Agenda item

To receive the report of the Director of The London Archive and Head of Profession (Culture)

The Committee received the report of the Head of Profession (Culture) to be submitted for decision to the Policy & Resources Committee on 07 November 2024 on the need to support the development of a new Culture Strategy for the City of London Corporation.

The Committee noted that the Martin Review emphasised the importance of an independent Culture Strategy to maximise the City’s unique cultural assets, and that to begin the work immediately (before January 2025) a proposal is to be made for the allocation of £45,000 from the Policy and Resources Committee’s Policy Initiative Fund to enable key research, stakeholder consultation, analysis and the creation of a new Culture Strategy to include audience mapping and analysis.

The Committee noted that the new Culture Strategy would align with the City Corporation’s corporate priorities and ensure that the Square Mile remains a vibrant cultural destination for residents, workers and visitors.

The Committee noted that a full scope of work would be submitted to the Committee if the funds are granted.

A Member sought clarification on what resources are available within the Culture team, emphasising the importance of running workstreams in parallel rather than sequentially. The meeting noted the importance of a structured framework to deliver a coherent set of proposals.

A Member sought clarity on the £45K and how the amount was determined, also referencing section 22 in which it is suggested that the Committee may bid for further funds - noting the importance of Culture to the success of the City overall. The meeting heard that the sum was determined in line with what was realistic and adequate in the first instance.

Referencing section 7, a Member asked for more details on what constituted the Culture team. The meeting noted that the Culture team is the team responsible for Destination City (DC) in its initial iteration that included events and cultural activities. The team has now transferred to the Culture team, reporting to the Head of Profession (Culture), and includes staff at the Gallery and working in promotions. The meeting also noted that a Director of Culture is expected to be recruited separate to the DC hub who will manage, among other things, the culture strategy and its roll-out.  In response to a question on staff numbers, the meeting heard that an organigram would be circulated, though not all positions are currently filled. For the DC hub, the SRO is currently the only position filled. Up to seven FTEs are expected to be recruited to the DC hub, which was recently approved at Corporation level.

A Member asked for further information on how the Culture strategy might interface with the cultural spatial strategy.  The meeting noted that earlier strategies would be folded into the Culture strategy and deliver better clarity on Culture.

Referencing section 15, a Member asked why Growth Bid money was no longer available to the Culture team, suggesting that during the current transition year the Committee should have had a claim to a proportion of the Growth Bid money. The meeting noted that the Growth Bid was designed to fund the DC programme and encompasses all aspects of ensuring that the City is an even more attractive destination, noting also that planned events would still take place. A Member asked how that decision was made, in response to which the meeting heard that the remaining Growth Bid money allocation was approved by the Policy & Resources Committee. Members commented that the purpose of the Growth Bid was to focus on the City’s cultural assets and that it appeared that those assets were being undermined by an apparent lack of funding of some assets, including the Guildhall Art Gallery. The meeting noted that the apparent reduction in resources for the Guildhall Art Gallery could be explained by the way some employees were counted (including, for example, retail and display staff) in a way that did not accurately reflect the resources. 

Members expressed a view that Culture appears in practice to be a sub-set of DC and commented that it appeared that the Committee was to all intents and purposes a sub-Committee of the Policy & Resources Committee, noting that the sentiment has been expressed on previous occasions.  The meeting noted that the placing of Culture under the Committee as per the Martin Review did empower the Committee, and that the PIF funding was a mechanism for getting that started.  

The Committee endorsed the recommendations set out in the report.