Agenda item

The meeting viewed a presentation on the Fleet Street Quarter Bid that included the following points that was presented by Futurecity:

-        It is important to define the audience ahead of preparing a cultural strategy;

-        Fleet Street is still the centre of journalism;

-        A strategy is a framework that provides a direction and tools as a guide;

-        art is a catalyst to telling the right story; and

-        detailed cultural mapping facilitates the programming process.

A Member sought clarification on the source of the anticipated growth of 33K people occupying office space in the area, noting the recently elected Government’s apparent position on working from home. The meeting heard that the research was undertaken prior to the July 2024 UK election (and that the research will be updated in early 2025) but that there is still an expectation that people will return to the office – noting that at present London averages 2.7 days a week in the office though some major City employers recently mandated a full or nearly full return to the office.

A Member sought further clarification on how developers were involved in the cultural strategy process. The meeting heard that developers varied in their interest in working within a cultural eco-system though most developers did want to engage in cultural strategies (particularly where a strategy was clearly articulated), and that there is an exploration of creating mechanisms for the creation of cultural groups to facilitate exchanges of ideas. 

A Member asked about expectations for young people to engage with different types of cultural offerings. The meeting heard that while previous generations had learned to interact with the cultural realm in a passive way, while future generations were much more responsive to an immersive, interactive experience.