Agenda item

(Led by: Helen Featherstone, Lead Officer: Liz Hunter)

The Board considered a report of the Head of Transport Policy which provided an update on the revised Culture, Heritage and Sport Framework.

Helen Featherstone introduced the item updating the Board on the development of the revised Framework and seeking their feedback.

She explained that, over the next three years, the Combined Authority was looking to invest £11.5 million in culture, heritage and sport. The Combined Authority therefore requires a Framework that identifies the outcomes that are a priority to focus on and how these investments are sequenced.

The Culture Committee meeting in March 2022 agreed that the region’s Culture, Heritage and Sport Framework should be revised in consultation with a range of stakeholders from the sector, and our communities. The proposed timeline for this is as follows:

·       Priorities workshop with culture and sport sector: 12 April 2022

·       External consultation exercise with and sector and community groups: April – Sept 2022

·       Public Consultation on Your Voice: 25 July – 18 Sept 2022

·       Draft Cultural Framework to Culture, Heritage and Sport Committee: Oct 2022

·       Formal sign off by LEP and Combined Authority: Dec 2022

Since March 2022, the Combined Authority had held a range of face-to-face workshops and online sessions to seek views on the Framework. One of the aims of consulting with the Board was to ascertain how best to engage with business to help grow the creative industries sector.

As part of the Framework, the Combined Authority were in the process of reviewing the business support offer for the creative and sport sectors to ensure that a range of different models, including co-operatives, CICs and social enterprises, can benefit from business support.

Helen Featherstone sought the Board’s view on the Framework and asked for their feedback.

Members made the following comments:

·       It was observed that many large tech companies were offering free courses to enable people to go through an isometric training process. This could help them to develop new skills and could also encourage young people to get involved in the tech industry. As such, it might be helpful to promote such courses as an alternative to other formal qualification routes.

·       In relation to cultural activities, Board members agreed that it would be helpful to map our activities within specific areas and consider which organisations were already delivering programmes to see how this can be best leveraged.

·       It was hoped that new Cultural Framework would bring about further funding for cultural activities and that these new investment priorities would be identified once the framework had been finalised.

Resolved:

      i.         That the development of the revised Culture, Heritage and Sport Framework be noted, and;

     ii.         That the feedback of Board members be noted and any further comments be provided to the Combined Authority’s Head of Culture, Heritage and Sport, and;

    iii.         That particular consideration be given to ‘Theme 4 Business’ of the Framework (see page 14 of the appended Framework document), and that the role of the LEP should be articulated in this section of the Framework;

   iv.         That following feedback from the public engagement and stakeholder engagement (including the LEP Board), a final version of the Framework be drafted, and shared with the LEP Board and Combined Authority for final approval in December 2022.