Minutes of the Cultural Consortium Steering Committee

23 September 2008

Present:

Orit Azaz - Creative Director of ‘Portrait of a Nation’ for Heritage Lottery Fund and Liverpool City of Culture
Mark Ball - Head of Events & Exhibitions, RSC (Deputy Chair)
Diana Owen - Director, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Deborah Shaw - Associate Director, RSC (Chair)
Kathleen Soriano - Director, Compton Verney

Apologies:

Nigel Singh - Chief Executive, Audiences Central
Jane Tassell - Minutes
Fiona Rae – WCS Events & Festivals Development, Consortium Co-ordinator

1. An update on the consultancy being undertaken by Andrew Ormston of RGA Consulting for Stratford District Council and World Class Stratford

Andrew Ormston joined the first part of the meeting and gave an update on RGA’s consultancy on developing the concessions offer in public spaces in Stratford, leading towards new contracts being offered in March 2009.

Andrew outlined his draft proposals for a framework to manage Stratford’s public spaces. General issues of noise and risk management, quality control, environmental impact and sustainability were discussed, along with how best to actively help the event management process with a diary of events in one place, ensuring a family-friendly environment and encouraging community engagement.

The coordination with the work of the Cultural Consortium, Town Management Partnership and Business Improvement Plan was seen as vital. The list of proposed pilot projects for 2009 was shared. Other recommendations included:

• development of a template/checklist of how the Council and event organisers can best work together, to promote a positive approach
• focus on local suppliers first

 Action

DS /FR to send Andrew an outline of the Cultural Consortium’s work so far and the proposed pilot projects.

2.  Minutes of the last meeting and action point up-dates

Legal structure

Part of the remit of the Cultural Consortium Steering Committee is to make recommendations for a legal framework and sustainable structure for beyond the Cultural Consortium’s existing one-year, time-limited remit.

Resolved

That the Cultural Consortium remains as an informally-constituted Steering Committee and Forum and that responsibility for holding funds for the Birthday Celebrations should be delegated to the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust and for the 3 other pilot projects to the RSC, reporting to the Cultural Consortium Steering Committee. 

Action

DS to discuss the practicalities/implications with the RSC Finance Director

Communications

DS reported on meetings with Gary Barnes of the Town Management Partnership and forthcoming meetings with Jonathan Birkett, Stratford BID Project Manager and Phil Hackett of South Warwickshire Tourism. (Gary and Jonathan’s presence at the LACF was very much appreciated).

The webpage for the Cultural Consortium is up and running on the World Class Stratford site and minutes of meetings are posted there.

Resolved

• To focus next on ensuring proactive communication links with local and regional councillors and representatives
• The Steering Committee asked for a report to the next meeting from Fiona Rae about her activity and findings so far

 3. Local Artists and Community Forum feedback

Members who were at the Forum reported back on a positive and inspiring facilitated session with Angela McSherry, which brought together people representing over 30 arts organisations in Stratford and the surrounding area.

The initial meeting had focused on developing ideas around the four pilot project suggestions. Fiona Rae is currently collating all of the notes and ideas, which will be circulated in a more digestible form than the post-it notes discussed at the Steering Committee (!)

Noted

That the first meeting was a great success and felt like the start of something with the potential to transform the way arts organisations work together in Stratford.

That the role of the Consortium is developing and the first LACF had been a hugely important stage in ensuring real grass roots involvement.

That the Stratford Cultural Consortium should recognise its potential to provide a groundbreaking case study over the next 12 months. Professional, amateur, youth and community artists and cultural organisations have come together to develop a programme of events which will support the economic regeneration of a market town and impact across local, regional, national and international levels. It is therefore important to incorporate a detailed evaluation plan of the aims and outcomes of the Pilot year into the funding bid, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative research.

The concerns and anxieties of existing Festival promoters in the town were understandable and the Steering Committee is aware of the need to keep them fully informed and to continue to explore opportunities for joined-up content provision in the pilot projects and new marketing initiatives.      

Resolved

• To accept the recommendation of LACF members to set up a Youth Forum as soon as possible, to discuss/brainstorm the Pilot Projects. Help to be sought from youth workers present at the LACF, Stratford College and RSC and SBT Education Departments. Examples of best practice in engaging young people elsewhere in the UK are to be looked at
• To invite some members of the LACF and the Youth Forum onto the Steering Committee
• To pursue all four proposed pilot projects, with working groups in place for the summer, winter and Stratford Stories pilots once initial  funding has been secured.  The Birthday Celebrations Committee and a group of related event organizers led by DO will take forward the Birthday Celebrations events
• DS and MB to incorporate ideas from the LACF and Youth Forum in the outline plan and funding proposal currently being drawn up for mid-October. Copies to be circulated to Steering Committee members in advance for comment
• To explore further the advocacy role to be played by the Cultural Consortium 

4. Shakespeare Birthday Celebration plans update

DO reported on exciting draft plans to develop the Birthday Celebrations, focusing on the period from 23rd April to the weekend, with a more celebratory procession to include community involvement and a series of events to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Sonnets, on the theme of ‘love’.

The next steps were to bring together all related events occurring over this period and to work with them and the Birthday Celebrations Committee and others to ensure that the events have a major impact over this period. DO will lead on this and report back to the next meeting. DO has already submitted a funding application to AWM to assist with the development of parts of the Birthday Celebrations including infrastructure & events management, PR and marketing , business planning and creative content.

5. Funding update

Possible Arts Council England (ACE) and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) funding opportunities were discussed.

6. AOB and date of next meeting

Kathleen Soriano will be leaving Compton Verney in December to take up her new post at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Next meeting (KS’s last) - mid-November.

Minutes of the Cultural Consortium Steering Committee

9th July 2008

Present:

Orit Azaz - Creative Director of ‘Portrait of a Nation’ for Heritage Lottery Fund and Liverpool City of Culture
Mark Ball - Head of Events & Exhibitions, RSC
Diana Owen - Director, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Deborah Shaw - Associate Director, RSC (Chair)
Nigel Singh - Chief Executive, Audiences Central
Kathleen Soriano - Director, Compton Verney
Fiona Rae – WCS Events & Festivals Development, Consortium Co-ordinator
Pip Horobin - RSC (minutes)

Cultural Consortium purpose and timetable

Discussed:

The history leading up to the formation of the Cultural Consortium – from the original, unsuccessful Stratford bid to AWM for funding for a cultural programme in the town to counteract the effect of the closure of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan theatres during redevelopment; to the consultancy document produced by CultureWorks UK  for WCS and the Stratford Town Management Partnership, which recommended an RSC-led strategic body to develop a shared vision and raise the bar of the Stratford-wide cultural offer.  

Cultural Consortium remit as expressed in World Class Stratford Strategy Group minutes, July 2008:

• To develop a Festivals and Events Strategy for Stratford-upon-Avon (2009 - 2012) to enhance the cultural offer in Stratford in order to help define and celebrate Stratford's unique position and continuing relevance both nationally and internationally,  providing coherence; encouraging local participation and ownership; maximising funding opportunities;connecting Stratford with contemporary developments both regionally and nationally.
• To plan a programme of up to four high-profile pilot events throughout 2009, proving that Stratford can work together to produce the highest-quality events for today's visitors and arts attenders
• To seek out and coordinate funding opportunities from the public and private sector
• To suggest a formal legal structure and funding mechanism for the Cultural Consortium if necessary
• To report to SDC, AWM and other stakeholders

Resolved:

To use DCMS definition of Culture: ‘arts, tourism, fashion, food, film, architecture, design, heritage, and, by association, sport and the media.’

To review legal structure/funding mechanisms as necessary.

 2. Cultural Consortium Structure

Discussed:

The Cultural Consortium will be structured in 2 parts:

Steering Committee of strategic thinkers/arts professionals to provide overview, leadership and write applications;

Local Artists and Community Forum (LACF) open to a broad range of local arts stakeholders, to feed in ideas and information exchange.

Resolved: 

Fiona Rae to maintain communication links with LACF members and other key stakeholders in tourism, local businesses etc (FR)

To use a facilitated workshop session for the first meeting of the LACF

To keep the Steering Committee small and focused for now, but to invite individuals with particular expertise (e.g. Cultural Policy, Museums and Libraries, regional consultants) to specific meetings

Young people to be targeted to join LACF (e.g. Stratford College and RSC Education Dept contacts) (DS/DO)

3. Resources:

The RSC is providing a proportion of the time of two senior managers and general administrative support and facilities.

World Class Stratford and Stratford Town Trust are providing the services of Fiona Rae on 2-day per week secondment as officer to the Cultural Consortium.

4. Local, regional and national initiatives:

Discussed:

Cultural Olympiad, both regional and national, 2008 – 2012

Urban Cultural Programme and the Cultural Cities Network – new initiatives beyond cities?

5. Pilot Projects

Discussed:

Five potential pilot projects were discussed (3 for 2009, one continuous and 1 for 2010):      

Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations:

23rd April to Birthday Weekend celebrations and possibly beyond (up to 10 days of activity?) Worldwide links on the Birthday. Animating the parade with community involvement. Developing the events offer on Saturday and Sunday. Exploring Englishness. Links with existing Festivals in the town at this time?

Stratford Summer Festival

Focusing on the river – lantern parade, music, midsummer moment. 
Developing RSC open-air Film Festival/international links with Screen West Midlands?

Winter Festival

Candlelight, food, crafts, music, all-night opening. Family-oriented.   

Stratford Stories

An on-going investigation of ‘the voice of Stratford’ – unique stories that never get heard – animating local communities and groups and helping to seed and create content for the Festivals.

The opening of the RSC theatres in 2010

Is it a moment to headline ‘Stratford is open for business’ beyond the theatre?

Resolved:

All 5 ideas to be taken to the first LACF to discuss and build on.

Deborah Owen to explore ideas for developing the Birthday Celebrations with a Working Party of the Birthday Celebrations Committee in the first instance (DO)
 
Cultural Consortium to draft 2-page compelling short proposal for regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and other possible funding partners (DS/MB)

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