Consortium AGM 2007
Date: 9th May 2007Time: 7:00pm
Location: Kings Theatre, Southsea.
Present: See Listing at the bottom of the minutes.
Apologies: Cllr Paula Riches, Stephen Baily (Head of Culture, Portsmouth City
Council), Martin Chalk and Jonathan Fost (both Cultural Consortium Executive Group
members).
1. Welcome
John Phillipson welcomed everyone to the meeting and updated all on the past year.
This is the 3rd Annual General Meeting and John has been Chair for the past 30
months.
John read out a few lines from an e-mail that Stephen Baily had sent with his apologies, regarding the recent full page article in The Guardian newspaper, featuring
Aspex Gallery, Arthur Conan Doyle Collection and the Spinnaker Tower. Culture group in Portsmouth City Council‟s (PCC) is creating partnership projects with
other agencies, such as Aspex, as part of their offsite programme of events and activities. Recently the Culture group has received some great and positive feedback
from the Victoria & Albert Museum, they have also offered to advise on specialist areas, such as storage, such partnerships are central to the development of the
Cultural Blueprint, which the process of it‟s development received Executive approval in March. This will link the Cultural Strategy with the Community Strategy. The
Cultural Blueprint should be agreed in the autumn.
Members of the Executive Group have been invited to be part of a number of groups,
such as, John Phillipson is involved in the Economic Wellbeing Partnership (EWP)
which is a cross agency group responsible for pulling together ideas and help
implement the vision of the Community Strategy. We have a representative on the
Portsmouth Festivities group, the Museum Strategy and Study Group and the
Seafront Strategy. We have also taken part in the Community Involve Partnership
Board, (CIPB).
John emphasised that Culture is everything that we do to enhance our lives.
In the past year we have found that raising issues and lobbying Councillors and
council Officers by letter and e-mail is an effective way of influencing the decisionmakers..
For example, on hearing that Colas was appealing PCC‟s refusal of planning
permission for 16 large illuminated street advertising panels on lampposts around the
city, including residential areas, we wrote a letter to the Planning Inspector in
advance of the appeal hearing. We then attended the hearing, as the only third party,
in support of PCC. As a result of combined consortium and PCC efforts, the inspector
refused permission for 13 of the 16 panels. Our position was based upon the loss
amenity, design quality and raising the feel good factor.
We have started a series of discussion groups called Culture Matters. The first
meeting took place on 18th April - the topic was Theatre in Portsmouth. The minutes
from this meeting will be available soon and will be disseminated through the website,
the attendees and to the relevant officers in Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth as a City undersells itself. In Bath recently a free paper had a whole page
devoted to Portsmouth promoting Portsmouth as a great day out for the whole family.
John offered his thanks to the members of the executive for their support and to Sally
Pulvertaft who has been a member of the Cultural Consortium Executive during the
past year, but unfortunately could no longer spare the time to continue. He also
thanked the support received from our administrator, Sharon Watling.
2. Election of Executive Members
The nominations for re election are John Phillipson, Jonathan Fost, Peter Wainwright,
Martin Chalk, Stephen Morgan, Brandon Prince and Sean Bowman.
The nominations for election to the Executive were read out; the only new nomination
being, Barbara Milligan, Head of the University of Portsmouth‟s School of Art, Design
and Media. Barbara was involved in the groups that assisted the creation of the
Cultural Strategy document and now feels that she wishes to become involved again.
Barbara is interested in the regeneration of Portsmouth, education and audience
development. She is currently project managing a developing gallery at the University
of Portsmouth
All nominations were accepted by a show of hands, by present.
The Executive committee will elect a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer at the next
available meeting.
3. Culture Matters Discussion Panel
Some weeks before the meeting, invitations had been sent to 4 PCC Strategic
Directors and the Executive Member for Culture and Leisure to attend the AGM, and
to address a specific question relevant to their directorate. It was very pleasing to
have 4 of the 5 invitees available to attend.
Roger Ching, Director for Corporate Resources and Services, which includes Financial
Services, introduced himself and proceeded to answer the following question: “What
is the connection between Culture and Money?”
The demand for money is greater than the amount available. His role focuses on how
best to allocate resources. A key question he raised is to what extent should
taxpayers subsidise cultural services.
Culture on its own does not bring money into the city but culture along with
everything else the city has to offer it does. Although this income does not come into
the Local Authority, it does though affect the local economy.
Lynda Fisher, Strategic Director for Children, Families & Learning was posed the
question: “How is Culture involved in Education?”
Lynda has lived in Portsmouth now for four years. This directorate is a statutory
service and therefore accounts for 50% of the council‟s budget. Lynda is passionate
about the effect of culture in people‟s lives. Culture is a huge leveller in education,
and releases potential. Portsmouth has some huge challenges too, but the best way
to get to young people is through arts in education. This makes the curriculum
enjoyable and interesting. Culture is a way of liberating young people. It offers
activities where people are not excluded. Lynda wants schools to be a mass exposure
to culture, and for there to be a buzz. There is a need to put culture in the classroom.
We also need to be positive about the culture of simply watching people enjoying
being together. Culture is everywhere in the City and we have a responsibility to
expose people to culture in its widest sense – to enlighten children to all culture, art,
theatre, opera. It is important that they experience all forms of culture to enable
them to make their own choices. We should also consider giving people “tasters” of
culture.
Julian Lomas, Strategic Director for Environment & Transport. The question posed to
Julian was “How should culture influence the physical development of the City?”
Julian has been in this post for 2 years, and the directorate covers everything from
planning to rats and dogs.
The physical environment in which we live should reflect the culture of the city, its
heritage and personality. What is the future we want to develop whilst reflecting the
heritage - it‟s critical that the two blend together, as well as blending the individual
physical being of the different areas of the city.
This can be done in three ways,
1. Directly through architecture and public art.
2. Buildings need to enable cultural activities; for example in the open air of the city
centre to encourage people to linger and enjoy, and see open-air performances.
3. Through the direct provision of buildings to provide the cultural services – this
should be reflected in policies.
Barbara Thompson, Strategic Director for Economy, Culture and Community Safety.
The question posed to Barbara was “How does culture fit into the economic
regeneration of the City?”
Culture is now a shared agenda across the council. There is a link to regeneration,
and there is a hard and soft edge to culture; the hard edge is the driver and the soft
edge helps to shape identity and sense of place.
SHIPS, Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth, say that the Creative
Culture spend by 2015 will be 46%, total of £2.4 billion will be spent on culture. The
creative sector is the fastest growing sector in the region. However, 80% of those
who work in that sector are invisible to the general public.
The European figures state that 50% of holidays are culturally motivated this could be
for a city break or for cultural activities.
We have to support the individuals in the culture sector where there is a lot of passion
and enthusiasm.
Aspex Gallery, Barbara is a member of the City Growth Board who had previously said
that „Portsmouth doesn‟t do art stuff‟ well now we do! Aspex is working very well in its
new location at Gunwharf Quays.
We have a gritty culture to this city and we need to reflect this in any regeneration
plans we have. We also have to learn how to mix the art and culture with the different
areas in the city.
Culture accounts for a 5.8% difference in literacy performance in the city, this is a
huge driver.
4. Question and Answer Session
Anna Potten – What is meant by “culture is not a big income generator?”
Barbara Thompson – the budget of between £18 and £20 million means that culture
is a minor part of the overall budget compared to other directorates.
All of the directorates work together to make best use of the money available, as
sport and arts are important to education. This creates a large amount of crossdirectorate
working. If children are engaged in learning in different ways then they
will continue to learn and succeed as they grow up.
Cllr Terry Hall – Copnor Bridge is a fantastic example of culture, art and engineering
working well together to create good evidence of the way things need to be done.
Marie Costa – Culture is vibrant in this city and creates a feeling of wellbeing. More
and more is being asked of the volunteers to help deliver projects, when volunteers
don‟t get paid and very often won‟t claim expenses. What can be done to help them?
Honorine Djemaba-McDonald – It should be remembered that many people volunteer
because they want to have fun.
Roger Ching – SRB funding has now finished including funding to the Community
Boards. Despite this, the Paulsgrove Carnival is an excellent example of volunteers
working because they want the project to succeed.
Lynda Fisher – Education is looking to work more and more on projects with local
artists as they have in the new Mary Rose School. This will continue to happen.
Barbara Thompson – It‟s not going to get any easier for volunteers. The ecology of
the creative / cultural sector will improve through the nurture, support and training
available to them, through the Arts Council, Portsmouth Council of Community
Service, a funding database called J4B can assist in the completion of applications,
also the Tracs programme can support volunteers. Volunteers do lots of things on
projects meaning that the projects succeed when without the volunteers, them they
probably wouldn‟t.
Barbara Milligan – Creative partnerships in schools come under the Arts Council.
There is a project called Making Space that is in Leigh Park; this project is joint
funded with Havant and Fareham. The Arts Council will not fund unless you are in partnership with 2 or 3 different groups and volunteers. We need to find ways to bring
partners together.
Julian Lomas – We need to stop putting Culture in the „culture box‟, people and
culture are working together in many different ways.
Barbara Milligan - Having an audience is very important but there needs to be a
balance.
Arts in the City is a large investment with its increase 3 or 4 fold.
The Department for Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) are looking at other ways to
measure outcomes on projects, a dialogue needs to happen. Art has a different way
of evaluation it is not just pure numbers, its about feelings too.
Mary Vallely – The Culture budget had been cut year on year and a large amount of
funding is allocated to religious groups, should this happen?
Barbara Thompson – If the service was cut as per its ranking then the percentage cut
would have been greater. But Culture was given some growth money to investigate
the new culture centre, but the Museums and Libraries budget will face cuts.
Anna Potten – the Arts Council‟s funding has had a top slice cut to support the 2012
Olympics, this shouldn‟t happen as it will affect everyone as there isn‟t enough money
to go around and will impact Arts Funding in the long term.
The Olympic games also comes under the culture heading so it is right that it receives
appropriate funding. A large amount of investment in schools and engineering
projects is taking place. Portsmouth needs to take part in the 6 weeks of the games
as well as taking a piece of the Olympic offer beyond the 6 weeks and into the future.
Peter Wainwright – How can we find a new way of setting the Council‟s budget so that
culture is embedded in all services?
Barbara Thompson – Portsmouth City Council has priorities and culture permeates
across these and therefore across the whole council.
Measurement is an issue but there is a better understanding from the DCMS we need
to invite them here to see what we are achieving.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson – PCC needs to find out what are people‟s aspirations and try
to help them to achieve them, rather than telling them what they can do. PCC need to
be better at advertising and co-ordination. We need to look at places such as Eastney
Cellars. Lots of investment is going into community centres, like we have done at St
Jude‟s.
Gerald Vernon- Jackson - There have been some plus points, support to the Kings
Theatre with £600k funding over 2005 to 2010, this is matched with other grants and
volunteers. The New Theatre Royal, Art in schools. There are 2 galleries opening in
the University of Portsmouth.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson - Money now buys less than it used to, most of the budget
goes on things like rates, utility bills as these have increase to.
Stephen Morgan – Vision and Culture, when should or could we bid to become the
European City of Culture?
Barbara Thompson- This should happen soon but we need to go together, the whole
authority needs to focus on the process with all the outside agencies and the culture
sector. It is the whole process that is important, even being runner up means that we
have won as going through the whole process makes the difference.
Mary Vallely – What is the University doing to help the City?
Barbara Milligan – There are lots of community projects happening many are very
small but some have a huge effect. Technical equipment being offered by
organisations for use that wouldn‟t normally be available. These projects enable
people who normally underplay themselves to benefit enormously from art and
culture.
The university also runs the Up For It programme.
Peter Wainwright – Most communication of the culture on offer is dependent on the
„Guide‟, which is only available on one day of the week. PCC needs to take more
responsibility for promoting more good news about the city, especially about culture.
PCC‟s website should be used for this, the website, as perceived by the public, needs
revitalising.
Barbara Thompson – The best publication for the City are the people themselves, they
are the ambassadors. The idea about improving the website is one we need to look
at.
Money is needed to go into the Community to encourage them to get involved.
Barbara Milligan – The University is very much a part of the city and the culture
agenda it also supports Creative Industries.
Ian Pratt – Ian referred to the council‟s investment of around £600K into the Kings
Theatre during 2005-2010. The return leads to a £5M investment in the city overall.
Evidence of this is in the increase in renovations in shops and restaurants in the area
around the Kings Theatre, and all along Albert Road.
Stuart Olesker – Stuart mentioned the theatre and drama work that the University
has been doing in the community, often with groups of people who are excluded
and/or have difficulties. Much of this goes on unpublicised, and the University could
do more to make people aware of this work.
There was considerable discussion about the language of culture – words like
evaluation, outcomes, returns and so on can alienate ordinary people.
John Phillipson rounded off the AGM by stating that the Cultural Consortium‟s job is
about pulling things together, and if you have any ideas on how this can be done
please contact us.
Two ideas/questions were left on pieces of paper in response: Cllr David Stephen
Butler left a question, What is distinctive about what Southsea can offer to
Portsmouth Culture? Another person wrote “Impact of music, drama, film etc on
excluded or marginalised young people could be more recognised and supported,
morally (already the case), and financially?”
Future events:
The Culture Trail 29 June to 6 July - lots of activities.
The Bandstand events start Sunday 27th May.
The Portsmouth Festivities programme starts 22nd June and includes 1st July with
Platinum ABBA and a firework display at the Bandstand Southsea.
Southsea Food Festival 10am to 3pm, 20th May Palmerston Road Southsea.
Meeting concluded 9:10pm.
Attendees
Cllr Terry Hall Mark Courtice Ian Pratt
Brandon Prince David Cooper Anna Potten
Marie Costa Mary Vallely Ken Dobson
Sean Bowman John Phillipson Peter Wainwright
Honorine MacDonald Pippa Cleary Cllr David Stephen Butler
Julian Lomas Barbara Milligan Barbara Thompson
Lynda Fisher Roger Ching Heather Todd
Penny Rance Eileen Dobson Stuart Olesker
Sharon Watling Stephen Morgan Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson
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