Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Trevor Phillips and Deputy John Tomlinson.

There were none.

To approve the public minutes and summary of the Barbican Centre Board meeting held on 9 December 2015.

The public minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2015 were agreed.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Board received a report of the Town Clerk setting out the outstanding actions list and noted the various updates and additions. The forthcoming work plan for Board meetings in 2016 was also noted.

Marketing and Advertising: The Director of Arts advised that discussions had taken place with the Department of the Built Environment which had made clear that there was an accepted differentiation between advertising and information, with planners being receptive of information panels (digital or otherwise) being used to guide and inform visitors to the area towards events or activities. These panels were being considered as part of the Beech Street proposals and both signage and way-finding for the Cultural Hub were also being explored in an effort to establish requirements. The City Corporation was also shortly to start an overall review of signage in the City.

Staff Terms and Conditions: The Head of HR informed Members that the issue of unsocial hours would be picked up as part of the pay and reward review due to take place across all City Corporation departments.

INVAC training: It was advised that, whilst updated signage was to be placed in Committee Rooms and other public areas advising of invacuation exit routes, there was no specific training session planned for Members at this time. Members agreed that training would be beneficial and asked that this request be put to the Member Development Steering Group for consideration and implementation.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Managing Director.

Members received a report of the Managing Director providing updates from the Barbican Directors on their respective areas.

The Managing Director provided a brief update on the position in respect of the Centre for Music, advising that discussions were taking place with Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, and Arts Council England about the terms and conditions relating to phase two.

The Director of Creative Learning also took the opportunity to advise that the Barbican’s new mobile booking system was now in place and had been very well received by users.

In response to a query around attendance figures at Royal Shakespeare Company productions, the Director of Arts undertook to provide an update on the figures at the next meeting.

RESOLVED: That the report be received and its content noted.

Report of the Director of Operations & Buildings.

The Board received a report of the Director of Operations & Buildings providing an update on the Centre’s Health and Safety activities and provision.

RESOLVED: That the report be received and its content noted.

Report of the Director of Arts.

NB - to be considered in conjunction with the non-public sections and appendices at item 12.

The Board received a report and accompanying presentation from the Head of Cinema setting out the work of the department over the past year and strategic plans for future years.

RECEIVED.

There were no questions.

There were three urgent items:

Dame Henrietta Moore

The Managing Director advised that Henrietta Moore, one of the Board Members of the Barbican Centre Trust, had been awarded a damehood in the New Year’s Honours List. The Board RESOLVED to record its congratulations to Dame Henrietta accordingly.

Nominations Committee

With the terms of two long-serving Members of the Board due to expire in 2017, the suggestion had been made that it would be appropriate to appoint one of the two Members to the Nominations Committee to provide additional input to long-term thinking as to their succession. It was therefore RESOLVED that Keith Salway be appointed to the Nominations Committee.

Alarm: Exhibition Hall 1 Substation

The Deputy Chairman advised the Board of an incident that had occurred over the Christmas period, whereby an alarm had begun to sound intermittently in one of the substations connected to Exhibition Hall 1. Due to a combination of factors, it had taken three days to resolve the issue and prevent the alarm from sounding, causing considerable distress and inconvenience to a number of residents.

A report would be presented to the next meeting once a full investigation in to the incident had concluded. The Deputy Chairman stressed that it would be critical to identify the lessons learnt and how a repeat could be prevented, as well as how rapid responses could be ensured should it be impossible to make them completely unavoidable. It would also be vital to learn lessons on the handling of such issues, particularly in respect of communication with residents. He instructed officers to ensure that an apology was delivered to affected residents before the date of the next meeting.

MOTION – That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of Exempt Information, as defined in Part 1, of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act

RESOLVED – That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public Minutes of the Barbican Centre Board meeting held on 9 December 2015.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2015 were approved.

Non-public appendices to be considered in conjunction with item 7.

The non-public sections and appendices to the report were received.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Managing Director.

The Board received a report of the Managing Director providing an update on the Centre’s progress in meeting the Service Based Review and Strategic Plan targets.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer.

The Board received a report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer presenting the Business Review for the Period 8 Accounts 2015/16.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer.

The Board received a report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer which set out the Barbican Centre Trust’s latest fundraising results against budget.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer.

The Board received a report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer providing an update on the progress made in respect of the recent changes to catering and bar operations at the Barbican.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer.

The Board received a report of the Chief Operating & Financial Officer updating Members on the key risks facing the Centre and detailing the steps being taken to mitigate these risks.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Board received a report of the Chamberlain informing Members of the new Cyclical Works Programme (CWP) arrangements being put in place, which would replace the previous capital cap arrangements.

RESOLVED: That the detailed procedures for the operation of the CWP and the new funding mechanisms for the Barbican Centre following the cessation of the Capital Cap be noted.

Report of the Director of Operations & Buildings.

The Board considered and approved a report of the Director of Operations & Buildings providing an update on the Barbican Centre’s Capital Cap programme and a number of non-Capital Cap projects.

Report of the Director of Operations & Buildings.

The Board received a report of the Director of Operations & Buildings providing an update on those projects on the Barbican Campus with an amber or red rating.

RECEIVED.

There were three questions.

There was one urgent item.