Agenda item

This report brings forward the draft Medway Cultural Strategy 2014 – 19 reviewing the last 5 years and setting out aspirations for the next period. 

Discussion:

The Committee received a report and detailed presentation from the Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance on the Draft Medway Cultural Strategy 2014 – 2019.

Members were advised that much had been achieved since the adoption of the current cultural strategy in October 2009 and improvements had been made across the range of Medway’s cultural offer including:

• enhancements to Medway’s green spaces:  green flags, play investment;
• heritage buildings:  Rochester Castle, the Guildhall Museum, Eastgate House;
• introduction of new festivals and events:  Under Siege, the English Festival and the River Festival;
• roll out of Medway’s community hub programme:  Gillingham, Rochester, Chatham and Strood;
• support provided for the creative sector:  Project 161, Recreate, Pop, Nucleus Arts;
• tourism:  tourism bus and Christmas markets;
• investment in Medway’s sporting facilities:  Medway Park, Strood Sports Centre, the Stirling Centre;
• hosting national and international sporting events:  the Modern Pentathlon World Cup, the Modern Pentathlon European Championships, the British Transport Games and the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup; and
• mass participation sporting events as part of our sporting legacy:  the Medway Mile, the Big Splash and the Big Ride.

It was recognised that Medway’s cultural offer had a pivotal role to play in the regeneration and place making of Medway, making Medway an attractive place to live, work, study and visit.

The Cultural Partnership, chaired by Mark Little at the University of the Creative Arts and comprising partners from across Medway’s cultural offer including the universities, Mid Kent College, English Heritage, King’s Rochester, the Dockyard, the Cathedral, Nucleus Arts, artists and creatives, the French Hospital, Gillingham Football Club, Icon Theatre and the Royal Engineers Museum had produced the existing cultural strategy and developed the draft strategy for 2014 – 19.

The draft cultural strategy was intended to be a public facing document and a strategic overview for the council and other cultural organisations in Medway.

The draft strategy, whilst being action focused followed a strategic framework provided by the following priorities retained since 2009:

• stewardship
• engagement
• contributing to economic prosperity
• health and wellbeing

Members discussed various aspects of the strategy including:

• The possibility of obtaining on loan an enamelled cup currently located in the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam for the Medway in Flames event in 2017 to commemorate 350 years since the Dutch raid on Upnor Castle - It was noted Chatham Historic Dockyard was currently in discussions with the Dutch National Maritime Museum.
• The possibility of revisiting the possible roofing of Rochester Castle – It was noted that in partnership with English Heritage, environmental monitoring was taking place to assess the condition of the building over a   period to assess the best means of preserving the structure and whether a roof should be provided at the Castle.
• More could be made of the independent cultural sector within the Cultural Strategy – The Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance confirmed that he was happy to take on board the suggestion of including greater reference to the grass roots cultural sector within the Cultural Strategy.
• The possible provision of a Sculpture Park at the Great Lines Heritage Park – The Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance agreed to investigate this suggestion
• The possible acquisition of a stone from Gallipoli to be located at the Great Lines Heritage Park to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Anzac landings in 2015 - The Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance agreed to discuss this suggestion with the Chatham Historic Dockyard.
• The possibility of the telescope gifted to the Mid-Kent Astronomical Society being located at a suitable venue in Medway. (Referred to at minute 402 above)
• The possible inclusion of the weekly markets within the Cultural Strategy - In response, the Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance stated that whilst the Christmas Market was included within the Cultural Strategy, the regular weekly markets were not, as there were other means of publicising these markets.
• The benefits of publicising local attractions to people who travel into Medway to work.
• It was noted that the Central Theatre was included within the Cultural Strategy and the Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance confirmed that The Brook was soon to undergo external refurbishment works including cleaning the building and external lighting.

Decision:

The Committee thanked the Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance for his presentation and noted that he will be pursuing the innovative, low cost suggestions raised by Members during discussion on this item.