A Place of Culture to Visit and Explore Culture Plan 2020 - 2025 and Chelsea Council

DRAFT VERSION 8.5

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Front Cover Photo Credits: Portobello Road - Nigel Camp V&A Reveal Festival - Hydar Dewachi Leighton House – Justine Barton Science Museum – Plastiques Photography

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall, Hornton Street, , W8 7NX www.rbkc.gov.uk

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Contents Page

Welcome Page 4

Section 1 - Key Objectives and Ambitions Page 5

Section 2 - Overview Page 7

Section 3 - Our Borough Page 10

Section 4 - Year One Action Plan Page 12

A borough full of Global Treasures, where culture is at the heart of creating amazing places, enriching our lives by connecting to culture

Section 5 - Measuring Impact Page 32

Section 6 - Getting Involved Page 33

Section 7 - Future Years Action Plan Page 34

Section 8 - Appendices Page 34

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Welcome

Welcome to our Culture Plan It celebrates all the amazing aspects of cultural life in Kensington and Chelsea. From Carnival in the north of the borough, to the globally recognised museums in and to the amazing Chelsea Flower Show, Kensington and Chelsea is truly an international borough of culture. Our shops and high streets have brought the nation the swinging sixties, Biba, Punk, Sloane Rangers, and more recently, the has found a new home, where once the Commonwealth Institute stood. Whilst these events and institutions put us on the global map, it is what happens in our local communities that matters so much to our residents. Culture needs to be local, relevant and engaging to really have an impact on all our lives. Kensington and Chelsea is a borough of neighbourhoods, each with a strong sense of local identity, cultural history and social make-up. Our offering needs to be supported, influenced and inspired by our residents because after all, what makes our borough so special is our community. Our people deserve to be celebrated.

In addition to an international borough of culture we are a local borough of culture. In every corner, we have a mixture of local theatres and drama groups, dance classes, orchestras and bands, art groups, choirs, galleries, book clubs, the list is endless! These activities give opportunities for us all to engage in community based cultural activities.

Culture matters. It builds communities, empowers people and enables change through imagination and creativity. It educates, it amuses, and it inspires. It contributes to our mental and physical health and it is an important driver of our local economy. It provides jobs, brings in investment and visitors, so important to many of our local businesses.

Our aim in this new Culture Plan, A Place of Culture to Visit and Explore, is to harness and support the power of arts and culture to bring communities together, improve health and wellbeing, support our high streets and enhance skills and enterprise to develop the next generation of talent. We also want to narrow the gap between our different communities, ensuring individuals have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Please read this Culture Plan and once you have read it, go out and enjoy the cultural life of our remarkable borough. When we put culture at the heart of our organisation, we are all winners!

Gerard Hargreaves

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Section 1 – Culture Plan Key Objectives and Ambitions

Our Council Plan: Ambition Five - A Place of Culture to Visit and Explore

A. A borough full of global treasures……

Immerse yourself in an international borough of culture that offers incredible opportunities for our residents and visitors

Keys ambitions; o A culture passport programme to enable each resident child to experience 11 cultural activities by the age of 11 years

o An annual Kensington and Chelsea Culture Night that encourages fee paying cultural venues to open late without charge, with free electric buses running across the wards to enable all residents to have access

o Attract institutions, festivals and events of international significance

B. Where Culture is at the heart of creating amazing places,

We have beautiful places across the borough and iconic buildings. We want to harness these iconic spaces and aminate the borough with culture

Keys ambitions; o An annual commissioning fund for one large scale cross-borough arts activity, led by professional artists and facilitated by the Culture Team, that all residents can participate in, in person or digitally

o Install Meanwhile spaces for creatives in Earl’s Court and the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area, with open access days for residents to meet and engage with makers. This will be the catalyst for creative/cultural and tech industry hub

o Deliver four new Cultural Quarters, starting with Kensington High Street

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C. Enriching our lives by connecting to culture

Kensington and Chelsea is never boring. Home to many artists, world famous institutions, creative industries and businesses. We can enrich lives by being an enabler and connecting our community to this cultural powerhouse – it’s on your doorstep

Keys ambitions;

o Annually award the Youth Council £20,000 of ‘Cultural Capital’ to allocate on cultural projects in the borough. We want to empower the next generation to think about what culture means to them

o To animate High Streets, in Council owned properties and through negotiation with landlords, offer creative pop-up spaces and develop a mentoring programme to assist start-up retailers, including young people

o Establish Champions for Culture, offering a creative sounding board of innovators, academics and leaders in creative/cultural industries to support development of the sector in the borough and offer mentoring for our young people, signposting also to work opportunities

o Support and promote the continued creative output and talent that has grown following the tragedy and work towards a quinquennale of culture in 2025

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• Section 2 – Overview

In 2019, we published Our Council Plan 2019 - 2023. This outlined five key priorities and three cross-cutting themes.

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[An illustration showing the interdependencies of three themes will be here]

The Culture Plan is a live document to enable actions to be delivered and conversations to continue throughout the next five years 2020 - 2025. We will publish an Annual Report to chart progress made and highlight examples of partnership working.

Culture builds communities, develops economies, empowers people and enables change through imagination and creativity. Kensington and Chelsea is a place to make, experience and share culture. A key role for us is to connect existing cultural and creative groups and associations, including schools. We want to generate local economy through visitors by supporting activities that extend time on our high streets and cultural institutions.

Creative and cultural institutions are at the heart of our communities. Through partnerships we will deliver opportunities for all residents to engage in inclusive and diverse cultural experiences. We also recognise the importance of infrastructure that supports the work of professional artists and makers and the vital economy that visitors bring to the borough.

The borough is an area of huge social and cultural diversity. We will ensure that residents have access to the breadth and range of opportunities that are available in the borough, from arts participation to creative start-up initiatives. We will enable job and volunteering opportunities for local people to reach out beyond those already actively engaged with culture. Our role is to work with partners to maximise the benefit for residents by connecting them to activities that are presently being delivered in the borough and supporting partners with future initiatives.

Culture-led placemaking links architecture, infrastructure and public spaces. We will lead on debates around how support for culture, such as artists’ studios or rehearsal spaces, should be included and in some cases can be central to future developments. Assisting the development of High Streets with evening activities is also a priority. Markets, including Portobello and Golborne Road Market, help shape place and build social cohesion, assisting to combat isolation and contributing to a sense of belonging. They also provide an opportunity for local employment and act as a spring-board for

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enterprise. Libraries offer a wide number of services to communities, both physically and through digital access, and form cultural hubs in the borough.

The Culture Plan develops new partnerships, conversations, initiatives and ideas for growth. To assist this process Champions for Culture will be recruited. Over the next five years, they will work with us to ensure that the journey forward includes the space for new ideas. During the life of this Plan we will assist in enabling ambitions to be realised, talents to be recognised and nurtured, work of national and international significance to be developed here.

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Section 3 Our Borough

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What We Heard During Our Culture Conversations [Made into Speech Bubbles]

To develop the Culture Plan, we started a conversation with more than 5,000 people who live, work or learn in the borough – including residents, children and young people, artists, curators and librarians, retailers, market traders, leaders of cultural organisations, and those working in education.

“Residents are keen to ensure the benefit of culture is extended to everyone in the borough” “This borough is a set of communities - a vast patchwork of people” “Markets are the 'special' draw of the area - part of the historic fabric of the area, a central part of its richness and characteristic. We need to ensure all is done to retain and protect the 'character' of the street markets on Portobello Road and Golborne Road” “In the 1970’s and 1980’s Kensington High Street had more fun independent clothes designer shops like Kensington Market and other young cool designer’s stalls, small shops within a big shop. More cafés, more good restaurants, foodie places as Borough Market or Brixton or Shoreditch would be welcome” “Notting Hill Carnival is a cultural event full of meaning and references to our community. Unbelievable atmosphere, great sense of community, wonderful Afro- Caribbean music development, other culture being welcome and taking part in the celebrations” “Social cohesion is a big issue which can be tackled through culture” “How do all residents feel like the whole borough is their home, and explore different parts of their home?” “Investing financially in Notting Dale community arts activities year-round would make a real difference” “Why not tap into the boroughs creative ‘elders’ as mentors and advisors?” “Give everyone the chance to celebrate, show and tell people about their cultures - there is a strong desire from people to say ‘This is me/my work’ ”

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Section 4 - Year One Action Plan

Actions in this Section highlight activities that the Council and external partners including residents, will undertake in the first year.

A Borough Full of Global Treasures

Our daytime population is 250,000, reflecting the high numbers of visitors and workers who come to the borough every day. The visitor economy is very important to the borough. As a share of total employment in the borough, the cultural and creative sector is unusually large, accounting for around 15,000 people across over 2,500 firms. These industries are well represented across the borough, but particularly within the Employment Zones and the town centres.

Venues and Spaces

The borough’s arts and cultural spaces include museums, art galleries, auction houses, exhibition spaces, theatres, cinemas and studios. Many facilities are enjoyed by our local audiences and have a national, and in some cases, an international draw. An estimated 6.5 million people visit Portobello and Golborne Road Market each year. The South Kensington cultural institutions’ international reputation and their strategic role in defining London as a world city is reflected by their inclusion within the London Plan’s Central Activities Zone. Their popularity and their importance is indisputable, with 12 million visits being made to the Natural History Museum, the V&A and Science Museum annually.

Visitors

Approximately 19.1 million trips were made by international tourists to London in 2018.1 There were 1.9 overnight trips to London by domestic visitors in 2018.2

1 https://www.statista.com/statistics/487467/overseas-visits-to-london-united-kingdom/Statistica, 2018 2 https://www.statista.com/statistics/487488/domestic-visits-to-london-united-kingdom//Statistica, 2018 12

Domestic tourists in Great Britain spend similar amounts to international tourists. Domestic tourists also make a substantial impact on local economies across the UK.3

We will continue to create solid links with borough based cultural providers to maximise benefits to residents across the borough. Visitor attractions also provide opportunities for residents to undertake work experience and use spaces available for development of their own projects. We will work to ensure that residents across the borough are aware of cultural activities and feel invited to participate in them.

We recognise that tourism can also have adverse effects on local communities and can increase the burdens on local residents. We will work with on the co-design of a Visitors Charter to highlight tangible actions that visitors can take to minimise their impact on residents. There is also an opportunity to signpost these visitors to discover other undiscovered within the borough.

Innovation

The borough has long been a centre for innovation, initially attracting artists and artisans, and now as a centre for the new media, for the film, music and fashion businesses, for advertising and publishing, for architects and for the antiques trade. These remain vibrant industries that contribute to the borough’s economy and to its reputation as a desirable place in which to work. Maximising opportunities for talent development offered by the institutions within the borough and connecting these to residents is key to nurturing the talents of future generations. Initiatives such as Youthquake will be further supported to expand their reach.

3 Culture for All Londoners, The Mayor’s London Cultural Strategy 13

A Borough Full of Global Treasurers

Number Action Partner A1 Work with partners to develop events for young people, The Design for example alcohol-free evening culture events Museum Goldfinger A2 Work with partners to connect children in the borough West London furthest away from being able to access cultural Zone opportunities and at high risk in order to maximise the use Chelsea of arts and culture participation to build self-confidence Theatre and ambition Tabernacle A3 Run quarterly “come and discover” free visit for residents Borough venues A4 Champion a system of “pay it forward” ticket scheme to Borough enable visitors and residents to buy one ticket for venues themselves and another ticket for someone who would not otherwise be able to afford to attend A5 Work with the Local Account Group to ensure ongoing Local Account access to cultural services for residents with a variety of Group needs A6 Ensure that Discover South Kensington benefits residents Discover as well as visitors South Kensington A7 Offer support and advice for filmmakers and promote the Earls Court borough as a film-friendly location and Portobello Film Festivals A8 Work with providers to improve access in cultural venues Local Account within the borough Group A9 Review the Exhibition Road Key Decision report Exhibition Road Events Advisory Group and Residents A10 Attract institutions, festivals and events of international significance A11 Assist the expansion of Youthquake to further engage with PGMC young people in the borough and support their creative ambitions

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Case Study

Kensington and Chelsea Council Museums - Hidden Gem, National Treasure: Leighton House Museum and 18 Stafford Terrace

Programmes around community access and activities for schools are a key element of these two remarkable houses operated by Kensington and Chelsea Council.

18 Stafford Terrace is a unique example of a late Victorian townhouse. Home to the Sambourne family, it survives with almost all of its furniture and fittings intact.

Leighton House Museum was the home and creation of Frederic, Lord Leighton, eminent Victorian artist and President of the Royal Academy from 1878-1895. The Museum is currently undergoing a major restoration and refurbishment project due to be completed in spring 2021. Titled Hidden Gem to National Treasure the project has been made possible thanks to a community-focused partnership between The Friends of Leighton House, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, major Trusts and Foundations all working together with Kensington and Chelsea Council.

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Case Study

An Inspirational Arts Centre in the North: Tabernacle

Many activities focus on community cohesion including GLUE - (G)uided (L)earning, (U)niting and (E)ducating. This is a social arts programme offering free workshops for young people aged 5-16, utilising the arts to encourage young people to #StickTogether.

Tabernacle is a multi-purpose venue in the heart of Notting Hill which is owned by Kensington and Chelsea Council. Open all year around, Tabernacle provides a focal point for communities to meet. It hosts a wide variety of arts provision, from internationally significant performances through to workshops related to well-being. It is also the home of Notting Hill Carnival.

Tabernacle is part funded annually by Kensington and Chelsea Council

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Case Study

Celebrating Artistic Legacy and Creative Futures: Kensington + Chelsea Art Week (KCAW)

KCAW is staged annually each summer. The festival's aim is to celebrate and promote Kensington and Chelsea as a cultural hotspot - it unveils the unexpected, highlights local spirit, and showcases an extraordinary cross-section of art and culture throughout the borough. The focus of KCAW is to embrace a strong mix of participants who hold events and exhibitions at a diverse range of venues including galleries, museums, shops, studios, food and beverage establishments, music venues and pop- ups. KCAW supports the organisers of these events by collectively promoting their activity via a number of marketing platforms.

KCAW has been in receipt of project funding through Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Arts Grant programme.

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Case Study

Beyond the Books, Bringing People Together: Library

MiniSparks is a music-making and story session at North Kensington Library, run in partnership between Kensington and Chelsea Libraries and The Royal College of Music. Through participation in music, parents and carers can see their under-5’s learn through play. Each week, Royal College students, supported by the Library Team, run instrument free-play, storytelling with puppets, live music and live performance. Around 25 adults and 25 children attend the sessions which are free to join.

The Royal College of Music is a leading international conservatoire, training students from undergraduate to doctoral level in all aspects of Western music including performance, conducting, composition, theory and history.

North Kensington Library is part of Kensington and Chelsea’s Library Service, which helps people to read, learn and connect. It has an active Friends Association.

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Where Culture is at the Heart of Creating Amazing Places

Planning

We will continue to champion cultural facilities – securing the provision of arts, cultural and entertainment facilities, cultural place making such as new works of art or performing arts space in association with development proposals. We are committed to keeping life local, encouraging walking, providing social and community uses, with local shopping facilities. We seek to foster vitality through our town centres, retail, arts and culture, creative industry and businesses. Supporting proposals which enhance the cultural draw of South Kensington, the King’s Road and , Notting Hill Gate, Portobello Road and Golborne Road area and Kensington High Street is a key element.

Cultural Quarters

We will identify and promote new, or enhance existing, clusters of cultural spaces such as in Portobello Road, including venues and outdoor spaces, to create a series of new Cultural Quarters - each with their own identity such as that proposed created by the , Chelsea Physic Garden and the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The development of Cultural Quarters will be achieved through co-design with practitioners, residents, public and private developers plus voluntary organisations. We will work to encourage the inclusion of cultural usage within new large-scale developments in the borough. There are opportunities for culture to play a leading role in identified sites at Kensal Canalside, Earl’s Court and Lots Road.

The temporary and meanwhile use of vacant buildings and sites by creative, cultural and community organisations are also key, particularly where they help activate and revitalise town centre locations.

High Streets

We are working in partnership with local businesses, residents and visitors to promote our high streets as creative and desirable destinations to explore and supporting Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) for Kensington High Street, the King’s Road

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and Brompton Road. We are also keen to support the development of street markets through partnership with traders’ associations, seek to maintain a diverse and vibrant offer to attract local residents and visitors plus continue the success of these unique parts of the borough. Our priorities within the Local Plan include supporting meanwhile arts and cultural use of land under across the borough.

Arts and cultural uses can help underpin and secure communities. They can be a means of retaining and enhancing familiar landmarks and can increase stability by reinforcing neighbourhood identity. They add variety and richness to the life of the borough. Smaller scale arts and cultural uses which are likely to attract fewer visitors are also welcomed throughout the borough.

Street traders, pavement cafés and festivals all bring life to the public realm, with Portobello and Golborne Road Market, Duke of York’s Square and being good Better City Life examples. However, we recognise that the multifunctional use of space in the public realm needs to be carefully managed to ensure where possible that it is inclusive and all users and residents are catered for in a safe and successful manner. Event management plans and management strategies for temporary and occasional uses can ensure that matters such as public health, pedestrian and traffic safety, waste management and access for local residents are all taken into account.

Evening Activity

Culture brings people together to create shared experiences. We encourage cultural activities within the borough in high streets including those which take place in the evening such as live and recorded music. We recognise the contribution of licensed premises to leisure activities, culture and the economy within the borough. Residential and business properties sit ‘cheek by jowl’ throughout the borough. There are approximately 1,000 premises in the borough licensed to sell alcohol, ranging from small off-licences to pubs, wine bars, restaurants, members only clubs, night clubs and casinos. Cultural activity in the evening can further build on the redevelopment of high streets. We recognise that such activities are not suitable for quiet residential areas. Alignment of planning permissions with licensing of activity will enable us internally to work effectively together.

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Where Culture is at the Heart of Creating Amazing Places

Number Action Partners

B1 Launch an arts commissioning on hoardings programme, K&CAW working with borough based visual artists B2 Host a creative conversation each quarter Borough venues B3 Create a Public Art Trail and develop with partners Public K&CAW Art initiatives across the borough B4 Pilot a resident’s discount scheme, with a focus on “shop local” and access to culture B5 Review spaces within The Stables in to Friends of maximise use for well-being and cultural activities Holland Park B6 Continue to support a safe and spectacular Notting Hill Carnival Village Carnival ensuring cross Council team working to assist in Trust the delivery B7 Champion Leighton House Museum and 18 Stafford Terrace as world-class heritage sites, further developing cross borough links to communities and education providers B8 Promote market trading on Portobello and Golborne Road PGMC and in other market sites across the borough The Westway Trust B9 Extend the use of community rooms for creative activities in housing estates to assist development artistic potential by social housing residents B10 Create a Cultural Quarter in Kensington High Street, Kensington incorporating the Town Square and library Business Forum The Design Museum B11 Ensure culture is considered within the plans for the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area and other major developments including Earl’s Court and Lots Road B12 Support emerging and established artists using s106 funding B13 In Council owned properties and through negotiation with Cadogan landlords, to animate High Streets, offer creative pop-up Estates spaces and develop a mentoring programme to assist start- Kensington up retailers, including young people Business Forum B14 Develop the gallery space at Kensington Town Hall

B15 Encourage the development of local festivals including London Chelsea History Festival to bring communities together Galleries and enable intergenerational working Association

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B16 Work with Exhibition Road Events Advisory Group to host Exhibition Road the annual Great Exhibition Road Festival, connecting Events some of the world’s most iconic institutions in a fusion of Advisory Group the arts and sciences B17 Work with partners to provide designated rehearsal spaces in the borough, including for Carnival B18 Work with providers to offer silent cinema screenings in Picture House unusual places and local film festivals B19 Pilot an Evening Activity Zone in Kensington High Street Kensington Business Forum The Design Museum B20 Work with shop owners to pilot vinyl shop fronts to build K&CAW awareness of local cultural offers The Design Museum B21 Work with shop owners to enable use of empty shops for K&CAW pop-up cultural activities and create a support programme for young people to access these opportunities B22 Maximise the benefit of filming in the borough by Cultural promoting famous film locations Ambassadors B23 Develop initiatives to encourage visitors to increase their Cadogan time whilst in the area for local benefit, for example those Estates attending the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Chelsea Fringe and Portobello and Golborne Road Market B24 Deliver a Markets Plan for the borough, co-created with PGMC traders and residents B25 Install Meanwhile spaces for creatives in Earl’s Court and the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area, with open access days for residents to meet and engage with makers. This will be the catalyst for creative/cultural and tech industry hubs

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Case Study

A Platform for Young and Emerging Creatives: FerArts

FerArts build inspiring networks within the creative industry to ensure young people access creative careers and paid commissions. Recent work includes Collecting Ends

FerArts is an artist-led collective platforming young and emerging socially engaged creatives from diverse communities. Their mission is to shape the direction of today’s contemporary art scene by projecting young voices and creating opportunities to exhibit thought provoking and innovative works to new audiences.

FerArts has been in receipt of project funding from Kensington and Chelsea Council

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Enriching Our Lives by Connecting to Culture

We will provide opportunities for residents to engage with our world class cultural institutions and enable grass-roots activity to support the development of talent. We want to enable our communities to articulate their aspirations for the future and to ensure their voice is heard far and wide. As part of this, we are particularly committed to supporting those who feel affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy to do this through which ever forms of cultural medium they wish to utilise. Protecting and enhancing arts and cultural uses in the South Kensington Strategic Cultural Area and working with partners to ensure that provision of culture is considered when undertaking developments including Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area are also key areas.

Training and Enterprise

Young people have told us that they would like more employment and education focused support, a stronger arts and culture offer, an opportunity to go on trips within and beyond the borough. We will enable a broader range of activities that support well- being, personal development and pathways into employment, life skills and arts-based provision. The Exhibition Road Festival offers a good example of the type of partnership work that we would look to continue. In 2019 over 50,000 people attended this event. We will work with borough festivals, including The Chelsea History Festival, to develop programmes that are targeted at residents

Health and Well-Being

There is mounting evidence, commissioned by both arts and health bodies, that creativity and the arts make a significant difference to people’s physical and mental health and well-being. Creativity and well-being link the agendas in culture, health, ageing, social connectedness and communities. We will work with partners to use culture to create positive futures, looking at mental health in young people, ageing through the life, public health and everyday creativity. We will work with the Arts in Health Forum and champion inclusion of borough events in the national Creativity & Well-Being Week.

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Cultural Spaces

The Council owns several cultural venues, including Tabernacle, The Chelsea Theatre, Leighton House Museum and 18 Stafford Terrace. We are committed to ensuring that these properties are well maintained and provide open access programmes to encourage participation. Kensington Town Hall and Chelsea Town Hall also play a significant role in welcoming community and arts groups, as do our libraries and community centres. In addition, we are the landlords for ACAVA (Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art), as freeholders of their land, and for . Working in closer partnership with these and other venues, connecting them to individual artists and residents forms a key component within this Culture Plan.

Notting Hill Carnival

The borough is the host for the Notting Hill Carnival, where we celebrate the diverse heritage of the people of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill Carnival is the largest community led festival in the world. We will continue to support and promote Carnival and other events which draw visitors here and enrich our cultural scene. With over an estimated 1.5 million people attending this event each year, we will enable community- based activity to take place to maximise the benefit for residents. Many aspects of Carnival require licensing, in particular the sale of alcohol and the provision of amplified music. Our Teams will continue to work closely together to facilitate talent development through the hosting of sound systems in Carnival. Local traders have access to licenses for both Carnival and Portobello and Golborne Road Market.

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Enriching Our Lives by Connecting to Culture

Number Action Partners C1 Support the development of international creation CW+ centres, such as the Studio in Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, to enable work to be created and viewed in the borough C2 Work with Tabernacle to further develop its identify as Tabernacle the Arts Centre for the north of the borough, and Chelsea Chelsea Theatre Theatre for the south C3 Continue to award £60,000 through arts grants each year and develop a borough-based Panel C4 Create the Youth Culture Advocates initiative C5 Support and promote the work of the culture-based Multiple Partners 2019/2020 Grenfell Fund Project bidders C6 Consider inclusion of a dedicated Arts and Culture Residents Strand in the 2020/2021 Grenfell Project Fund C7 Create a culture passport programme to enable each Borough Venues resident child to experience 11 cultural activities by the age of 11 years C8 Work with companies coming to use the borough as a Film London film location to develop a range of “behind the scenes” careers trips for young residents, prioritising Looked After Children C9 Work with the Sector Skills Council on a school’s cultural Sector Skills ambassadors scheme Council C10 Maximise use of existing spaces within libraries and K&C Libraries community centres as hubs for creative and cultural activity, seeking to increase the number of performances, exhibitions, events, classes and other activities run by or for the community in these spaces C11 Establish a borough wide culture mentoring programme, Borough identifying cultural providers, entrepreneurs, business Creatives leaders, creatives and researchers, from inside and including The outside the borough Royal Society of Sculptors C12 Support the development and actively promote arts and Cultural culture initiatives created by those affected by Grenfell Providers Tower tragedy by connecting to cultural institutions both inside and outside the borough Grenfell Dedicated Service C13 Support the work undertaken as part of the Grenfell Local GP’s Recovery, and others, in utilising the arts as a “social prescription” tool, focussing on bereaved and survivors Grenfell but including the wider community also Dedicated Service

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C14 Advocate for the Arts Health and Wellbeing agenda within each of the Council’s services ensuring that there is a cultural dimension C15 Become active in networks that champion relationships between the Arts and Health, including the Culture, Health and Well-being Alliance C16 Support partners in the establishment of an International CW+ Arts and Health Network C17 Work with providers in the borough who deliver cultural Open Age activities targeted at over 50’s Kensington and Chelsea Older People’s Forum C18 Develop digital tools for culture communications C19 Enable celebratory moments such as daytime street Residents parties and play days to connect neighbourhoods C20 Develop a cultural programme of wider engagement in Carnival Village Notting Hill Carnival for residents Trust C21 Create an annual Kensington and Chelsea Culture Night Borough venues that encourages fee paying cultural venues to open late without charge, with free electric buses running across the wards to enable all residents to have access C22 Annually award the Youth Council £20,000 of ‘Cultural Youth Council Capital’ to allocate on cultural projects in the borough

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Case Study

Pioneering Innovation and Learning in Science and the Arts: Discover South Kensington – Exhibition Road Cultural Group

Discover South Kensington also works with cultural and community organisations across the borough to encourage wider participation in cultural activities.

Created from the legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851, this is the world’s first planned cultural quarter. The members of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group are organisations are united by a shared history, geography and a mission: to promote learning and innovation in the arts and science for the benefit of everyone. Together the partners welcome over 20 million visitors a year, employ over 10,000 people and host over 20,000 higher education students.

Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Team Members work to enable Imperial College London, with input from the Exhibition Road Events Advisory Group, to host the Great Exhibition Road Festival annually.

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Case Study

Expanding the Creative Economy: Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area

Kensington and Chelsea Council have engaged We Made It on the research and capital delivery project on the expansion of Kensal’s creative economy through the delivery of the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area. The project will position the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area (KCOA) within the wider North Kensington economy, by understanding the existing distribution of uses, assessing sector activity, supply and demand of commercial space, and establishing the defining characteristics of the local economy.

Kensington and Chelsea Council were successful in securing Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (GGF) of £1m for a research and capital delivery project focused on employment delivery for creatives in and around the Opportunity Area. This has been match funded by £1m from our Capital Fund.

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Case Study

A Place of Hustle, Haggle, Colour and Energy: Portobello and Golborne Road Market

A much-loved local treasure, one of the most famous visitor attractions in England and a well-known film location, Portobello and Golborne Road Market celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2015.

The Market includes vintage clothes, antiques stalls, new goods, food and beverages plus fresh produce. The footprint is divided up into distinctive sections. On Saturday there is an opportunity to buy antiques from all of the world from the Antiques Arcades towards to south of the Market. Residents and visitors interact with market traders, many of whom have been trading in the location all of their working lives. When Notting Hill Carnival takes place Sound Systems are located on and around the roads, with music and dancing replacing the market stalls.

All street stalls and pitches that are on the road itself are regulated and operated by Kensington and Chelsea Council through the Street Trading Office.

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Section 5 – Measuring Impact

Publication of the Culture Plan is the start of on-going conversations with residents, communities and our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors about delivery.

We are developing a management framework which will include within it measures to demonstrate progress in delivering a Culture Plan that benefits all.

We will monitor the outputs and outcomes arising from individual projects in the action plan. We will also monitor the numbers and trends reported locally and nationally in relation to:

• Engagement by residents in activities directly run by Kensington and Chelsea Council • Engagement by residents in activities run by partners • Number of young people in the borough studying creative courses • Engagement with digital initiatives led by Kensington and Chelsea Council • Visitor numbers and types

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Section 6 - Getting Involved

In addition to the actions we will take as set out in the Culture Plan, we are committed to continuing to work with partners including communities and residents. Only by continuing to work together will we achieve our aims.

We will promote opportunities to get involved widely as these are established including opportunities to become a Champion for Culture or join panels for Arts Grants.

If you would like to be involved in the work of this Culture Plan, or sign up to receive the Culture Newsletters, then please do contact us at [email protected]

[Add in the link to the Culture Video]

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Section 7 – Future Years Action Plan

A Borough of Full of Global Treasurers

Number Action Partner A12 Assist in the development of a Caribbean Museum in the borough A13 Encourage venues in the borough to develop a “residents’ price” for activities which require payment, such as performances and exhibitions, using the existing Library Cards and Leisure Cards as proof of status A14 Take a lead of working with cultural providers to create a programme of outreach events within social housing community spaces, such as STEM activities delivered by the Science Museum or “art on tour” curated events delivered by the V&A A15 Create a tool-kit for cultural venues to provide advice on offering suitable facilities for people with a range of physical and mental needs, for example autism friendly performances A16 Ensure Council owned cultural assets offer opportunities for residents to engage A17 Deliver Leighton House Museum’s “Hidden Gem” capital project to enhance access in all senses to museums facilities including the garden A18 Promote existing materials to tour guides to highlight the breadth of borough wide locations to shop, eat and engage, with cultural experiences

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Where Culture at the Heart of Creating Amazing Places

Number Action Partners

B26 Seek funding to create an annual commissioning fund for one large scale cross-borough arts activity, led by professional artists and facilitated by the Culture Team, that all residents can participate in, in person or digitally B27 Create “walks of fame” to spotlight leading cultural highlights within the borough, using a series of walking routes B28 Celebrate the value of small businesses in enabling people to feel a sense of community, actively promoting the annual Small Business Saturday scheme and Love Your Local Market B29 Attract events of national significance to the borough

B30 Use parks to host traditional circuses

B31 Locate artists-in-residencies in social housing estates

B32 Review our planning policy to create an incentive for developers to include use of culture in their planning applications B33 Assist with work on developments to support creatives including desk space. Pilot in North Kensington B34 Develop a plan for use of the Kensington Library Theatre

B35 Require that all planning applications have an audit on their scope for cultural activities and enhancements B36 Deliver four new Cultural Quarters, starting with Kensington High Street

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Enriching our Lives by Connecting to Culture

Number Action Partners C23 Enable the borough’s theatres to work together in the sharing of best practice and commissioning processes C24 Work with partners to develop new arts engagement activities for young people and families, including well- being elements such as resilience C25 Work with partners to create digital assets highlighting role models in the creative industries and their career path C26 Work with the RBKC Youth Council to pilot a showcase of local talent C27 Develop a series of spaces across the borough that residents can book at low or no costs to enable them to develop new creative talents C28 Maximise the therapeutic power of art and culture through partnership working C29 Support partnership working to target key cross-health priorities that bring together community, primary care and social services C30 Support partners in the establishment of an International Arts and Health Network C31 Reach out to those who are unable to physically participate in culture, using digital formats C32 Assist the development of a support package for creative start-ups, offering internships and apprenticeships

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Section 8 - Appendices

Definitions

A number of terms are used within the Culture Plan:

Creative Industries

Those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property (Creative Industries Mapping - Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport - DCMS) (2001)

Culture

Culture is the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, that encompasses, not only art and literature, but lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs (UNESCO) (2001)

Cultural Quarters

The part of a large city in which groups of buildings have been designed on purpose for, or adjusted to, cultural and artistic industries in order to create a sense of identity and conditions facilitating and encouraging those activities (Roodhouse) (2006)

Placemaking

A wide range of local activity which affects the well-being of the local community, informed by local character and history, community needs and demands, and local politics and leadership. Here, well-being is approached not just from a local economic or services perspective but contains an element of a local sense of belonging and identity, creating a vision for a locality that is distinctive, identifying and building on its unique selling points, creating a sense of local identity, distinctiveness and place. It is about creating places that are attractive, vibrant, prosperous, safe and friendly. Places for people to be proud to call home (The Role of Culture Sport and Heritage in Place- Shaping - Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport - DCMS) (2017)

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Meanwhile (Temporary) Spaces

The value of meanwhile uses has been recognised across the property and regeneration industry, not least as a strategy for enabling early delivery of longer-term regeneration and development proposals. Meanwhile uses provide the opportunity for early wins by quickly bringing life and activity to an area before permanent development begins and enabling a period of testing project ideas and establishing uses, which will ultimately inform the final scheme brief and design. (GLA) (2018)

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Culture Plan Further Reading

Kensington and Chelsea Council Documents:

RBKC Our Plan for a Successful Local Economy Live Work and Learn (2019)

RBKC Local Plan (2019)

RBKC Council Plan (2019-2023)

RBKC Dementia Strategy (2020)

RBKC Strategy for the Re-design and Implementation of Youth Services (2018)

Our Commitments to Those Affected by the Grenfell Tragedy - RBKC, NHS West London Commissioning Group, NHS Central & North West London Foundation Trust (2017)

RBKC Strategy for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities aged 0-25 (2018 - 2021)

RBKC Statement of Licensing Policy 2016 - 2021 (Amended May 2018 V2)

Documents from External Organisations:

Let’s Create Strategy 2020-2030 (Arts Council England) (2020)

Inquiry into The Civic Role Of Arts Organisations (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) (2018)

Taking Part Survey: England Adult Report (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport - DCMS) (2017/18)

Sustaining Great Art and Culture: Environmental Report (Arts Council England) (2018- 2019)

Arts, Culture and Wellbeing and Criminal Justice (Arts Council England) (2018)

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Cultural Activities Artforms and Well-being (Arts Council England) (2015)

The Value of Arts and Culture in Placemaking (Arts Council England) (2019)

Influences on Older People's Arts Participation UK Survey (Statistica) (2017)

Glossary:

CW+ is the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust including its hospitals and clinics

Discover South Kensington/ Exhibition Road Cultural Group’s members are Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Imperial College London, Goethe-Institut, Institut franҫais, the Ismaili Centre, , Royal Albert Hall, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Royal College of Music, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), , The Royal Society of Sculptors, South Kensington Estates, The Royal Parks, the Design Museum and Japan House London

K&CAW is the abbreviation used by Kensington and Chelsea Arts Week

PGMC is the Portobello and Golborne Markets Management Committee

Photo Credits:

North Kensington Library - The Royal College of Music

Great Exhibition Road Festival - Thomas Angus

Portobello Road - Gunwoo Kim

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