Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from: Deputy Graham Packham, Wendy Mead, Alethea Silk and Mark Wheatley.

The following Members observed the meeting online: James St John Davis, Deputy Madush Gupta, Jaspreet Hodgson, Judith Pleasance, Alpa Raja and Caroline Haines.

Also present: Deputy Ann Holmes (Chief Commoner), Deputy Graeme Doshi-Smith, Matthew Bell

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes of the previous meeting held on 13 July 2023.

RESOLVED, That the minutes of the meeting of 13 July 2023 be approved as an accurate record of the proceedings.

On action 3, Members asked whether an outline of the proposed working group had been made available. The meeting heard that no submission had been made due, partly, to the imminent departure in late September of the Barbican Artistic Director who had been a key figure in the initiative. Members also commented on the need for a clear and coherent cultural strategy with clear leadership ahead of defining long-term metrics and priorities that would inform planning decisions, among other things.

Members heard that further enquiries would be made on whether an outline paper had been submitted (see action points 3 and 6).

A Member commented that the Committee did not appear to feature in the recently-presented Corporate Plan, and sought clarification on an apparent lack of enablement.

Members commented that key officers responsible for cultural spend should be asked to attend meetings, and the meeting heard that other leading officers would be invited to attend.

Report of the Clerk.

The Committee noted the report of the Clerk.

To note the Forward Plan

The Committee noted the report of the Clerk, noting also that it was expected to be populated in the coming months to help with planning including KPI reporting, cultural calendar, and other regular updates.

To consider the report of the Executive Director of Innovation & Growth.

A Member commented that there was merit in promoting initiatives to support London-based street artists as well as international artists.

RESOLVED, That the Committee approve the City Arts Initiative's recommendations in relation to proposals 1 and 2:

1.    The Furniture Makers’ Company – Blue Plaque Application for the RNLI’s first offices

2.    Gillie and Marc – Wild About Babies (subject to background checks on funding of the project, more clarity on the overarching campaign and planning permissions gained)

To receive the report of the Deputy Town Clerk

The Committee noted the report of the Deputy Town Clerk, and endorsed the approach to gather further information and evidence with particular reference to the London Metropolitan Archives Future Accommodation Planning project.

To receive the report of the Executive Director of Innovation and Growth (IG).

The Committee noted the report of the Executive Director of Innovation & Growth, noting in particular that projects set against the £836,000 reprofile amount have been successfully delivered (except for the Cultural Planning Framework which will be finalised in November 2023), noting also that the key priority programmes for 2023/24 and 2024/25 delivery have been set.

Members noted that Destination City was primarily to do with driving footfall to encourage spend, with Culture as a significant element of that (together with the leisure sector). On the Destination City brand, Members commented that there was merit in broadening the scope of the Destination City offering to encompass the entire City offering, including the City’s significant assets, beyond the cultural offering to drive footfall - targeting visitors and City workers.  

A Member commented that micro-businesses were expected to be involved in the strategy.

In response to a comment on the need for an analysis of footfall and expenditure ahead of setting priorities, the meeting heard that KPIs and metrics had been circulated earlier in the year, and that figures on Bartholomew Fair would be circulated later in 2023 as a way of informing priorities and strategies. Programmes had been set out, and projects and events were agile and could be adjusted to reflect resource allocations informed by the outcomes of previous events.

The Committee congratulated the Destination City executive on their dedication and hard work in delivering Bartholomew Fair within such a restricted timeframe.

To consider the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

A Member sought clarification that the recent three library revamps were being incorporated into a wider strategy. The meeting heard that there is a broader modernising strategy around the libraries and their particular needs to include co-working space, laptop space, and digital innovation.

A Member asked whether the project was separate to the July 2023 approval of the community room, whether they both came from the CIL, and whether there was any overlap. The meeting heard that the former came from the CIL Neighbourhood Fund, and that the main CIL fund opportunity was a recent development. The projects were expected to be dovetailed upon final approval.

A Member asked whether community hubs had been used for warm spaces during the winter period. The meeting heard that spaces have always been provided at libraries, noting also that a food pantry has been installed at the Artizan Street library.    

A Member asked what percentage of the overall CIL budget was accounted for by the £845K. The meeting heard that clarification on that and the payment timeframe would be provided (see action point 7).

RESOLVED, That the Committee approve the proposal set out in the report, subject to the granting of the Community Infrastructure Levy funding of £845,800, to modernise Barbican Library.

To receive the report of the Executive Director, Communities and Children’s Services.

The Committee noted the report of the Executive Director Communities and CS setting out the recruitment plan to replace the retiring Head of Barbican and Community Libraries.

There were no questions.

Bartholomew Fair

The Committee viewed a short presentation on the recently-completed event.

A discussion ensued, and the following points were made:

-        The report expected to be submitted to the November 2023 meeting should include comprehensive information on budgets, spend, the procurement process, visitor numbers, and key metrics (using sophisticated data collection techniques alongside visitor and business perception surveys);

-        Budget overruns were within the contingency fund, which was used to cover unexpected additional security measures and higher supplier costs;

-        Because the DC team was in place only in November 2022 and tasked with the event in January 2023, the short lead time had resulted in a less comprehensive communication campaign than would otherwise be the case. Members commented on the need for the greater involvement (for the 2024 event) of tourism partners, local groups, other London boroughs, other cultural venues and organisations, and tour operators including at entry points into the UK;

-        The meeting noted the importance of featuring internationally-recognised performers to draw crowds and drive footfall, and commented that there was merit in exploring local talent alongside that in future iterations of the event as one of the measures to avoid diluting the sense of place and locality integral to the event’s concept (noting that some institutions had felt sidelined) and balancing that against the City-wide nature of the event;

-        The DC team had worked closely with the GLA to streamline events, though some clashes are inevitable;

-        Regular meetings on the 2024 event are expected to begin before the end of 2023, involving Committee members among others;

-        There is merit in providing more accessibility information; and

-        The 2023 event had acted as a ‘proof of concept’ and the DC team are ready to take the learnings and feedback from the event ahead

MOTION, that – under Section 100(A) 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 I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED, that – under Section 100(A) 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 I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the previous meeting held on 13 July 2023.

The Committee considered the non-public minutes of the meeting of 13 July 2023

 To consider the report of the Executive Director of Innovation & Growth.

The Committee considered the text amends to the Beckford and Cass statue plaque texts as set out in the report.