Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Alderman and Sheriff Bronek Masojada, Wendy Mead, James St John Davis, Judith Pleasance, Irem Yerdelem, and Dawn Wright.

Wendy Hyde declared her chairmanship of the Sculpture in the City (item 17).

To agree the public minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 May 2024.

RESOLVED, That the public minutes of the meeting of 20 May 2024 be approved as an accurate record of the proceedings.

To note the report of the Clerk.

The Committee received the report of the Clerk.

Action 14: The meeting heard that a range of assets are listed on the London Pass scheme and CoLC staff are liaising to ensure a consistent offering. In response to Member questions on the timeline for that and the extent of the joint CoLC offering, the meeting heard that Tower Bridge and Keats House recently negotiated a two-year offer and that other assets are working together though some assets have more leverage than others.

Action 2: In response to a request for clarification on whether the cultural calendar is also on the website, the meeting noted the calendar is expected to be posted onto the intranet (having been circulated to Members).

Action point 10: The matter was noted in the Confidential agenda.

A Member asked for an update on the Mark Bostock room. The meeting noted that the timeline has been revised with a start date expected in December 2024.

Members are asked to note the Committee’s forward plan.

The Committee received the report of the Clerk.

A Member asked whether there was merit in integrating key delivery milestones on the Culture Strategy delivery. Members noted that discussions on the timeline are ongoing and that the Forward Plan is expected to set out key activities to be overseen by the Committee during the 2024-25 period to deliver on the remit given by the Martin Review.  

The Committee thanked the Head of the Gallery and Amphitheatre for organising a visit to the Art Gallery prior to the meeting and viewed a presentation on the Guildhall Art Gallery including an overview of its history and collections, exhibition schedule, loan programme, education programme, and social impact.

The meeting heard that footfall has not yet recovered since the pandemic, though numbers are increasing, and that the Gallery operates within the Destination City matrix structure for staffing.

Members commented that the Gallery appeared to be operating with a small workforce (with no intern position available from autumn 2024) and strongly recommended that the Gallery’s resources be carefully examined to ensure that the right service could be delivered that did justice to and maximised the value the Art Gallery as a cultural asset.

A Member asked for clarification on an apparent proposal to cancel a temporary exhibition originally scheduled for autumn 2024. It was noted that exhibition schedules and proposals at the Gallery are not generally presented to the Committee and that programming decisions are made in line with budgetary restrictions.  

A Member asked for further information on the budget allocation to the Gallery, and asked why staffing levels appeared to be low. The meeting heard that the reduction in staffing levels was attributable to decisions arising from the CoLC’s Target Operating Model, with funding allocated across disparate areas.

Members commented that more detailed information on what budget was allocated to which cultural asset would be helpful, with a greater input at Committee level on how those resources were allocated with a greater level of ownership of budgetary allocation on the part of the Committee.  

A member commented that general awareness of the Art Gallery’s existence appeared to be low.

On the proposed 3 to 5 year forward plan referenced in

To consider the report of the Director of Innovation and Growth.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Innovation & Growth presenting the recommendations of the City Arts Initiative (CAI) that met on 6 June 2024.

The Committee noted that the proposal for this artwork: ‘ARTBASH – Globe View Walkway – permanent installation’ was discussed at the June meeting.

On the Dove Type font (p.29 of the agenda) Members asked for clarification on the balance between accessibility and historical significance. The meeting heard that advice had been received on accessibility issues to inform the proposal, the artwork belongs to ARTBASH.

Members commented that further clarification would be welcome on the accessibility question raised.  

RESOLVED, That the Committee delegate authority to the Chair and Deputy Chair on approval of the proposal (subject to any necessary permissions gained from environmental health, planning and highways) following further clarification on accessibility issues raised together with other available options. 

To consider the report of the Natural Environment Director.

The Committee considered the report of the Natural Environment Director setting out the annual Activities Plan summarising the previous year’s achievements and identifying priority projects and activities for the current business year.

Members also reviewed the draft Keats House Activities Plan 2024/25.

RESOLVED, That Members approve the Keats House Activities Plan 2024/25.

To receive the report of the Managing Director of City Bridge Foundation.

The Committee received the report of the Manager of the City Bridge Foundation setting out an overview of the projects funded through the Central Grants Programme (CGP) with the Inspiring London Through Culture theme in the 2023-24 period, noting that the Central Funding and Charity Management Team (CFCMT) offers the Inspiring London Through Culture scheme on an annual basis.

Members noted in particular:

·       the criteria for the Inspiring London Through Culture at Appendix 1;

·       the recent grants awarded and rejected/withdrawn from the Inspiring London Through Culture Fund at Appendix 2; and

·       that the CFCMT will review the programme when the new Head of Profession for Culture is appointed.

To receive the report of The Chamberlain, Deputy Town Clerk, Executive Director of Innovation & Growth, Interim Executive Director Environment, and Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee received the report comparing the revenue outturn for the services overseen by the Committee in 2023-24 with the final budget for the year, and detailing the carry forward requests yet to be approved.

The Committee noted the five services covered by the report:

i)               Deputy Town Clerk – London Metropolitan Archives, Guildhall Library & CHL Central Management;

ii)              Executive Director of Innovation & Growth – Destination City;

iii)             Executive Director of Children’s & Community Services – Barbican and Artizan Street Libraries;

iv)             Interim Executive Director of Environment - Monument & Keats House; and

v)              City Surveyors - Lower Thames Street, Mayoralty & Shrievalty.

The Committee noted that the overall total net expenditure during the year was £21.441m whereas the budget was £21.219m, representing an overspend of £0.222m (these figures being the correct figures as amended from the original summary on the report submitted and in line with the figures set out on the remainder of the document). 

Noting that the Committee approved at the meeting of 29 January 2024 the Departmental Budget Estimates for 2024/25, Members asked that a report be produced setting out the resources allocated to each individual asset (see action point) for which the Committee is responsible alongside a cultural asset map, and agreed that a separate budget-setting session (during autumn 2024) would be beneficial to be attended by, ideally, relevant Members of these Committees: Resource Allocation Sub-Committee, Policy & Resources, Finance.    

In response to a question on why the item ‘Transition to Implementation – Destination City and Advisory Board’ (a verbal update) was moved to Non-Public (having been originally scheduled to be discussed in the Public section) the meeting heard that the same matter had already been discussed at the Corporation’s July Policy & Resources Committee in the Non-Public section due to the application of exemption 3: ‘Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person or body (including the authority holding that information).’??

A Member thanked the executive for providing figures on the City Information Centre (CIC) relating to visitor numbers and opening hours among other things, and asked that visitors to key City assets be given the opportunity to access information on other City cultural venues during their visit to the asset. The meeting heard that a key strategic recommendation following the Martin Review is to improve “pedestrian connectivity between places”.     

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 20 May 2024.

The Committee considered the minutes of the previous meeting.

To consider the report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered the report of the Town Clerk

Members discussed the transition to implementation of the DAB

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

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director, Innovation & Growth.

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

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services

To consider the report of City Surveyor and Executive Director of Property.

The Committee considered the report of the City Surveyor and Executive Director of Property

To view the presentation of the Director of London Museum.

The Committee viewed a presentation on the London Museum

To consider the minutes of the confidential section of the meeting of 20 May 2024.

To receive the report of the Natural Environment Director.

To receive the report of the Executive Director of Innovation & Growth: Handover issues, lessons and recommendations.