Agenda item

Cultural Strategy

Report of the Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries

For Decision

Minutes:

The Board considered a report of the Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries seeking Members approval to a new Cultural Strategy for the City of London Corporation which sought to present a coherent overview of the City’s important contributions to the life of London and the nation around culture and heritage, with development plans that could be monitored.

 

The Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries advised Members that a new cultural strategy was needed to showcase the funding, promotion and support  which the City gave to UK culture and heritage projects and to create a framework for the future.

 

The Managing Director of the Barbican Centre added that the Cultural Strategy represented a key moment in bringing together the various cultural institutions of the City and co-ordinating their separate activities into a coherent whole. He added that it was a good plan of action for the immediate future, and that the Barbican especially endorsed and supported the idea of a cultural quarter in the City.

 

The Chairman welcomed the excellent work undertaken to compile the document and welcomed the emphasis on increased partnership.

 

Members had a number of comments to feedback into the Cultural Strategy as follows:-

 

·         The diagram on page 2 was not clear and should be revised

·         The Strategy noted the current need for austerity but the way in which it was referenced might need to be more robust

·         The vision and strategic direction should be made very clear at the beginning of the document 

·         Potential global relationships should be explored as part of the Strategy (e.g. opportunities in South America in connection with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games)

·         The partnership aspirations in the strategy were acknowledged, but it was stressed that real effort must be put into reaching out to audiences around London, and avoiding any sense of patronisation by the City

·         Key audiences could be better defined

·         The Diagram on page 2 was not clear and should be revised

 

RESOLVED – That the Cultural Strategy be endorsed, subject to the comments above being taking into consideration by Officers.

 

Supporting documents: