Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh 2017 The Diana Hatton Consultancy Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh September 2017. The Diana Hatton Consultancy 1 Contents Page 3 1. The Document and its scope Page 4 2. What is Public Art? Definition Page 5 3. National, Regional and Exeter context Page 14 4. Opportunities for Public Art development across Exeter. Advice on delivery and next steps Page 16 5. Refresh of practical guidelines for commissioning Page 26 6. Consultees Page 27 7. Useful reading Interactive Lightcloud from recycled bulbs. Caitlin Brown Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh September 2017. The Diana Hatton Consultancy 2 1. The Document and its Scope and has appreciated the time and thoughts of those who are 1.1. Context to the Guidelines making it happen. Exeter Cultural Partnership approached public art consultant Exeter is at a particular moment in its cultural journey with a Diana Hatton to spend a few days refreshing their public art wealth of skills, optimism and dynamism perhaps against the commissioning guidelines which she had created around 15 odds of national trends. There is much to be gained from a years before in 2002/3. The refresh is commissioned by Exeter partnership and strategic approach across sectors and Cultural Partnership (ECP) on behalf of Exeter City Council providers. (ECC), and funded by Arts Council England. Wrights and Sites. Wonders of Weston. Photo Max McClure. Through initial briefings and research, it became clear that there was an opportunity to reflect current opportunities, partnerships and activity and to broaden the scope of this piece of work beyond purely practical delivery advice for local authority officers. This document therefore seeks to set the foundation for a more strategic approach to Art in Public Places throughout Exeter and across Sectors and delivery partners. Within the 5 days of work Diana Hatton has set out the following: • A revisiting and a definition of what Public Art is and can be in 2017 giving some national and regional guidelines and looking at the Exeter context. • Looking at current good practice locally and drawing together opportunities for future public art development. • Giving broad advice on delivery and next steps. • A practical refresh of the current guidelines. The consultant has enjoyed this focused exploration of the vibrant, thoughtful and committed public arts scene in Exeter Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh September 2017. The Diana Hatton Consultancy 3 2. What is Public Art? Definition common: It involves artists, it is made specifically for the place in which it stands and it is made specifically for the 2.1 A Definition people who use that place. Ixia, the national agency for public art defines the term as Public art has long been regarded as an outward sign that follows: places are regarded, have civic pride and are unique. “The spectrum of artistic practice represented by Until the 1970’s British public art has been largely associated the term ‘public art’ encompasses art commissioned with commemorative statues, civic works and landmarks or as a response to the notion of place, art too often as sticking plaster on problem areas, a way of commissioned as part of the designed environment ticking the ‘community engagement’ box, (the mural in the and process-based artistic practice that does underpass) or a way of ‘brightening a place up’. not rely on the production of an art object. When searching for a definition, it is helpful to regard Over the last 50 years and certainly over the last 20 years public art as the process of artists responding to the public art has become much broader in definition and form. public realm.” The term Public Art refers to artists, designers and makers working within the built, natural, urban, rural or virtual environment to create works that are accessible to the public. It aims to integrate creative skills, vision and abilities into the whole process of creating new spaces and in animating or regenerating existing ones through imbuing place with a unique quality and through engagement with communities who will use that place. Public Art refers to both permanent artworks such as land art, sculpture and public realm features including lighting, hard and soft landscaping and wayfinding as well as artist-in- residence schemes, artist led initiatives and temporary projects and events, such as creative consultation and Duality. Ripple effect pressure sensitive paving. China mapping, community commissions and celebrations, temporary installations, ephemeral work, video projections, virtual projects or publications. But it has three things in Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh September 2017. The Diana Hatton Consultancy 4 3. National, Regional and Exeter Context 3.1 National and Regional Context National Planning Policy Framework - At a national level the National Planning Policy Framework focuses on sustainability. The Department of Culture Media and Sport’s White Paper on It obliges planners and ultimately developers to make new Culture (2016) is a national strategy for the sector and sets out industrial, leisure, retail and housing development sustainable. two key themes for cultural development as Places and In the Framework plans must not only follow economic People. agendas to support growth and innovation but also positively The section on Places sets out how art and culture helps to contribute to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and create attractive, vibrant settlements enabling people to get historic environment, improve biodiversity, help us move to the right encouragement and opportunities to experience a low carbon economy, support strong, vibrant and healthy and participate in society throughout their lives. The DCMS communities, provide housing to meet the needs of present suggests the key to cultural success is in involving a wide and future generations, create a high quality built range of stakeholders in ambitious strategies which are long- environment, provide accessible local services that reflect the term and sustainable: “Effective partnerships will bring community’s needs and support its health, social and cultural together cultural organisations, skills, leadership and well-being. knowledge with a range of national and local partners” This “Participation in cultural and sporting activities enhances means culture working in partnership with local government, people’s personal enjoyment, development, and Local Enterprise Partnerships, local health and care fulfilment and improves their physical and mental health commissioners, police and community safety partnerships, universities and the local voluntary and community sector, and wellbeing. And high-quality cultural and sports including trusts and foundations. facilities help to make places more attractive, help to boost economic activity and prosperity, and aid Recent work by Gingko a leading South West Agency for the development of shared identities and increased Public Art has highlighted the following National and Regional understanding between different communities. trends: Culture and the arts should be clearly Creative Industries - The UK’s creative industries are the fastest and continually reflected in the corporate growing part of the UK economy, contributing £87bn in GVA. leadership priorities and the corporate That’s four times the GVA of the automotive industry, six time as much as Life sciences and nearly ten times that of strategy of both public and private sector aerospace. Between 2011 and 2015, it created three times development partners.” more jobs than the economy as a whole. Town and Country Planning Association, 2016 Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh September 2017. The Diana Hatton Consultancy 5 The South West region is home to the biggest concentration of artists outside London and the creative industries in the South West are the fastest growing of any UK region with key growth areas in digital media and cultural tourism. Public art is part of this success story with the latest survey by national public art agency ixia showing the overall value of the sector increasing from around £58 million in 2013 to around £70 million in 2015. The survey shows that this growth was mainly driven by private sector funding from housing and development projects, delivered through the planning system: “The recovery in the housing and development sectors and the inclusion of cultural well-being and public art within national planning policies and guidance appear to have generated more funding and opportunities for public art at a local level” (ixia, 2016). Regionally public art is strong in the South West with the region being the strongest in the UK with 39 new projects yearly per million people in 2015 (the England average was 15 new projects per million people). Direct investment in public art generates wider economic benefits for local economies. Recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in 2015 also shows that “for every £1 of output from the arts and culture, an additional £1.28 of output is generated in the wider economy through indirect and induced multiplier impacts.” The same research also points out the correlation between house prices and cultural density, “regeneration benefits of art are bigger when related to place… being located in an area with twice the average level of cultural density could be associated with an average £26,817 increment on the value of housing.” Murmuration Chris Tipping. Musgrove Park Hospital Exeter Public Art Commissioning Guidance Refresh September 2017. The Diana Hatton Consultancy 6 3.2 Exeter Context as potential opportunities for commissioning but feel that they lack the expertise and the justification to make commissioning Public art or Art in Public Places has been developing in a priority. Planning and Public Realm officers would welcome Exeter for many years. Currently there is a surge in the quality an approach and an update on current public art thinking and amount of activity outside of the traditional local and opportunities and some ‘positive wording’ which could authority led and development focused commissioning.