Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    Members may be aware of the Council’s decision at its meeting on the 1st November 2011 to a three stranded approach to marking the Historic Centenaries covering the period 1912 – 1922. Strand Two is currently in operation which covers the period 1914-1918.  Council agreed that Strand Two would cover the period incorporating World War I, including the Somme, and the Easter Rising. Major exhibitions would be commissioned covering these two events as well as civic and other activities to mark both commemorations.

1.2    In addition, at its meeting on the 29th November 2013, the Joint Party Group Leaders Forum and the Historic Centenaries Working Group agreed in principle to hosting the outdoor exhibition ‘Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace’. The group agreed to grant approval in principle to the exhibition being displayed in Belfast during 2016, subject to the costs being reasonable and appropriate funding being made available and subject to the agreement of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee

1.3   The Good Relations Manager was delegated to work up costings and specifications for an exhibition for 2016, and additional outreach and engagement programmes and costs associated with the staging of the Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace exhibition. These issues were discussed by the Council’s Diversity Working Group at its meeting on the 5th December 2014.

1.4    Following agreement on the way forward at the Diversity Working Group, the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee   approved and adopted the minutes of the Diversity Working group at its meeting on the 12th December 2014.

1.5    These recommendations are now being been brought before the Shadow Policy and Resources Committee for noting and approval since the events and exhibitions will take place in the new Council arrangements.

2       Key Issues

2.1    As has already been agreed through the Diversity Working Group, officers have met with a number of organisations to discuss the potential for collaboration and additional funding. OFMDFM and DCAL will be involved in planning and delivery in addition to the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the forthcoming Decade of Centenaries.

2.2    Members will also be aware that the Irish government have officially launched Ireland 2016, an initiative which is led by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to reflect on the legacy of the period – this will include capital projects, state events, and various programmes relating to culture, young people and education etc. The five intersecting themes are: Remember, Reconcile, Imagine, Present and Celebrate.

2.3    Members may wish to also note that for Strand One covering 1912-1914, a budget of £99,000 was set aside by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for a large programme of events with OFMDFM contributing an additional £47,000.This amount of £146,000 covered the exhibition, a civic dinner and a series of events and activities around several other themes and publicity and educational activities.

2.4    In accordance with the desire of Members to deliver one exhibition covering the period of 1916 incorporating a number of themes as well as the key events, Officers are drawing up a specification for this. As previously reported, the cost for the Shared History - Different Allegiance exhibition was approximately £70,000 and it is estimated that a similar exhibition for 2016 could cost in the region of £80,000. Expenditure on additional elements such as civic events, artwork, drama, lectures, community outreach programme and hospitality based on the previous strand was approximately £94,000. This would bring the total amount required to undertake the work for 2016 to £174,000. These costs have been noted by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on the 12th December.

2.5    As to some of the events around the period, Officers would hope to include part of the activity within the Good Relations Programme for 2016/2017 but would also look to the potential of collaborating with other agencies/bodies where appropriate. Officers will also continue conversations to seek external funding where appropriate.

2.6    In relation to the Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace exhibition which is a separate exhibition, Officers have spoken to the exhibition Director and have been advised that further details would be available in the New Year.  Costings for this project have been previously been estimated at £40,000.00.  Officers would emphasise that the organisers would have to seek funds centrally in the first instance for such an exhibition as this amount is not included in the costings outlined above.

3       Resource Implications

3.1    Financial

         In relation to what has been noted by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in section 2.4 above, the following costs are now requested to the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee:

         April 2015 – March 2016

         Decade of Centenaries- cost of the exhibition, Civic Events and additional activities   £86,000   (plus additional £45,000 from OFMDFM to be secured as match funding)

         The Director of Finance and Resources has included £86k of non-recurrent funding as part of the non-recurrent expenditure report which is included on today’s committee agenda.

3.2    April 2016 – March 2017

         Decade of Centenaries £47,000

         Funding for the Fields of Battle- Lands of Peace £40,000.

         The costs for 2016/17 will be considered as part of the 2015/16 half year financial re-allocations.

4       Equality and Good Relations Implications

4.1   The Working Group agreed in October 2011 that events marking the Decade of Centenaries would operate under a set of agreed principles and also provides an opportunity for the Council to contribute to a better understanding of the past and to promote respect for the complexity of our shared history. These are attached for Members information.

5       Call In

5.1   This decision is subject to call In.

6       Recommendations

6.1    To note the information in the above report in relation to the preparations currently underway for the Decade of Centenaries events in 2016 and the Fields of Battle Exhibition.

6.2    To approve the costs for the Decade of Centenaries exhibition, civic events and additional activities at a total  sum of £133,000 over 2 years,  with authority given to officers to seek external funding towards the exhibition of £45,000 from OFMDFM.

6.3    To agree to proceed with planning for the fields of battle exhibition at a cost of £40,000 to be incurred in 2016-17.

6.4    Note that the Director of Finance and Resources has included £86k of non-recurrent funding as part of the non-recurrent expenditure report which is included on today’s committee agenda to cover costs for 2015-16 and note that the financing of the proposed expenditure for 2016/17 will be considered as part of the 2015/16 half year financial re-allocations.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.