Agenda item

To consider the Arts and Culture Centre Task Group’s final report and to determine whether to forward the group’s recommendations for the consideration of the Executive Committee.

(Report attached, presentation to follow).

As Chair of the Review, Councillor Gay Hopkins presented the Committee with the findings and recommendations of the Arts and Cultural Centre Task Group. Members were provided with a summary of what the task group had accomplished during the review, the venues Members had visited, who they had interviewed, and what the group had found.

It was explained that final outcome of the review was not what had initially been expected.  The group was ultimately proposing that in the short term there should be a focus on more effectively promoting and publicising existing arts facilities and attractions in the town, in order to raise awareness of existing facilities. This would include the development of new maps to highlight where local residents and visitors could find all of the main arts and culture attractions, events, and relevant groups in the town.  In the long-term it was possible that a community group would be able to establish an arts and culture centre in Redditch, though the group was not proposing that the Council should establish, fund or manage this type of venue.

Councillor Hopkins thanked all of her fellow task group members for the enthusiasm they had shown throughout the review. Officers were also thanked for their guidance and assistance, especially Jess Bayley for all her hard work and support.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee congratulated the task group on completing an excellent review.  In particular, The Chair noted that the group had generated a superb response to the public consultation.

The Committee were united in their support for the group’s findings and recommendations.  In addition, Members proposed that a new logo should be created to brand the arts in Redditch.

RECOMMENDED that

Recommendations that could be implemented in the short to medium term:

1)        the Arts in Redditch Network, and the benefits to be accrued from

membership of the network, should be promoted to local arts groups;

2)        the Arts in Redditch Network should maintain a list of existing arts groups in Redditch on their new website;

a)       the Council should continue to maintain a link from the local authority’s website to the new Arts in Redditch Network website;

3)        an online Redditch Arts Map, including an arts trail, outlining the location of public art works and venues in the Borough and linked to an icon on the new information kiosks in the town centre, should be introduced;

4)        art exhibition space, where local artists can display their work, should be introduced at the Palace Theatre and the Abbey Stadium;

a)        the Arts in Redditch Network should promote opportunities to display local artists’ work;

5)        the Council should continue to provide support and advice to any community group aiming to introduce a new arts group in the town. In addition:

a)       action should be taken to increase public awareness of the support and advice provided by the Council to community groups with an interest in the arts;

b)       any new enquiries should be signposted to the Arts in Redditch Network to facilitate the formation of new arts groups; and

c)       a new logo be created for the arts in Redditch;

6)        the evidence gathered by Members during the course of the review and the information contained in the Arts and Culture Centre Task Group’s final report should be taken into account by Officers when producing the new Redditch Arts Strategy;

Recommendations that could be implemented in the long-term:

7)        in an ideal world an arts centre would be established in Redditch by a community group. However, in order for this objective to be achieved the community group needs to be aware of and to address the following barriers:

a)      the extent to which local arts groups would make use of an arts centre;

b)        the financial costs involved in establishing and maintaining an arts centre;

c)        funding application requirements;

d)        creating a sustainable business case;

e)        legal liability and accountability issues;

f)          availability of volunteers to operate the centre; and

g)        management arrangements for the centre.

8)        the Council should provide the following support and advice to any community organisation that aims to establish an arts and culture centre in the town:

a)        guidance on how to complete funding applications for grants

b)        advice on how to produce a business case; and

c)        signpost groups to relevant expert contacts for further specialist help;

9)        the ‘Creative Redditch’ artwork should be prioritised for use on the next bus shelter that is installed in Redditch town centre.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.