension of the SLAs in to a second year is subject to satisfactory performance. Officers have now carried out a performance review and recommend that the SLAs are renewed for 2014/15 at a cost of £15,000 per organisation, which is standstill funding. The SLAs will include actions to support the delivery of the CCB projects, such as support for marketing, audience development and community engagement, as well as actions to support the wider sector.
2.12 Annual meeting of culture and arts sector
As Members will recall, in August 2012 during the public consultation on the draft Cultural Framework for Belfast, Members took part in a workshop with the cultural sector. This event was very successful, and the sector is keen to continue to develop closer relationships with Members. The Cultural Framework also contains commitments to establish forums and facilitate networking.
2.13 It is therefore recommended that the Council establishes an annual meeting between Members and the cultural sector. It is proposed that the first meeting would take place in City Hall at 5.30pm on Wednesday 19 March 2014.
2.14 Similar to the format of the previous workshop, the Chair, Deputy Chair and representatives would be invited to sit on a panel and give a short presentation on the Cultural Framework. This would be followed by a question and answer session with existing arts and heritage funding clients and other stakeholders. The evening would conclude with a small reception and light buffet, which all Members would be invited to attend.
2.15 Next steps
As the CCB fund is match funded by ACNI, these recommendations are also subject to the approval of the ACNI board on 26 February 2014.
3 Resource Implications
3.1 Financial
Funding is included in the TCA Unit’s draft budget estimates for 2013–2014. ACNI has agreed to provide match funding of £450,000. The budget for the annual meeting will be a maximum of £1500 and is included in the TCA Unit 2013/14 budget.
4 Equality and Good Relations Considerations
4.1 The Cultural Framework was subject to a full Equality Impact Assessment and relevant equality and good relations implications have been taken in to consideration.
5 Recommendations
1. note the contents of this report and agree the recommendations for Creative and Cultural Belfast funding;
2. agree to renewing service level agreements with Audiences NI and Community Arts Partnership; and
3. that the Chair and Deputy Chair indicate whether they can attend the annual meeting and nominate Members to participate in the panel from each of the other parties.”
The Director clarified a number of issues for the Committee in respect of the recommendations which had been presented. In addition, he undertook to provide information in respect of the manner in which the scheme had been advertised and promoted across the City.
The Committee adopted the recommendations.