Agenda item

Management of Arts Investments

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Clifford)

 

Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Clifford)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) which provided an up to date position regarding Arts commissioning and options for consideration in terms of support for Arts in the district.

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

 

Option 1: Arts commissioning is not undertaken at the present time - current arts investment arrangements continue

Option 2: Arts commissioning is undertaken and initial work begins as soon as possible

Advantages

Current arrangements deliver a good return and value for money  for the Council

 

Current arrangements

are robust and well managed

 

Current arrangements are consistent with criteria agreed as part of the Arts Commissioning Framework

 

Less uncertainty created for Arts organisations with current SLA’s

 

No additional costs are incurred  to meet resource requirements

 

Allows time for funding and sectoral issues to stabilise

 

No statutory requirement for the Council to introduce commissioning

 

Provides a refresh of current investments

 

Additional information may be obtained from consultation/ engagement with Arts sector and audiences

 

Potentially new initiatives can be supported within the overall budget

 

Provides longer term planning opportunities for successful delivery partners

 

Provides a robust framework in which to secure continuous improvement and VFM, in accordance with statutory requirements

Disadvantages

Flexibility to invest in new initiatives is limited to any other budgets that may be available from time to time.

 

Does not address potential gaps in service provision

 

Insufficient internal capacity at present, therefore additional costs will be needed to provide  the resources required to develop and deliver Arts commissioning (subject to redirection away from other council priorities)

 

 

The Council’s investment may (or may not) be distributed differently creating uncertainty and risks for organisations with existing SLA’s

 

Risks

Risk of underperformance – very low and managed as part of the monitoring and evaluation process

Other priority areas of work may be affected as impact on managerial time is inevitable

 

Risk of underperformance – would be managed as part of the monitoring and evaluation process

 

 

The Officer preferred Option was Option 1, which provides a good return on the Council’s investment in the Arts, avoids creating further instability in the Arts sector at a time when many changes are taking place and is manageable within existing staff resources.

 

The Council has invested in Arts in the district for many years and as a result of this and additional investment particularly by Lancashire County Council and the Arts Council, the district has a strong and growing arts and creative industries economy.  This offer is an important part of the district’s “Place Offer” to those who wish to live and work here, to visitors, both local and from further afield, and it also makes an important contribution to quality of life for local communities. 

 

The Council’s financial position is however under review as are the positions of other public sector funders to the arts, and it is difficult to justify investing in a commissioning strategy at this time until the future of these arrangements is determined.

 

Councillor Clifford proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-

 

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

(1)             That the City Council’s existing Arts investment framework continues, subject to annual budget processes, until such a time as Cabinet determines that it wishes to take an alternative approach.

(2)             That, to ensure value for money and provide consistency, the commissioning criteria outlined in the Commissioning Framework and agreed by Cabinet in December 2012, as well as any relevant performance measures, be used as the basis of evaluation for the City Council’s investment in the Arts.

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Chief Officer (Resources)

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

Investment in the Arts supports the City Council’s Corporate Priority of Sustainable Economic Growth, contributing to the delivery of the corporate outcome “The attractiveness and offer of the district, as a place to visit or invest in, will be improved.”

SLA’s were working well and it would be remiss to go down a route which would take away the City Council’s commitment to that process.

Supporting documents: