Agenda item

            (Mr. G. Copeland, City Events Manager, attended in connection with this item)

            The City Events Manager reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 9th August, it had agreed to provide funding for the following three BBC music events which were planned to take place across Belfast in 2018:

·        BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Belfast Waterfront, 4th April;

·        BBC ‘The Biggest Weekend’ Music Festival happening across the UK in four different locations. Northern Ireland’s location would be Belfast Titanic Slipways and would happen across two days between 25th and 28th May, with potential for other fringe activity. The core of the Belfast activity would be the BBC Six Music Festival; and

·        BBC Proms in the Park, Titanic Slipways, 8th September.

            He provided the Members with an overview of each of the events.  The Committee was reminded that it had specifically requested that officers engage with the BBC on how the events could assist the Council in relation to its Employability and Skills priorities, as outlined within the Belfast Agenda and Employability and Skills Framework. 

            The Committee was advised that the Council would coordinate with the BBC in relation to the following programmes of activity which were being delivered by the Council:

-        Employer Engagement Initiatives - which aimed to create better connections between employers and local schools.  This initiative could be utilised by the BBC to create linkages to provide a number of meaningful work experience opportunities which could be targeted towards local schools and/or individuals who may be unemployed.  For this to be effective, Officers would need to confirm with the BBC the following: the number of work placement opportunities they can provide; the expected duration of work placements; the timing of placement opportunities and the operational areas of work experience opportunities;

-        Digital Skills Programme: a new initiative being launched by the Council, working with local schools to develop the digital skills of teachers and students.  Officers would look at opportunities for the BBC to add value to this new initiative through the provision of careers/educational resources or volunteering of BBC staff at workshops etc; and

-        The Princes Trust Get Started Programme: the Council would be supporting the delivery of a Get Started Digital Skills programme targeting young people (aged 18-30 years old) who were disengaged from mainstream support.  The participants would engage in a week-long programme of intensive activity and would have access to three months of follow up support to help them positively progress into training and/or employment.  Again, Officers would work with the BBC to engage through the delivery of the one week programme or providing work experience opportunities for young people.

            The Manager highlighted to the Committee that there were also plans for Industry Insight events which would be targeted at young people citywide.  He advised the Members that the above mentioned programmes were an outline as to how the Council would work with the BBC in the Employability and Skills area, taking into account the BBC’s operational capacity, timings, insurance liability and any legal issues, where the final programme would form a contractual agreement as part of the Council’s funding of the 2018 projects.

            In addition, the Manager highlighted to the Members that the BBC would extensively promote all three projects across all of its multi-media platforms, nationally and internationally, and pointed out that the value of this promotion could be in excess of £11million, based on Glasgow City Council’s joint staging of BBC Six Music in 2017.

            He advised the Members that the three events would also help to raise the profile of Belfast in the lead up to the European Capital of Culture 2023 decisions.

            The Manager explained that the budget had already been agreed by the Committee, as part of next year’s normal events unit budget.  The Committee noted that the BBC would also operate a ticketing fee, but that the cost structure would be based on a socially accessible ticketing price and would offer value for money.

            The Committee noted the update which had been provided.