MEMBERSHIP MONITORING REPORT November 2017
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D R EL OA FI R D R NG E R CE AG PI W O D E H O U O WI M SE ST TABLE OF CONTENTS N
AD A R RO E S E D R ST ED 1. Executive Summary ______KE SP 1 A V B W L T SILV I A ER S REE ST ST R RE TE B X ET A A E D 2. General Information ______U SS 3 NG RK S HC WI ST E R EET M R O AT T OF A A R S AH C EN G ATE 3. Contribution to the KNetwork’s LGlobalD Management ______C O WG 4
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S A R H E EE BA ST T PH R S E T L E C A I T T T G H E N 4. Major initiatives implemented at the localT levelOL to achieve the objectives of the UCCN___ 5 N E T N LL A M PI G BO RE W A D EN R O S S ISPIN H 4.1 NationalT Centre for WritingST C R ISP ______IN S ST C R 5 RE I C T
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VE R T G R RIVER WENSUM E4.2 City of Literature for Young People ______I E RT E 6 E T A O A TR E
D G R R R S T E S G ST U O M U H E SP S E I L BI K F R 4.3 Noirwich Crime Writing Festival ______G RD D O E S
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CH EW W T P A R S S S B T E T O G P OR 5. Major initiatives implemented through inter-city cooperation E to achieve theE objectives of R E ST R N R AT A E G N O LE TE E O S R W E C TR 8 E S H the UCCN ______T T A S U S I T B C K BISH O P I G M SG AT E D B ER E S CE EH A O S A T 5.1M Engage ______L T L 9 R L RD I A H IN S R G P IT D H W E S M ST S L 5.2 Sub-networkS activities and collaborations______E 9 T B EN N C ES ED I PRI
C TS W S 5.2.1 International Literature TShowcaseRE 2012, 2015 and 2017 ______PER C LO SE L
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W ITH S S Melbourne’s Digital Writers’ Festival S P T FA LA O
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R O P O A R I Edinburgh City of Literature Unbound programmeA D 5.2.3 ______R
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R E L I D BE E R D Poetry Projections project 5.2.4 ______T O EV R TH T A
S 9 CL E LAN E D A S EL PE D A VEY O R C
E CHAPE S T PLAC E L H FI T S 5.2.5 Sarah Perry residenceEL in RPrague City of Literature ______D EET T T E E N K 9 T TH O R R A O R TH T A P S G E T M R R
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6. Proposed actionCH APELFI ELplanD for theH forthcoming mid-term period of fourE years ______
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C GARD EN S AS AT FA L 10 R R N T N L H E E RM U E
L B T ST O E O D A D I R A R A M I H P C AM L AV S 6.1 Initiatives within NorwichEL H A ______P C X W E N AN E R A L FI T D 10 E U L TR H P F E V EL Y O R I O I S VA L E R E R N R E L AP O A E
6.1.1 The City of DLiterature: Children’s Archive ______H D D K C D TW E L A I 10 R E S N O T O O E LE NO RW ICH E R G G G A S R AT S R RA ILW AY T 6.1.2 Norwich City of DLiterature: Publish East ______T S U O S 11 STATION OU E T EE RR U TH N LAN R R E R L E E T H EY N P R N E I E O V ST Start East MA E H 6.1.3 E ______N T T T 11E S E R RT TR ST R S E O S T R PE S R A I N D 6.2 National and International Working ______EE G D O E RIVERSIDE RU I BE 12 T S SEX STREET UN W ES T R N 6.2.1 Audience Development for Literary Tourism (ADLit) I______S 12 A L TR S SU E P HA EE L RR C 6.2.2 Nottwich ______D L T A A EY 12 VI RO C T S TR O R A 6.2.3 Residency (and Exchange)N Programme ______R E IA Q EE G Y 13 H U KI S E T LE T E B EP N G RE N ST RU S S E D R 6.4 Estimated annual budgetST L for implementingT theA proposed action Rplan ______EE N EY O A O A G 13 T SW R D E ET ST E I E KL C E IN PlanK for communication and awareness V TR 6.5 ______AN F S RO L 14 D RO Y G S R A D RO G B VE L SH NG L RO A I A D K HA
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D A 1 A 1 067 OA 40 A D D RO A L BA N Y RO A D E R
R D AY AY EA TO D LS A N N AD E H A RO O SH IPSTON E R L ESON R O TT A A D M PA D O
R A D G EH RO A O A O KE S ON L CL A R
T AT X M T BU R
D S E H
T T M A N SEY E RR A R T E R RO G UE V A S T A LL L O LD I MA W EE M O U SEH R I AL ENH G N A ER T Y RD D AC RE ST TR G D RK I S
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D R EL OA FI R D R NG E R CE AG PI W O D E H O U O WI M SE ST N AD A R RO E S E D R ST ED KE SP A V B W L T SILV I A ER S REE ST ST R RE TE B X ET A A E D U SS NG RK S HC WI ST E R EET M R O AT T OF A A R S AH C EN G ATE K LD C O WG
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S A R H E EE BA ST T PH R S E T L E C A I T T T G H E N T OL N E T N LL A M PI G BO RE W A D EN R O S S ISPIN H T ST C R ISPIN S ST C R RE I C T
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VE 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY R T G R RIVER WENSUM E I E RT E E T A O A TR E
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CH EW W T P A R S S S B T E T G O P “I’m delighted. Literature has deep roots in the beautiful city of Norwich and it was a OR E E R E ST R N R AT A E G N O LE TE E O S R W E C TR E S H T T A S U S I T B C K BISH O P I G M SG AT E natural choice for UNESCO. I’m happy too for personal reasons - Norwich is where my D B ER E S CE EH A O S A T M L T L R L RD I A H IN S R G P own writing life began. Writers have known for centuries that Norwich is a dreamy city.” IT D H W E S M ST S L S E T B — Ian McEwan, author EN N C ES ED I PRI
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G S S N T L E A Norwich was announced as England’s first, the United • To increase economic investment in the region by E R
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N S Y N S RE C O R E Kingdom’s second and the world’s sixth UNESCO City developing a tourism offer for the city and county
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R N F R of Literature in May 2012. based on our literary heritage G S E W L H H RD S LO AD O W O
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R E L I D BE E R D EV T O A place of literary firsts, England’s busiest library and After the award of UNESCO City of Literature status, R
TH T A S CL E LAN E D A S EL PE D A VEY O home to the world-famous University of East Anglia Writers’ Centre Norwich continued to be home to R C
E CHAPE S T PLAC E L H FI T S Creative Writing programme, the City of Norwich and the designation, managing it for the City of Norwich, EL R D EET T T E E N K T TH O R the partnership behind the bid, led by Writers’ Centre developing a strategic and creative programme and a R A O R TH T A P S G E T M R R
T G D Norwich, aimed to use the designation and Norwich’s resource framework for their development and ensuring T S E
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C GARD EN S AS AT FA L R R N T N position as the foremost literary city in the UK to deliver that we maintained a focus on local, regional, national and L H E E RM U E
L B T ST O E O D A A D I R I R A M tangible benefits to residents of, visitors to and workers international level working throughout. H P C AM L AV S EL H A P C X W E N AN E R A L FI T E U L TR H D in the city and its environs. P F O R E V O I EL Y I E R SE R R VA L N Our key priorities over this first period were E L AP O A E D H D D K C D TW E L A I At the heart of Norwich’s bid was the promotion of R E S N O T O O E LE NO RW ICH E R G G G A S R AT reading and writing as a means of positive and inclusive • To deliver a National Centre for Writing in the S R RA ILW AY T D T S U O S STATION OU E T social change. Accordingly, the heart of our first five year heart of Norwich UNESCO City of Literature EE RR U TH N LAN R R E R L E E T H EY N plan consisted of the following priority aims: to act as a focus for our activity and a space for P R N E I E O V ST MA E H E N T T T E S E R people to learn more about Norwich and the wider RT TR ST R S E O S T R • To promote access to and enjoyment of the best network PE S R A I N D EE G D O E RIVERSIDE RU I BE in world literature to the residents of, workers in • To develop local and international programmes T S W ESSEX STREET UN T R and visitors to Norwich and Norfolk for adults, children and young people that explore N I S A L TR • To promote international connections, our city’s literary heritage and its future potential S SU E P HA EE L RR C development and collaboration by supporting and engage existing and new UNESCO Cities of D L T A A EY the development and showcasing of the best in Literature within them VI RO C T S TR literature from the UK and bringing writers from • To ensure that the UNESCO City of Literature O R A N R E IA Q EE G Y around the world to Norwich priorities, designation and values are embedded in H U KI S E T LE T E B EP N G RE N ST • To work with young people across the city and local, regional and national strategic planning RU S S E D R ST L T A R EE N EY O A O A G T county to engage them with reading and writing in SW R D E ET ST E I E KL new and exciting ways C E N K TR I V AN F S RO L D 1 RO Y G S R A D RO G B VE L SH NG L RO A I A D K HA
P • In Summer 2018, our £2.8m National Centre for Writing will open in the magnificent Grade I listed Dragon Hall in the centre of Norwich providing an amazing setting for the UNESCO City of Literature designation and new energy and profile for our work and ambitions.
• We have just celebrated our most successful Noirwich Crime Writing Festival, an autumn literary festival designed to attract cultural tourists to the city each year in partnership with the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID).
• Our City of Literature Cultural Education Partnership – the first in England based on a single art form – enters its third year this autumn and will see us work in and out of schools with young people across our city and county, with partners in Krakow, Barcelona and more.
• We are working with partners in India, Myanmar, the Caribbean and Ireland to explore applications to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network within literature and have welcomed writers from many of the current Cities of Literature to our events and programmes over the past five years.
• We are key partners in the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Culture Drives Growth economic strategy and part of the Norwich 2040 strategic plan, which will ensure that the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 priorities will find a place in our city’s development in the years to come.
We are now looking forwards to the next five years as a UNESCO City of Literature. Our plans will see us focus on city partnerships to utilise culture and the arts to drive the skills, equality and education agendas as well as cultural tourism (SDGs 4, 5 and 8), regional partnerships and programming to address inclusion, diversity and freedom of expression (SDG 10 and 11), and national and international partnerships, programmes and activities to support the mobility of writers, translators and artists.
2 2. GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 Name of the City: Norwich
2.2 Country: United Kingdom (England)
2.3 Creative field of designation: Literature
2.4 Date of designation: 2012
2.5 Date of submission of current report: November 2017
2.6 Entity responsible for the report: Writers’ Centre Norwich
2.7 Previous reports submitted and dates: N/A
2.8 Focal points of contact Chris Gribble, CEO Writers’ Centre Norwich and Norwich, UNESCO City of Literature Dragon Hall 115-123 King Street Norwich, UK NR1 1QE
City Government Liaison Nikki Rotsos Director of Culture and Customers Norwich City Council City Hall St Peters Street Norwich, UK NR2 1NH
3 3. CONTRIBUTION TO THE NETWORK’S GLOBAL MANAGEMENT International Literature Showcase 2015
3.1. Number of UCCN annual meetings attended Norwich has supported the UNESCO Secretariat to the in the last four years: sum of approximately £24,000 and Norwich City Council Four to the sum of £6,000 over the past four years.
3.2 Hosting of a UCCN annual meeting and dates: 3.6 Membership of the Steering Group and N/A period: N/A 3.3 Hosting of a working or coordination meeting addressed to one or more specific UCCN creative 3.7 Participation in the evaluation of applications field representatives: (number of applications evaluated per year): N/A (Norwich has bid to host the 2019 Literature In 2014 the City of Literature Steering Group and Network meeting in partnership with Nottingham) Writers’ Centre Norwich assessed 14 applications. In 2015 we assessed 12 applications and in 2016 we 3.4 Hosting of an international conference or assessed 12 applications. This encompassed every meeting on specific issues salient to the Creative application submitted to us from UNESCO in Paris. Cities with a large participation of members of the Network: N/A
3.5 Financial and/or in-kind support provided to UNESCO’s Secretariat in order to ensure the management, communication and visibility of the UCCN (type of contribution, estimated value, main objectives, and dates): The staff members supporting the Norwich UNESCO City of Literature designation at Writers’ Centre Norwich and those at Norwich City Council support the UNESCO Secretariat to a significant degree in in-kind terms via the review and assessment of applications, formal and informal mentoring of applicant cities, hosting of visiting city delegations, cost of attending meetings and associated activities. We estimate that Writers’ Centre
4 4. MAJOR INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE UCCN National Centre for Writing artistic impression
4.1 National Centre for Writing This project helps to achieve the following UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims: Norwich’s UNESCO City of Literature bid contained a commitment to build a National Centre for Writing in 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban the heart of Norwich to act as a focus for our activity development, notably through partnerships involving the and a space for people to learn more about Norwich and public and private sectors and civil society; the wider network. 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and The National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall will fostering the creative economy; open in Summer 2018 following a £2.6m capital campaign 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life to upgrade Dragon Hall, a Grade 1 listed, 15th century as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, merchant’s hall in Norwich. This will create new spaces notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and for collaborative working and writers-in-residence, a individuals, including women and youth; unique new physical venue for public engagement with 4. Developing hubs of creativity and innovation and literature and a new South Wing extension to house a broadening opportunities for creators and professionals purpose-built Education Centre. The Education Centre in the cultural sector will act as the base of operations for our work to engage young people in and out of school to overcome barriers to participation in literary and intellectual culture, This project contributes to the advancement of the following develop skills, improve life chances and employability, UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals: and promote best practice in education, tolerance and understanding and freedom of expression.
As a local, regional, national and international hub, the National Centre for Writing (NCW) will facilitate greater expansion of our education and outreach work in collaboration with existing partners, as well as through developing new partnerships with national and international organisations. Engagement with children and young people under 30 in post codes identified as having low arts provision is projected to increase from 10,000 to 20,000.
In total our five-year Business Plan projects that the NCW’s physical space and partnerships will reach a total of 1.3 million people (or an average of 260,000 people per year) across all audiences and platforms and will have a positive economic impact on the local economy – including employment, capital investment, additional spend of visitors and cultural tourists – in the region of £500,000-£1,000,000 per annum. 5 4.2 City of Literature for Young People • trained 15 Arts Award Advisors (Bronze and Silver) Our City of Literature for Young People partnership, • helped deliver six Bronze level Arts Awards formed in 2015, was the first Cultural Education • provided initial training in creative learning to 7 Partnership (www.artscouncil.org.uk/children-and- students aged 18-25 young-people/working-partnership) in England • provided professional development training to 20 based on literature, and on the heritage of our city freelance artists and creative learning tutors aged identified through our UNESCO City of Literature bid. 25+ • supported 12 young professionals tutors in Designed to bring arts and cultural organisations, delivering work with young people educational institutions and local authorities together • hosted the first region-wide poetry writing to drive a joined-up art and cultural offer locally, to competition for young people share resources and bring about a more coherent and visible delivery of cultural education, Cultural Education Partnerships are intended to improve the alignment of This programme helps to achieve the following UNESCO cultural education for young people in places where this Creative Cities Network aims: is most needed. 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban Norwich’s City of Literature for Young People now runs development, notably through partnerships involving the five core programmes with 11 partners offering events, public and private sectors and civil society; training, learning, outreach and inspiration to young 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life people in an out of school across our city and county. In as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, our second year of operation (2016) we: notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and • engaged with 1,092 students aged between 7-25, a individuals, including women and youth; 40% increase on 2015 4. Developing hubs of creativity and innovation and • worked with 23 schools broadening opportunities for creators and professionals • delivered projects around the county in regional in the cultural sector; towns including: Long Stratton, Aylsham, North 5. Integrating culture and creativity into local Walsham, Attleborough, Wymondham, Hethersett, development strategies and plans Old Buckenham • worked in direct partnership with: Our Norfolk Our Story, Young Norfolk Arts Trust and This programme contributes to the advancement of the Norfolk County Council (Young Norfolk Poetry following UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals: Competition), Festival of Literature for Young People (UEA) and UEA (FLY in the City, Creative Leaders), Norfolk Libraries (Young Ambassadors), Norfolk and Norwich Festival and 14-18 NOW (Young Ambassadors, The Fiercest Light), YMCA and Norwich Internatinal Youth Project (Creative Leaders; dub poetry workshops), Time and Tide Museum (Stories from the Sea).
6 Sophie Hannah and Denise Mina at the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival
4.3 Noirwich Crime Writing Festival This programme helps to achieve the following UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims:
“Fast becoming my favourite festival.” 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban development, notably through partnerships involving the — Stav Sherez, author public and private sectors and civil society; 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and In 2014 we devised a new crime writing festival in fostering the creative economy; Norwich in partnership with the University of East 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life Anglia, Norwich City Council’s Business Improvement as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, District and the New Anglia LEP Cultural Board with the notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and following aims in mind: individuals, including women and youth; • To celebrate the city as a centre of writing, reading 5. Integrating culture and creativity into local and cultural debate development strategies and plans • To create a shoulder season cultural offer to benefit the profile and economy of the city • To attract increased numbers of cultural tourists This programme contributes to the advancement of the to the city following UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals:
We have run the festival for the past four years and it is now established as one of the country’s best new literary festivals. We have invested over £200,000 into the local economy in direct costs, services and promotion. In 2017 the media reach of Noirwich publicly was calculated at 3,185,264 people.
Ongoing estimates suggest we have increased the number of cultural tourists to our festival from over a 45-minute drive-time year on year by 45% since we started, and had a net positive impact on the local economy in terms of direct additional tourism spend of over £250,000 over the course of the festival to date. 7 5. MAJOR INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED THROUGH INTER- CITY COOPERATION TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE UCCN WCN Young Ambassador
5.1 Engage! Key Project Outputs are: • A catalogue of 20 best practices to engage young Engage! is a four-city, 30-month project that seeks to audiences into cultural and literary organisations enhance the cultural and literary sector by championing and a digital database platform linguistic and cultural diversity. • An audience development protocol for small- medium literary organisations and KPIs dashboard Engage! is EU-funded and led by Catalan PEN (Barcelona • The celebration of several project events UNESCO City of Literature) in collaboration with (Barcelona, Växjö, Krakow and Norwich) with young Norwich, Krakow and Växjö in Sweden. It seeks to European and guest European experts to share promote the participation of young people in literary knowledge and experiences, and make proposals to and cultural life as a way to empower them, foster improve cultural participation among young people critical thinking and encourage a better understanding of and to enhance our connections with them multicultural realities. • Two workshops (Barcelona and Krakow) and a series of webinars to improve the working abilities The successful application for €250,000 of a total 2.5 of international network members year project budget of €420,000 to Creative Europe was • A series of cultural activities in each country made in 2017 and the project has now started. addressed to young people and with the purpose to improve their access to culture Engage! is a series of young people-led cultural actions and festivals with a surrounding research project to This programme helps to achieve the following UNESCO help small to medium arts and literature organisations Creative Cities Network aims: develop their skills at young people-centred working and impact assessment. It is focused on delivering benefits to: 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban • Young people, with a focus on teenagers from development, notably through partnerships involving the underrepresented communities public and private sectors and civil society; • Small-medium European cultural and literary 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution organisations and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and • Agents of the cultural sector fostering the creative economy; • European policy makers 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life • People who work in literary organisations as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, • International networks notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals, including women and youth; The key project outcomes are to: 6. Improving awareness-raising of the UCCN and the • Increase the participation of young people in role of culture and creativity in sustainable urban cultural and literary life in towns and cities development and supporting research and analysis in • Strengthen international networks and the cultural this particular field. and literary sector in our countries and continents • Encourage critical thinking and knowledge of This programme contributes to the advancement of the the cultural realities experienced by different following UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals: communities • Improve the functioning of literary organisations
8 5.2 Sub-network activities and collaborations This programme helps to achieve the following UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims: Norwich has worked with most, if not all, of the UNESCO Cities of Literature in some form over the 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban past five years. We have engaged in collaborative online development, notably through partnerships involving the activities, exchanges, residencies, programmes, projects public and private sectors and civil society; and events and will continue to do so over the coming 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution years. Among other programmes we took part in the and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and following: fostering the creative economy; 6. Improving awareness-raising of the UCCN and the 5.2.1 International Literature Showcase 2012, role of culture and creativity in sustainable urban 2015 and 2017 development and supporting research and analysis in this particular field We invited delegates from existing and aspirant UNESCO Cities of Literature to the International Literature Showcase, a premier showcase of literary talent, literature development and exchange of best practice in 2012, 2015 and 2017. In partnership with British Council, we have used the platform to invest over £110,000 in projects that have included Creative Cities of Literature. www.litshowcase.org
5.2.2
We participated in Melbourne’s Digital Writers’ Festival in 2014 in an extended online event that brought together the cities and writers to share best practice, insights and great ideas. www.digitalwritersfestival.com/2014/events/cities- of-literature-a-global-meetup Kei Miller at the International Literature Showcase 2017 We also participated in the Melbourne 20-Minute Cities programme when a writer from Norwich delivered a 20- minute virtual live guide to our city to be shared with audiences online and in Melbourne as part of the Digital Writers’ Festival.
5.2.3
We took part in the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Unbound programme at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2016, sending the outstanding writer Megan Bradbury to take part in the event as a representative for Norwich.
5.2.4 Poetry Projections project We contributed a poem from world renowned poet and translator George Szirtes towards the Poetry Projections projects in both Edinburgh and Krakow which involved submissions of poetry from 11 sister Cities of Literature being projected on the city’s streets.
5.2.5
Norwich writer Sarah Perry spent January and February 2016 in Prague UNESCO City of Literature as a writer in residence and has written several pieces about the experience in the national UK press including this recent piece in the Guardian www.theguardian.com/ books/2017/nov/18/european-union-writers-look- back-on-relationship Sarah Perry residence in Prague UNESCO City of Literature 9 6. PROPOSED ACTION PLAN FOR THE FORTHCOMING MID- TERM PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS
Norwich UNESCO City of Literature will undertake • Under/graduate students a review of activities, planning and strategic direction • Teachers/parents, who will gain a range of quality- in 2018 to help us prepare a new 2019-21 three-year assured, free-to-access learning resources plan in line with the opening of the National Centre for • The wider community, which will also be able Writing at Dragon Hall and our Norwich 2040 Strategic to access the online resource, the community Vision partnership with the municipality. workshops, and the summer performance and exhibition In addition to the three major and ongoing projects outlined in Section 4, we have chosen to highlight here Project Outcomes: six key projects in development that we hope illustrate • The creation of the first integrated online archive the scope, range, partnership approach and outcome- of UNESCO-accredited literary heritage focused nature of our work and plans. • The online tool will be user friendly, appropriate for school-aged students (KS2/3), and interactive; 6.1 Initiatives within Norwich resources and activity packs will support teachers in engaging with the material in the classroom or 6.1.1 assist parents in engaging with the material at home; and the summer school and performance will bring The City of Literature: Children’s Archive project the material to a wider audience will curate a children’s online archive themed around • 12 students will gain professional research skills Norwich’s UNESCO City of Literature status. In addition with support from experienced researchers to this, the project will produce a range of creative • 300 school-aged students will creatively engage learning resources, activity packs and workshop packages directly with heritage, and 15 Key Stage 4 students suitable for students aged 7-12. Finally, the project will will engage and re-imagine with heritage celebrate the launch of this archive with a youth-led • Members of the community will be invited to summer show performance event at WCN’s historic a performance event devised by summer school Dragon Hall venue. students inspired by UNESCO City of Literature heritage, and to view an exhibition put together by Project Objectives: the researcher/tutor team • Curate the first dedicated UNESCO City of • Members of the wider community will have the Literature archive and identify, interpret, and explain opportunity to participate in drop-in workshops Norfolk’s world class literary heritage to make it held at the Millennium library accessible to young people • Facilitate a range of outreach and engagement This initiative will address the following UNESCO Creative activities based on heritage Cities Network aims: • Provide a range of appropriate learning resources, toolkits, and worksheets suitable for classroom and 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution home use and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and • Offer supported and structured work experience fostering the creative economy; in public outreach, youth and community 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life engagement to graduate students as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, • Offer employment opportunities for researchers notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and and artists individuals, including women and youth; 6. Improving awareness-raising of the UCCN and the Main Partners: role of culture and creativity in sustainable urban • Norfolk Records Office development and supporting research and analysis in • University of East Anglia, School of History this particular field • Millennium Library, Norfolk Library Service Project Beneficiaries • Children in Key Stages 2 and 3 • Students at Key Stages 3 and 4 10 6.1.2 Norwich City of Literature: Publish East 6.1.3 StartEast
In partnership with two of the most exciting UK Norwich UNESCO City of Literature will partner with literary publishers – both based in or near Norwich – the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partners and StartEast we are aiming to create a programme of national and (www.starteast.co.uk) to design, manager and deliver international promotion for the best new writing and a series of business-focussed interventions to creative publishers coming out of our city. start-ups, sole traders and SMEs in the Norwich and New Anglia area across literature, music, performing arts We will work with Salt Publishing and Galley Beggar and digital media. Press to expand their international market impact by attending and presenting at London Book Fair, Frankfurt The four project objectives: Book Fair and Book Expo America. We will work with 1. To deliver effective, targeted, specialist business them to develop a shared online channel to raise their support to SMEs and start-ups in the cultural sector, digital and international audiences and support them in with the purpose of establishing an enterprising, investing in collaborative marketing planning to ensure entrepreneurial approach to growth presence of Galley Beggar Press and Salt authors at key 2. To ensure sustainable opportunities for cultural literary events in the UK and abroad and in particular businesses to access growth and support. This with UNESCO Cities of Literature. involves working with other business support providers to embed the needs of the sector. The project’s objectives are: 3. To develop a network of cultural enterprises • To sustain and deepen the publishing economy in working locally in education, youth, health and Norwich City of Literature community settings • To support the economic and artistic development 4. To reach, engage and support a diverse range of of publishing in the city people, ensuring that the cultural enterprises • To give profile to outstanding new work being supported reflect the diversity of our community published in our city • To broaden access to publishing opportunities for Project Target Groups more writers in our city • Cultural sole traders and SMEs (trading for less than 5 years). Main partners: • New start-ups and pre-start-ups with the ambition • Our Publishing East partners, Salt and Galley to build a business or social enterprise Beggar Press, have produced some of the most • Based in New Anglia LEP Area exciting and challenging work of the past three • Of those participants supported years. with GBP publishing Eimear McBride’s debut - 50% will be female A Girl is a Half Formed Thing and now Preti Taneja’s - 5% will be from BAME backgrounds debut We That Are Young - 5% will be registered disabled • London Book Fair • Frankfurt Book Fair Project Outputs • Book Expo America • Enterprises supported – target 180 • Arts Council England • Support the creation of cultural social enterprises – target 15 Project Outcomes: • Enterprises receiving grant – target 60 • Increased international sales and rights sales for • New enterprises supported – target 15 publishing partners • Number of potential cultural entrepreneurs • Increased economic resilience for publishing in assisted to be enterprise ready – target 30 our city • Leveraged funds from grant match funding • Increased skills, profile and marketing capacity for the publishers and Norwich UNESCO City of Project Outcomes: Literature • Improved business performance: turnover, • Increased global awareness of the great work employment, GVA, productivity, survival coming out of our city • New markets - social settings: more businesses operating in social context, new contracts/ This initiative will address the following UNESCO Creative commissioning, business network Cities Network aims: • New business activity: start-ups, survival of start- ups, relocation of supported businesses 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban • Approach to growth: entrepreneurial mind-set, development, notably through partnerships involving the management expertise, elevated motivation for public and private sectors and civil society; development 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution • Business support provision: more cultural and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and businesses accessing other business support fostering the creative economy 4. Developing hubs of creativity and innovation and broadening opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector This initiative will address the following UNESCO Creative 11 Cities Network aims: • Lead Partner: Norwich Business Improvement District Ltd – a public-private company dedicated to 1. Making creativity an essential component of urban making a clear positive impact on the vitality of our development, notably through partnerships involving the city centre and the success of the businesses within public and private sectors and civil society; it. 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution -UNESCO City EU partners: and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and - Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, UK fostering the creative economy (Writers’ Centre Norwich) 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life - Krakow UNESCO City of Literature, Krakow as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, Festival Office, Poland notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and - Óbidos, Municipo de Portugal, UNESCO City of individuals, including women and youth; Literature 4. Developing hubs of creativity and innovation and - Reykjavik Bolemenataborg UNESCO City of broadening opportunities for creators and professionals Literature, Iceland in the cultural sector • Academic Partner: Institute of Place Management, Manchester Metropolitan University
6.2 National and International Working This initiative will address the following UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims: 6.2.1 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution Developing a Branding Toolkit for Literary Tourism in and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and UNESCO Cities of Literature (ADLit). fostering the creative economy; 5. Integrating culture and creativity into local The Audience Development for Literary Tourism (ADLit) development strategies and plans; project will target Literary Tourism and address the key 6. Improving awareness-raising of the UCCN and the challenges faced by cultural organisations, especially in role of culture and creativity in sustainable urban the field of literature, which is to develop new audiences, development and supporting research and analysis in particularly against a backdrop of growing digitisation. this particular field.
Working with others in the UNESCO Creative Cities 6.2.2 ‘Nottwich’ network with UNESCO City of Literature status, this is a project that will develop new practices, as well as Norwich is working with Nottingham (and shortly we network and share experience, with other EU countries hope with Manchester) to create ‘Nottwich 2019’ – the by maximising the tourism opportunities that come from first gathering of the full UNESCO Cities of Literature being a UNESCO City of Literature. The total project Network in the UK. cost is estimated at €250,000 and will be co-funded by the cities and the EU. In 2019, with Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, we’ll host the country’s first meeting of the UCCN The objectives include: Cities of Literature. Delegates from all of the newly • Understanding the tourism market and consumers enlarged UNESCO Cities of Literature sub network will • Developing an effect USP for a a range of locations be invited to the UK. • Learn how to make a strategy measurable and understandable for a very wide audience and We will host a two-stage gathering, deliver a programme varying size locations of work, support their meeting our city and sector • Capacity-building activities that allow partners to talk about the UNESCO Creative Cities collaborators to understand the concepts and Network and its value to other English cities and develop critical thinking plan future collaborations involving home artists and • Finding cost effective ways to get our message practitioners. across, using free outlets like social media • Developing a brand and ways to measure the We will curate opportunities to exchange best practice impact as UNESCO Cities of Literature, ensuring that UNESCO Cities of Design, Film, Music and Media Arts are engaged The networking opportunities offered to the locations, in the meetings too, to promote cross designation who already feed into the UNESCO Creative Cities partnerships and thinking. network, will also give opportunities to engage with business, in particular the travel and leisure industries. We will engage city, municipal, artistic and funding partners in the programme and aim to further and deepen the integration between UNESCO Cities of Literature strategically and practically.
Partners 12 This initiative will address the following UNESCO Creative 6.4 Estimated annual budget for implementing Cities Network aims: the proposed action plan
4. Developing hubs of creativity and innovation and Our business plan 2018-22 is currently under broadening opportunities for creators and professionals development and budget figures provided here are in the cultural sector; provisional and subject to final programme decisions. 5. Integrating culture and creativity into local development strategies and plans; Norwich UNESCO City of Literature designation 6. Improving awareness-raising of the UCCN and the is managed by Writers’ Centre Norwich. Our core role of culture and creativity in sustainable urban stakeholders are Arts Council England, Norwich City development and supporting research and analysis in Council, University of East Anglia and Norfolk County this particular field Council and we gratefully acknowledge their support - financial, strategic and artistic - over the lifetime of this designation. 6.2.3 Residency (and Exchange) Programme Writers’ Centre Norwich is a charity and a company When the National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall limited by guarantee overseen by a Board of Trustees. opens in 2018 at the heart of Norwich UNESCO City Our projected turn over in FY 2016-17 is £1,450,000. of Literature we will have, for the first time, a writer and translator-in-residence house that will be available to We fundraise to deliver our programmes and also rely host residencies, short-and-long-stays and exchanges for on core funds from our stakeholders. The data below is writers and their families. an estimate of cost ratios against core UNESCO City of Literature activities and is subject to change over the We plan to host a series of residencies from UNESCO coming years. sister Cities of Literature over a three year period in the first instance so that we can: Norwich UNESCO City of Literature • Introduce writers from a range of languages Overview 2018-20 and cultures to the communities of our city and improve cultural understanding 2018 2019 2020 • Engage young people in activities with the writers Income Statutory 50% 45% 43% to broaden their horizons and understand the (Stakeholder) wider global context in which their city operates Sources • Create a place of exchange and creative energy for writers and translators to thrive, linking our Trusts and 30% 30% 30% cities and communities over the coming years Foundations The residences will last between two weeks and three months and will be supported by a range of appearances Commercial 5% 10% 12% and UK festivals and events as well as within Norwich. Activities We will focus in the first instance on countries and cities that are less able to support the outbound movement of Private Support 10% 11% 13% writers and translators and also have a focus on applicant countries from under-represented regions and countries. Other 5% 4% 2% This initiative will address the following UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims: Total 100% 100% 100% Expenses Staffing 38% 37% 38% 2. Strengthening the creation, production, distribution and enjoyment of cultural goods and services and Programme 40% 42% 42% fostering the creative economy; 3. Improving access to and participation in cultural life Travel 4% 5% 5% as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, (International) notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals, including women and youth; 4. Developing hubs of creativity and innovation and Administration 8% 6% 5% broadening opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector; Communications 10% 10% 10% 6. Improving awareness-raising of the UCCN and the role of culture and creativity in sustainable urban Total 100% 100% 100% development and supporting research and analysis in this particular field 13 6.5 Plan for communication and awareness 4. To raise awareness of the UCCN Creative Cities programme and its values and Norwich’s role in Our communication plan seeks to raise awareness of the achieving them. UCCN Creative Cities goals and ambitions within the Norwich and wider network contexts locally, regionally, We will achieve this through: nationally and internationally. It is our aim not only that • Regional, national and international partnerships everyone who lives in, works in and visits Norwich is • Collaboration in Sub-Network and Network meetings aware of our UNESCO status and the great wealth of and General Assemblies heritage and contemporary vibrancy that supports this • Implementation of the UNESCO SDGs into city and status, but that we champion the values of the network regional planning/strategic thinking in clear and positive ways. Audiences The adoption of the UNESCO Sustainable Development We have a range of core audiences within our Goals (SDGs) offers a wonderful opportunity to shape communications plan, including: our programmes, strategies and communications around • Norwich stakeholders – core partners, strategic, their shared understanding and we will be pursuing an economic, literary, social update of our communications in light of this adoption • Norwich residents and workers – existing and across 2018. new event-goers, readers and writers with a focus on Young People (in and out of school) in areas of Aims high deprivation Our communications aims are as follows: • Norwich visitors – cultural tourists, existing and potential 1. To promote Norwich regionally, nationally and • The literary ecology – regional, national and internationally as a centre of excellence, exchange international literary partners and creativity in and around literature. • City of Literature and UCCN Creative Cities partners, UNESCO itself We will achieve this through: • Marketing and PR activity specific to promoting We engage our audiences across a range of digital and projects within our programme and within the network print media platforms with local, regional, national and programmes international partners to ensure timely, appropriate • Our Comms and Digital Strategy (website, databases, and engaging experiences of our work and values are CRM & social media channels) received and understood. We have a rapidly growing • Work with key promotional bodies (Higher Education, social media presence and use a range of key press and Destination Marketing, Tourism and Media partners) PR partners to ensure our story is being told in ways that our audiences can access and understand. 2. To engage our city and regional partners in City of Literature programmes and strategic partnerships.
We will achieve this by: • The establishment of an enlarged City of Literature Development Board • Representing the UNESCO City of Literature on key local and regional strategic boards and forums • Creating a three-year plan for UNESCO City of Literature designation in the Norwich 2040 framework
3. To engage audiences, participants and artists in the UNESCO City of Literature offer and opportunities here and across the globe.
We will achieve this through: • An updated Audience Development strategy based on key audience segments • Targeted social, partner and central comms activity across the city and city region • Research and development into the best use of the designation to engage audiences
14 Margaret Atwood meets school students
Linton Kwesi-Johnson performs at Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Robert Paul Weston performs for a young audience at Dragon Hall 15