Meeting: Cabinet Date: 12th December 2012 Subject: Cultural Strategy Update – May–November 2012 Report Of: Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture Wards Affected: All Key Decision: No Budget/Policy Framework: No Contact Officer: Vicki Rowan, Group Manager Cultural Services Email: [email protected] Tel: 396179 Appendices: None 1.0 Purpose of Report 1.1 To update members on the progress that has been made in achieving the Cultural Strategy’s targets over the last six months. 2.0 Recommendations 2.1 Cabinet is asked to: Note achievements made in delivering the Cultural Strategy over the last six months, May to November 2012. 3.0 Background and Key Issues 3.1 Members were last updated on progress about the Cultural Strategy action plan some six months ago in a bid to provide an effective feedback mechanism on how well the City was achieving its cultural targets. 3.2 The strategy proposed seven distinct action areas over a ten-year period. The seven areas are: Making sense of the city centre – creating an attractive and vibrant city centre. Rethinking heritage and cultural tourism – improving access, visibility and quality of heritage facilities with a particular emphasis on the water/maritime history. Raising the stakes for creativity – making provision for the growth in creative industries. Broadening Gloucester’s excellence in sport. Enjoying and supporting diversity. Planning for a ‘transformational’ project. Marketing and promoting Gloucester. PT13112D 1 A full version of the strategy can be viewed on the City Council’s website at http://www.gloucester.gov.uk/Documents/corporateStrategies/GloucesterCulturalStr ategy.pdf Progress – Cultural Update May – November 2012 Progress over the last six months has been significant and varied. This update is in no way comprehensive, but does indicate the extent of cultural activity taking place in our City. Around fifty people were contacted from the City Council and local cultural organisations to request information on what has been achieved in the last six months in relation to the seven strands of the Cultural Strategy. 1. MAKING SENSE OF THE CITY CENTRE This strand of the Cultural Strategy is about physical improvements to the city centre and its buildings, as well as the interpretation and animation of the city and its public realm. This strand is about linking up various areas of the city including the Docks and city centre and providing public art of iconic status in the Docks which leave strong impressions on visitors and residents. Blackfriars Priory has had two additional fire exits installed increasing the capacity to over 300 people in the North Range and improving access to the buildings, enabling a more diverse programme of events and activities to take place at the site (right). The building of Gloucester Quays new state-of-the-art cinema and leisure quarter development is now underway. The scheme will see a modern, digital cinema experience move into the Quays alongside a range of restaurants, bars and leisure facilities, including a gym, and will help to substantially raise Gloucester’s evening economy offer. The gym is to open before Christmas this year, with restaurants shortly after and the cinema due for completion in the autumn of 2013. A number of shops have opened in the city centre or are due to open shortly including: the new Marks and Spencers, B&Ms, Coffee1#, Barratts, Paddy Power and TKMaxx. Funding is being sought by the GHURC and County Council for improvements to the Quay – one of the four routes from the Docks and Quays into the city centre. The work will see part of the quay narrowed, traffic slowed down, and the pedestrian realm improved. The City Council has backed a proposal by the GHURC and the Gloucester City Centre Community Partnership to develop the Castlemeads area as an iconic open space that provides a modern events space and public park within an important ecological environment. This will benefit the densely developed Westgate Ward in particular and will provide improved access through a new footbridge across the river, enhance the natural habitats of the area and create a new events space which will complement those in the Docks. More than £600,000 of capital funding for this project has been bid for with the PT13112D 2 Gloucestershire Environmental Trust in particular giving ‘in principle’ approval for £250,000. The City Council has received £100,000 from the Government’s High Street Innovation Fund. The funding will provide support in a range of areas including: 1) Grants for businesses to help with rent/rates support and property repairs; 2) evening markets and 3) a ‘Meeters and Greeters’ scheme and joint promotion work with Cheltenham Borough Council. Although Gloucester was not successful in becoming one of the Portas Pilots, the City Centre Management Team was successful in receiving £10,000 and support and advice from the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) for its future development. The money will be spent on enhancing the City’s market offer, further developing the business start-up opportunity within existing markets and more night markets. The submission to the Heritage Lottery Townscape Initiative for a bid of £1.2 million for works proposed in Southgate Street was successfully awarded in April and a THI Project Officer is now in post to progress the Stage 2 bid. The Kimbrose Area Grant Scheme launched in 2012 offers £60,000 of funding to tenants and residents within the scheme area for improvements and reinstatement of architectural features. So far five projects have been funded. Ten properties have benefited from improvements with the aid of facelift grants in Southgate Street and a further six schemes have a grant offer. A new heritage interpretation board has been installed at St Michael’s Tower, this was funded by the Civic Trust and designed and installed by the City Council. The enhancement of the Fleece site is well under way by securing and making weather tight the Grade I listed building and Salt Loft. Listed Building Consent has been granted for demolition of modern additions including the link block. The Mayor of Gloucester, Councillor David Brown welcomed around 90 guests to the Gloucester Civic Awards ceremony on the evening of 18th July. Of the 33 schemes nominated, 7 received awards in a range of categories. In addition, there were 8 commendations. It was widely agreed that the historic setting of the newly available Blackfriars Priory made for a memorable evening. A leaflet giving details of all the awards and commendations has since been published. 2. RETHINKING HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TOURISM The second strand of the Cultural Strategy looks to improving access, visibility and the quality of heritage facilities and attractions in the City. There is a real appetite for heritage and cultural tourism, not only from visitors but also our residents. To address this interest, a range of initiatives and projects have been developed that not only put Gloucester on the map but increase residents’ pride in their City. PT13112D 3 Gloucester Quays hosted its second Food Festival, already the biggest free Food Festival in the UK, with special guest chefs Gino D’Acampo, James Martin, Gloucestershire’s own The Fabulous Baker Brothers and Gloucester and England rugby hero and Celebrity Masterchef winner Phil Vickery, alongside live bands, tasting sessions and regional food producers. The festival attracted more than 93,000 visitors over three days and was promoted nationwide, putting the City firmly on the foodie map. Gloucester Quays joined up with partners across the City to add to Gloucester’s collective celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee with family activities, ‘Best of British’ markets and traditional English music over the Jubilee Weekend. Following customer feedback, the Guildhall hosted ‘A Right Tea Dance’ as part of the Jubilee celebrations. The event proved so popular we are making the tea dance a regular feature in our programme. The Guildhall team helped to coordinate the Jubilee celebrations, ranging from decorating the gate streets in red, white and blue bunting, providing equipment to community celebrations happening over the weekend and organising two days of events in Gloucester Park featuring music performances from Euphoria show choir and the excellent 50’s style band, The Firebirds, along with dance demonstrations, vintage scooters, craft workshops and games for all the family. The Museum Service provided staff and support for several city wide celebrations and events. Children’s activities were provided for Jubilee and Summer Festival family events in the Park. The City Museum held a 1950’s style village fete in the Wheatstone hall to celebrate the Jubilee, while the Folk Museums’ retro room looked at Royal Jubilees and people’s memories of them throughout the ages. Blackfriars is open to the public every Sunday and Monday between 10-4pm as a visitor attraction and available Tuesday to Saturday for events and private hires. In May we held our first wedding ceremony and reception and we have already hosted a number of private and community events since signing the lease. Blackfriars Priory was the main base for Gloucester History Festival in September, playing host to a variety of history talks organised by Marketing Gloucester. We have also hosted the Gloucester Mayor Making Ceremony and the National Sheriffs AGM. The inaugural Gloucester History Festival took place between 27th August and 9th September. The festival featured over 140 events including processions, history talks, lectures, re-enactments as well as Horrible Histories stage show. Marketing Gloucester worked with local historian Darrel Kirby to organise a Heritage Pubs Festival as part of the Gloucester History Festival. The accompanying literature can be re-used for a permanent Historic Pub Trail. The parties will hold talks with the Civic Trust to look at funding the printing of the leaflets.