Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

South Belfast Partnership Board has been successful in securing funding to host another arts festival in Drumglass Park.  The events are scheduled to take place on 8 October 2011.

The positive impacts and achievements from the first Drumglass Art Festival in 2009 included: 

·                     The festival provided an opportunity for all of South Belfast’s varied neighbourhoods and communities of interest to come together and engage with local traders from the Lisburn Road – an area of South Belfast with good public open space that has the potential to make a greater contribution to the economic progress of the city as a whole.

·                     The artists and the audience were given the opportunity to come into contact with a wide range of mediums including live music, an arts exhibition, fashion showcase and food and drink supplied by local businesses.

·                     Local traders benefited from the increased footfall and economic benefits.

·                     Arts and crafts entrepreneurs who are often marginalised from enterprise opportunities were given the opportunity to trade at a low cost venue, with 20 stalls, 4 for students, drawn from various areas in N. Ireland.

·                     The event created a shared space by bringing communities together from across Belfast to attend the festival.

·                     The atmosphere at the event was child friendly and it also had an appeal of being non-commercial which promoted this open space in a very positive way to approximately 1,400 people.

The 2011 Arts Festival on 8th October 2011 will build upon the success of the previous festivals and will include visual exhibits, food market, circus performers and a range of live performances.  It is intended that the festival will raise the profile of the arts and music scene in South Belfast, whilst bringing economic benefits to the community and surrounding businesses, thus meeting a number of the South Belfast Partnership Board’s strategic objectives set out in their Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF).  It is hoped that the festival will stimulate local interest in the arts and encourage a new audience at community and business level in the area, especially for families and young people.

The proposed festival forms part of a wider programme of arts and cultural development activities, including an Amateur Arts Competition, in conjunction with Belfast Media Group, and a community art programme that seeks to stimulate buy-in to the festival and art competition through a series of workshops aimed at promoting access and involvement in the arts in some of the most deprived communities of South Belfast.  Entries to the art competition will be displayed and judged during the proposed festival and will subsequently be toured around several galleries in Belfast.  In addition a piece of art has been commissioned to enhance the Lisburn Road by covering dereliction at the junction with Tate’s Avenue.  This will be unveiled during the festival.

2          Key Issues

South Belfast Partnership Board have informed officers that they will endeavour to ensure the festival does not cause a nuisance, annoyance or inconvenience to local residents.  This has been demonstrated through the three previous festivals in the Crescent Park and Drumglass Park in 2009.

1.      South Belfast Partnership Board will employ a security firm to provide adequate security cover for the marquee and during the festival.

2.      The events and activities will be suitable for the targeted family audience.  

3.      A range of art work from an Art Competition in the South Belfast area, currently running in South Belfast News, will be on display.

4.      It is proposed that the marquee will be erected in Drumglass Park on Friday 7th October and will be taken down on Sunday 9th October 2011.

5.        Entry to the festival will be free of charge as will all the activities.

6.      South Belfast Partnership Board and the Licensee will enforce a strict bar policy ensuring that patrons are limited to the amount of alcoholic that can be consumed.  South Belfast Partnership Board has also stated that only beer, wine and soft drinks will be sold.

7.      This application will be supported by an events plan and the event organisers will be required to resolve all operational, statutory and reinstatement issues to the council’s satisfaction.

8.      As before the Council and South Belfast Partnership Board will enter into an appropriate agreement based on advice from the Town Solicitor and Assistant Chief Executive.

3          Resource Implications

Financial

South Belfast Partnership Board has received significant funding for the festival and it is anticipated that all costs will be met through this funding. The council is asked to provide the venues for free.

Human Resources

It is not anticipated at this time that there will be additional Human Resource implications for the council other than officer time.

4          Good Relations and Equality Implications

            None.

5          Recommendations

It is recommended that committee grant authority for the initiatives including the sale of food and alcohol subject to satisfactory terms being agreed with the Director of Parks and Leisure and on condition that:

1.                  the event organisers resolve all operational issues to the council’s satisfaction;

2.                  an appropriate legal agreement prepared by the Town Solicitor and Assistant Chief Executive is completed;

3.                  the event organisers meet all statutory requirements including entertainment licensing; and

4.                  the event organisers ensure that all health and safety requirements are met to the council’s satisfaction.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.