Agenda item

This report presents the Medway-wide Cultural Strategy, as partnership strategy with a shared ambition for the future, built on extensive engagement across Medway, demonstrating how important culture is to Medway’s future, enabling everyone to have the opportunity to take part in, or contribute to cultural life.  

It establishes how the council, as a key partner, can participate, contribute, and facilitate, understanding that our resources and influence are considerable, and we can support and enable the vision, values, and themes significantly and provides a framework for the council to work collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to understand, promote and secure Medway’s cultural and creative landscape for present and for future generations.

Discussion:

The Committee was requested to consider the proposed Medway Cultural Strategy ahead of it being submitted to Cabinet on 12 January 2021.

The Interim Assistant Director Culture and Community advised that the ten year Medway-wide partnership strategy was a shared ambition for the future, built on extensive engagement across Medway, demonstrating how important culture was to Medway’s future and enabling everyone to have an opportunity to take part in or contribute to cultural life. A Member briefing on the Strategy had taken place on 20 October 2020.

The Strategy was a ground-breaking model creating a new way of partnership working that in the short term shaped opinions, actions and behaviours leading to social and economic benefits and in the longer term would positively transform Medway.

The Committee discussed the Strategy and in particular, the following:

• The benefits of partnership working – The Committee referred to the established working relationship of the partners involved in the Community Safety Partnership and stressed the importance of partnership working to underpin the Cultural Strategy and be prepared to respond as one body to funding opportunities as they arise.

The Head of Culture and Libraries advised that in the last week, the five Creative Medway Working Groups had come together for the first time and approximately 30 – 40 people had been involved in each. He considered that this indicated faith in the process of recreating and evolving the Strategy partnership at the core.

He confirmed the intention to have projects ready so that action could be taken to maximise possible funding opportunities.

• Lessons from other City of Culture bids – In response to a query as to what lessons could be learnt from other City of Culture bids, the Interim Assistant Culture and Community advised that work was ongoing to assess and learn from other previous bids and in particular, the programme evaluation from Hull.

The Director of Place and Deputy Chief Executive stated that the innovation and level of engagement, especially with the Universities, was unique to Medway in comparison with engagement work undertaken elsewhere and he stressed that the involvement of the Universities played a central role to Medway’s bid. He commended the Head of Culture and Libraries in the work that he had undertaken on ensuring a high level of engagement.

It was also confirmed that the Cultural Strategy would form the bedrock of Medway’s bid for City of Culture.

• Engagement – Concern was expressed that due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, it would be challenging to ensure wide engagement and inclusivity.

In response, the Head of Culture and Libraries confirmed that one of the five Working Groups was the Community and Engagement Working Group and it would be the role of this Working Group to ensure that as many people as possible could be involved by the creation of a diverse range of cultural engagement and participation opportunities.

• Increased reference to greenspaces and the outdoor environment – The Committee suggested that the Strategy should have an increased emphasis on green spaces, the natural environment and the river particularly taking into account that in 2020, many people had been required to work from home and stay local and therefore were becoming increasingly reliant on the local outdoor environment.

In response, theHead of Culture and Libraries confirmed that the creative sector would be using greenspaces as much as possible making them more accessible for culture and activities and this would be a feature of the Places and Spaces work stream.

It was suggested that opportunities be pursued for sponsorship for public art.

• Support for the Medway Cultural Strategy – It was noted that there was widespread support for the Medway Cultural Strategy across the Council and there had been positive responses from two Service Managers Workshops as to how their services could bring art and culture to everyday lives.

Decision:

The Committee recommended the adoption of Medway’s new Cultural Strategy and Creative Medway governance and delivery model to Cabinet.