Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure wrote to Belfast City Council on 18 January 2010, regarding the transfer of local arts to the new councils under RPA.  In summary, their proposal is as follows:

 

-     Funding for local arts to be transferred to the new district council by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland

 

-     Allocations for Belfast and Derry to be weighted to take account of their strategic positions; however, it is also the intention to disburse funding for local arts more equitably across the new councils

 

-     A potential requirement from new councils to match allocation of funding for local arts as per the Community Festivals Fund

 

-     ACNI current allocation in 2009–2010 for local arts in Belfast is £628,024 and the proposed allocation under RPA is £322,372 (a 50% reduction). This figure is based on allocation by population with a 10% deprivation weighting to Belfast and Londonderry/Strabane.

 

      DCAL’s proposed definitions for local, regional and national arts are as follows:

 

-     Local arts is operating within its own boundary

 

-     Regional is operating beyond its own council boundary but within Northern Ireland

 

-     National is operating within Northern Ireland and touring/offering programmes to the rest of the United Kingdom and/or Republic of Ireland

 

      DCAL is recommending that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland will lead on regional and national arts.

 

Key Issues

 

      Belfast’s unique position is not addressed in this proposal.

 

      Belfast City Council plays a unique role in Northern Ireland’s culture and arts infrastructure as many of the regional and national arts are based in the City and are currently supported by both Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

 

      BelfastCity Council invests £1.3 million per annum into approximately 73 culture and arts organisations. This funding sustains 295 full-time jobs; 134 part-time jobs; 1278 freelance; and 553 voluntary posts. The Council’s subvention accounts for an average 11.7% of the organisations’ annual income which represents a return on investment of 1:7.  The total audience and participation figure for funded organisations is 6,184,305.  Most other councils across Northern Ireland invest in the arts through purpose-built council-owned venues – the majority do not tend to operate culture and arts funding programmes.

 

      Whilst Belfast-based arts organisations run programmes in Belfast, they also extend these across Northern Ireland (in the case of theatre productions and other performances, this means that they often pay other councils for the use of their local arts centre). In many instances, the audience attracted to Belfast-based events are from outside of the Belfast area.  This is reflected in the annual audience/participant figures of over 6million. A list of organisations that we support through Annual and Multi-annual Funding is available on Modern.gov. This highlights which organisations are local, regional or national based on the definitions provided by DCAL.

 

      In relation to local arts, while the move to assign this responsibility to Belfast City Council is welcome, the level of funding should remain consistent with that previously given to the local arts sector in the city, i.e. £628,024, not £322,372. Given the considerable investment that Belfast City Council makes already, we would have no additional funding to address any reductions in support to local arts unless the Arts Council increases its investment in regional/national arts, allowing the Council to redirect its funding.

 

      Belfast City Council is also making considerable investment in capital projects, such as the Lyric (£1.25m) and MAC (£550k) to develop the cultural infrastructure of the City. This is not recognised within this proposal.

 

Resource Implications

 

      Financial

 

      None

 

      Human Resources

 

      This will be covered within the work programme of the Tourism, Culture and Arts Unit.

 

Recommendation

 

      It is recommended that Members note the contents of this report and agree that the Outline Response in Appendix 3 be forwarded to DCAL.

 

Decision Tracking

 

      DCAL will receive a response to its proposals by letter following Committee approval.

 

      Timeframe: March 2010         Reporting Officer: Kerrie Sweeney

 

Documents Attached

 

      Appendix 1 - Outline Response to DCAL

 

Appendix 1

 

Outline Response to DCAL

 

      Overall, BelfastCity Council does not believe that Belfast’s unique position is addressed in this proposal.

 

      Belfast City Council plays a unique role in Northern Ireland’s culture and arts infrastructure as many of the regional and national arts are based in the city and are currently supported by both Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. BelfastCity Council invests £1.3 million per annum into approximately 73 culture and arts organisations through the following programmes:

 

      Development and Outreach Programme – this fund aims to increase community participation and access to culture and arts activity in Belfast.  Grants range from £2,000 to £20,000 and culture and arts applicants must demonstrate a partnership approach with community organisations.  Approximately 13 applicants are funded.

 

      Annual/Multi Annual Funding Scheme – This scheme helps arts, culture and heritage organisations in Belfast carry out their work and to create programmes which benefit people that live in and visit Belfast.  Grants range from £3,000 to £30,000.

 

      16 organisations receive annual funding on a multi annual basis.  These organisations are selected on the basis of their strategic role within the culture and arts sector in Belfast.

 

      Rolling Programme – This fund provides small grants to support innovation in arts and heritage.  Grants range from £500 to £3,000.

 

      These funding programmes sustain 295 full-time jobs; 134 part?time jobs; 1278 freelance; and 553 voluntary posts.  The Council’s subvention represents a return of investment of 1:7.  The total audience and participation figure for funded organisations is 6,184,305.

 

      A list of organisations that we support is attached.  This highlights which organisations are local, regional or national based on the definitions provided. These definitions do not capture the complexity of Belfast’s situation.

 

      We welcome the move to assign the responsibility of local arts to Belfast City Council as this complements our current investment into Culture & Arts and in particular our Development and Outreach Programme.  We strongly agree that any allocation of funding should be weighted to take account of Belfast’s strategic position.  This should ensure that the level of funding remains consistent with, if not increased upon, that previously given to the local arts sector in Belfast, i.e. £628,024, not £322,372.  Any review of the funding against outputs should take place within an agreed timescale that allows the new funding processes, monitoring and evaluation systems to be firmly established.

 

      We agree that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the preferred funding transfer mechanism, and we have developed a good working relationship with ACNI over the last number of years. In 2007 we launched the Belfast Integrated Cultural Strategy, a partnership approach between both organisations. We are now in the process of discussing the development of a new strategy with the Arts Council, to be developed during the course of this year.  This fits well with the proposed local arts and cultural plans. 

 

      Given the considerable investment that Belfast City Council makes already, we would have no additional funding to address any reductions in support to local arts unless the Arts Council increases its investment in regional/national arts (e.g. Ulster Orchestra), allowing the Council to redirect its funding.

 

      Strategically, BelfastCity Council recognises the significant contribution that local, regional and national Belfast based culture and arts organisations make to the social and economic fabric of the city.  Any proposal for local arts delivery and funding in Belfast must be developed within the context of, and not in isolation of, a wider Belfast cultural strategy and its impact on the success of the city.”

 

            Several Members expressed concern at the proposals from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure as outlined in the report.  It was suggested that the response be amended to indicate that “the Council welcomed in principle the proposal for it to become responsible for local arts, subject to the necessary funding being provided” to ensure that this new power would not result in a burden on the ratepayers.  It was suggested also that, given the Committee’s concern at the proposal, the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure be requested to attend a meeting of the Committee to discuss this matter.

 

            Following discussion, the Committee agreed that the response be amended as outlined and submitted to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.  The Committee agreed also that the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure be requested to attend a future meeting of the Committee to discuss the matter.