SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 7 MARCH 2012 POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE 8 MARCH 2012

AN LANNTAIR SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (2012-13)

Report by Director of Development

PURPOSE OF REPORT To consider an application for annual revenue funding from An Lanntair for 2012/13.

COMPETENCE 1.1 There are no legal or other constraints to the recommendations being implemented.

1.2 Provision exists within the Development Department’s Arts Development revenue budget for 2012/13.

SUMMARY

2.1 An Lanntair Arts Centre is a nationally acclaimed and internationally renowned cultural hub. It was established in 1985 and is now in its seventh year of operation. 2.2 An Lanntair is well supported by the local community and is the most successful visitor attraction in the with over 200,000 attendances per annum. An Lanntair Ltd and its trading subsidiary An Lanntair Trading Ltd., currently employ 38 FTE’s and have a combined turnover of just under £1.2 million per annum. 2.3 Creative Scotland has acknowledged An Lanntair’s achievements and status by awarding the organisation Foundation status for the period to 2012 - 2015. This releases funding of £390,870 per annum over that period. 2.4 An Lanntair has come to the end of a three year Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Comhairle covering the years 2009-2012. Comhairle support enables An Lanntair to deliver a year round programme of visual art exhibitions, performing arts events, cinema screenings and educational activities which provide significant economic and social benefits for the Outer Hebrides. The interim review of the (SLA) has concluded that An Lanntair has satisfactorily met their (SLA) requirements. 2.5 An Lanntair is a critical component of the tourism and creative/cultural sector in the Outer Hebrides. Continued funding from the Comhairle will enable the organisation to further develop its potential to deliver more in terms of arts activity, attract more visitors and establish a pattern of financial sustainability.

RECOMMENDATION

3.1 It is recommended that the Comhairle approve a grant of £73,000 to An Lanntair from the 2012/13 Arts Development revenue budget for 2012/13, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of a one year Service Level Agreement and the repayment of the sum (£3,415) due under prudential borrowing arrangements.

Contact Officer Elsie Mitchell, Arts Development Officer Tel: 01876 672 708 Appendices None Background Papers None

BACKGROUND

4.1 An Lanntair Arts Centre was established as a charitable trust in 1985 and is currently in its 27th year of operation. Originally based in premises in Town Hall, An Lanntair is a multi-disciplinary arts centre completed in 2005, comprising a gallery, auditorium/cinema, education rooms and catering and is the largest arts venue in the Highlands after Eden Court Theatre. 4.2 An Lanntair provide an annual year round programme of contemporary art exhibitions, performing arts events, film screenings and related education and outreach activity. The organisation’s Vision and Mission statement reads: “We will be a beacon for artistic activity in the Western Isles, we will celebrate and encourage creativity in all its forms, we will be a genuine centre for our community, and we will represent and support Gaelic culture.” 4.3 From an initial staff of two job creation placements, An Lanntair has provided stable employment to a significant number of people since 1985. The organisation currently employs 47 individuals (38 FTE’s). In addition An Lanntair annually generates work for approximately 30 freelance artists based in the Outer Hebrides via the Education, Exhibitions and Performing Arts Programme. Self-employed musicians, visual artists and crafts makers are also supported via sales of their work in the An Lanntair shop, the gallery and at performances. 4.4 An Lanntair has Investors in People and Hospitality Assured accreditation and in 2008 received a Who Cares Wins: Employer of the Year Award. 4.5 It the financial year ending 31 March 2011 An Lanntair Ltd had a turnover of £709,048 and the trading subsidiary An Lanntair Trading Ltd, a turnover of £471,589. 4.6 The Centre services an immediate population of 12,015 (Stornoway and its environs) with a secondary catchment population of 20,473 (covering Lewis and Harris) these figures represent 45% and 77% of the total Outer Hebrides population respectively. 4.7 The most recent figures from the Visit Scotland Visitor Attraction Monitor 2009 show that An Lanntair is the most attended visitor attraction in the Outer Hebrides. These compare favourably with similar attractions in other geographic locations e.g. Bonhoga Gallery in Shetland 15,854, Contemporary Arts 273,750, 178,344. 4.8 The Board of An Lanntair, in consultation with the staff, have undertaken a Business Process Review exercise supported by the Comhairle. This review of business process within the two companies was initiated by the Board to achieve a better understanding of the scope of development required to improve the overall performance of the business. This includes a fundamental look at the staffing and organisation structures of both An Lanntair Ltd and An Lanntair Trading Ltd. The An Lanntair Board has also agreed to employ a Chief Executive.

AWARD WINNING PROGRAMME

5.1 The facilities, staffing levels and provision of stable core funding enable An Lanntair to deliver a wide and varied arts programme which has been recognised with a number of awards over the years. • 1995 Arts and Tourism Trophy for Calanais: The Atlantic Stones 10th anniversary exhibition, publication and CD • 2003 Scottish Arts Council: Innovative Visual Arts Education Award – for a sculpture project with croileagan and school pupils in the fragile community areas of Uig and Bernera. The Croileagan’s also won a National Artworks Award for the same project • 2007 Traditional Music Venue of the Year

• 2009 Clore Performing Arts Award for Trumpets to the Sky – a sculpture and music outreach project with children organised in partnership with the Hebridean Celtic Festival. • 2010 ABSA award for engaging with Harris Tweed Hebrides

EVENTS

5.2 Around 300 events take place at An Lanntair per year. Ticket sales have steadily increased each year since the new centre opened. Events encompass a wide range of performances including classical, jazz, opera, rock and world music, drama, dance and a cinema programme of both popular block-buster films e.g. The Adventures of Tin Tin, and arthouse cinema. 5.3 Examples of events in 2010/12 which demonstrate this range include: A Scottish Opera performance of Carmen; an evening of Gaelic song and music by Alyth McCormack; Mendelssohn Society Concert – a selection of internationally acclaimed musicians presented music by Bach, Mendhelsohn and Tchiakovsky; classical piano recital by Robin Colville; a performance by Fish – ex lead singer of the rock group Marillion; Blazing Fiddles – part of their Scottish tour; The Wilders – Americana from Kansa City, Missouri; National Theatre of Scotland: Somersaults – play by Lewis based writer Ian Finlay Macleod; Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain – 25th Anniversary Tour and PUSH a new dance theatre performance by Curious Seed. 5.4 A strong focus is given to Gaelic Cultural Heritage within the events programme, leading acclaimed piper Fred Morrison, in his introduction to a performance, to thank An Lanntair for “not just keeping traditional music, but traditional musicians alive over all these years.” A number of An Lanntair traditional musical productions have successfully toured to Celtic Connections in Glasgow - Lewis Women, Dhachaigh (Murdo Macfarlane Songbook) and Atlantic Blast – helping to promote the musical traditions of the Outer Hebrides to an international audience. 5.5 In addition to An Lanntair’s own programmed events. The facilities are hired by external promoters and community groups. There have been high profile performances by Mumford and Sons, comedian Bill Bailey, KT Tunstall and children’s panto companies. During the Hebridean Celtic Festival An Lanntair hosts afternoon and evening concerts, workshops and acts as the festival club. In 2011 An Lanntair was the main venue for The Royal National Mod and the Celtic Media Festival, whose report demonstrated the advantages of the venue to external organisations: “An Lanntair Arts Centre – Main venue with excellent amenities. A modern purpose built centre, An Lanntair offered all types of space required to conduct the entire Festival under one roof; a large main auditorium space with excellent technical facilities and several further spaces for student and secondary sessions, DVD library, office space for Festival staff and lunch space. It was also the venue for the Gala Celebration on the final night during which the auditorium walls were lifted to create an open plan bar space and a clear area for the Ceilidh.”

EXHIBITIONS

6.1 An annual programme of seven exhibitions are programmed in the main gallery space, with additional shows in display areas in the foyer, bar and upper corridor. Highlights from the 2010/2012 programme included: • Bhon Chroit, An Clo: From the Land Comes the Cloth; 50 photographs by Iain Lawson from the book published to mark the centenary of the Harris Tweed Orb Mark. The exhibition juxtaposed images of the complex patterns of colour and weaving in tweed with the Island’s landscape. • 119 local artists/ crafts makers exhibited a total of 398 artworks in Grinneas nan Eilean 2011

• ‘Astar: Glen Tolsta’ - an exhibition by local artists Anne Campbell, Mairi Morrison and Ishbel Murray, which explores the concept of journeying through time, to retrace the history of five families who in 1843 were evicted from their homes in the Park district of Lewis and settled in the uninhabited Glen Tolsta. • ‘Sailing Dinghy’ by Iain Hamilton Finlay – this gave an Lanntair the opportunity to participate in Artist Rooms, an important new collection of international contemporary art, shared across the UK through a unique collaboration between the Art Fund, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. • ‘Gnuis’ - definitive portraits of luminaries, newsmakers and personalities including Bill Clinton, Ricky Gervais and Michael Schumacher taken by -born Murdo Macleod, a UK Press Photographer of the Year. The exhibition led to an Arts and Business Scotland Award for An Lanntair’s collaboration with Harris Tweed Hebrides. 6.2 Faclan – the Hebridean Book Festival found a winning formula in 2011. It was moved from its usual August slot to October and themed around An Dà Shealladh – Second Sight, exploring the phenomenon and tradition of Second Sight and the Supernatural. The festival included children’s author’s readings and workshops with schools, readings by Margaret Bennet, John Macinnes and Sheila Stewart,three of the most prominent folklorists, tradition bearers and academics in the Gaelic world; a screening of the classic silent black and white film ‘Nosferatu’ with live piano accompaniment by Peter Urpeth and concluded with a masked ball. The main gallery exhibition ‘Buiseachd’ by Lewis artist Moira Maclean provided the perfect complement to the festival. Rescued artefacts from abandoned croft houses, symbolic objects, photographic images, mirrors, and flowers were combined within a sculptural installation to explore Hebridean tradition, customs and folklore particularly from a female perspective.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

7.1 An Lanntair have delivered an extensive Education and Outreach Programme since 2000. Strong working relationships have been built with the Comhairle’s Education and Social Work Department and Western Isles Health Services. Service users at the Grianan and Ardseileach Centres have benefited from an annual programme of arts activity, regularly taking part in workshops with artists and making their own art works. In 2005 Hi-tech digital photography and video editing equipment was purchased for a one year digital artists in residence project at the Grianan Centre and has been well utilised since. 7.2 Around 1800 school pupils and 500 pre-school children per annum participate in arts activities at An Lanntair. These tie in with the Exhibition and Events programme and include workshops with organisations such as Scottish Opera, visits to gallery exhibitions, participatory art workshops in a variety of art forms – dance, literature, visual arts, music. An Lanntair offers the Comhairle’s Education Dept a significant resource and many opportunities to enhance school and pre-school curriculums for children and young people in Lewis and Harris. Out of school hours activity is also programmed e.g. Saturday Art Clubs, Film Club for older teenagers, regular Saturday art sessions for children with disabilities delivered in partnership with the Occupational Health Service and the Comhairle’s - Sports. Holiday activities are programmed at outlying community centres, during the summer and October breaks. 7.3 The Education Room has become an established resource used by local creative industry businesses to teach adult classes. Subjects have included figure drawing, acting, basket weaving, music/song composition, design and weave for tweed, digital photo and video editing. 7.4 The total annual attendance figure for Education and Outreach Activities is around 5000+ per annum, showing the significant impact that An Lanntair has in providing cultural learning and recreational experiences which enhance self-confidence, build new skills, have positive health benefits and help adults and children in the Western Isles to achieve their potential and maximise their creativity.

FINANCIAL CONTEXT

8.1 An Lanntair’s efforts over many years resulted in the organisation being awarded Foundation status by the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) in 2007. As a result An Lanntair had a financial agreement in place with the SAC to receive core revenue funding of £387,000 from 2007 until 2012 (with additional increases at the CPI rate of inflation per annum and subject to successful delivery of a quality artistic programme and financial security). 8.2 As part of the Foundation Status Agreement with the SAC, An Lanntair developed a Quality Framework covering artistic work, public engagement, governance, management and finance. This framework was monitored by a SAC Lead Officer to ensure continual organisational development and improvement. 8.3 The Comhairle’s Service Level Agreement (SLA) was monitored on behalf of the Comhairle by the Head of Economic Development through attendance at An Lanntair Board meetings, annual reports and audited accounts.

8.4 At 1 April 2009, An Lanntair's outstanding debt to the Comhairle was £50,000. This was in relation to the previously approved Prudential loan secured by the Comhairle to cover An Lanntair’s capital shortfall. As a result each year any revenue funding offered by the Comhairle is reduced by £3,415 until 2035/36 in order to cover this outstanding debt.

8.5 In July 2010 the SAC changed to Creative Scotland and all Foundation Organisations (FO) were asked to submit bids to retain FO status by 31 January 2011. This had to address investment in talent, quality production, audiences and in place. Through this challenging process An Lanntair successfully secured this status with Creative Scotland for a further three years until March 2015; one of only 41 organisations across Scotland to do so. This guarantees £390,870 per annum core revenue funding from Creative Scotland between 2012 and 2015. 8.6 Venu Dhupa, Director of Creative Development, Creative Scotland, announcing the review outcomes said: ‘These organisations are the foundation of Scotland’s cultural sector and have delivered significant benefits to Scotland’s creative development, its economy and growing audiences.’

CONCLUSION

9.1 An Lanntair delivers significant social and economic impacts for the Outer Hebrides, and is also recognised as a major contributor to the rich and unique cultural and creative heritage of the Outer Hebrides and of Scotland as a whole. An Lanntair supports the delivery of National and Local Outcomes under the 2011/13 Single Outcome Agreement and the delivery of Plana Gàidhlig na Comhairle 2007-12.

9.2 An Lanntair is currently undertaking an organisational review and has begun the process to recruit a Chief Executive to implement and manage the findings of the review. It is therefore recommended that to enable An Lanntair to forward plan with confidence and to establish a pattern of financial sustainability, that the Comhairle approve arts revenue funding of £73,000 for the financial year 2012-13, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of a Service Level Agreement. This figure has been discussed and agreed with An Lanntair and is assessed as being appropriate to meet the SLA requirements required by the Comhairle.