Agenda item

            The Director of Development reminded the Committee that the Cultural Framework had been launched in October 2012 and that it had been created in consultation with the culture, arts and heritage sectors across Belfast.

            The Committee was advised that the four main priorities within the framework were Distinctly Belfast, Attracting Audiences, Inspiring Communities and Strengthening the Sector. He provided the Members with an overview of the proposed actions across each of the four themes for 2018/2019.

            The Director highlighted that the successful delivery of the framework relied on working with city stakeholders including government agencies and the cultural sector itself.  He explained that the sector was under considerable financial pressure and that the Arts Council for Northern Ireland (ACNI) had recently advised that it was likely to face funding cuts from the Department for Communities (DfC), which would mean that it would have to cut the funding to the organisations that it supported. 

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 12th April 2017, it had agreed to make a strategic investment in a small number of the larger cultural organisations in order to improve their resilience and make them more sustainable.  He advised the Members that delivery of the three-year programme would commence shortly.   

            The Members were advised that one of the key areas for consideration in the 2018/2019 delivery plan was how the sector could be mobilised and brought on board as part of the legacy plans arising from the development work which had been undertaken for the European Capital of Culture bid for 2023. 

            The Director reported that a Creative Europe funded study visit to Belfast had been carried out in June 2017 by four international cultural and city development experts.  As a result, Belfast had been given a series of recommendations in terms of how to maximise its potential by using culture as a key city driver.  He added that the Belfast Agenda had also identified the contribution that culture and arts could make to the City, helping to improve quality of life, drive economic regeneration and make Belfast a shared, and welcoming City. 

            He advised the Committee that the Core Cities Group had developed a proposal for a joint research project, an “Inquiry into the Cultural Resources of the UK’s Cities”, to examine how to make the most effective use of cultural resources and explore innovative approaches to enable smarter investment in culture in UK cities. The Members were advised that the inquiry would work with leading cities across the UK to address the issue of investment and to enable the cities to realise the full the benefits that culture could provide as part of effective local growth strategies. 

            The Members were advised that the inquiry would be developed and delivered by a Board comprising representation from a range of sectors including local government, Arts Councils and major cultural institutions, and would be chaired by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO of Virgin Money. 

            The Director explained that Belfast had been invited to be a partner in the Inquiry and, if the Committee agreed, Belfast would be expected to share information with the Inquiry Team and host an event during the course of the programme, between February and September 2018.  He pointed out that the work would be completed by September 2018, and would help to inform investment plans for the 2019/2010 financial year and beyond.

The Committee:

1.     noted the contents of the report;

2.     agreed the year 3 delivery plan (2018/19) of the 2016/2020 Cultural Action Plan, including the associated budget requirements, noting that required funding had been set aside in the departmental budget for 2018/19; and

3.     noted the planned inquiry into the cultural resilience of UK cities and agreed to participate, at a cost of £10,000 towards the research work, noting that all required funding had been set aside within existing departmental budgets.