7 - Cultural Funding Future Paisley 23 24 Leadership Board June 14
Renfrewshire Council · 14 June 2023
Back to Leadership Board — 14 June 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
__________________________________________________________________ To: Leadership Board On: June 14, 2023 ________________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ________________________________________________________________________ Heading: Future Paisley Cultural Funding programme 2023/24 ________________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report provides members with an update on cultural funding for 2023/24. Round 13 of the Culture, Heritage, and Events Fund (CHEF) and Round 4 of the Cultural Organisational Development Fund (CODF), funded through Future Paisley, will be launched at the end of June 2023. The report outlines changes to CHEF Round 13 criteria, following feedback from the Review Panel during CHEF Round 12 and seeks delegated authority to administer the funds. 2. Recommendation 2.1 It is recommended that the Leadership Board: (i) Notes the development and launch of funding Rounds 4 (CODF) and 13 (CHEF) for 2023/24 and changes made to the criteria for CHEF based on feedback from the Review Panel in 2022/23. (ii) Agrees the established Cultural Recovery and Renewal Fund Panel will review the recommended awards in the forthcoming rounds of CHEF and CODF and delegates authority to the Head of Marketing and Communications to determine the applications for funding in this round and in future rounds, based on the views of the review panel, and to distribute the agreed awards swiftly. 3. Background 3.1 Cultural funding programmes are part of a wider programme of targeted interventions designed to maximise the impact of Future Paisley investment. Since 2016, £2.12m has been awarded in grants to Renfrewshire’s cultural sector and creative communities through 3 Future Paisley funding programmes.
Page 2
3.2 Renfrewshire Council’s Culture, Heritage, and Events Fund (CHEF) was established to develop cultural and heritage activity as part of Paisley’s UK City of Culture bid and continues to support the development and delivery of cultural and heritage projects and events across Renfrewshire. Through 12 funding rounds since 2016, CHEF has provided £1.34m to support 158 creative projects which have included: festivals, events, workshops, murals, performances, exhibitions, tours and productions in music, dance, theatre and drama, heritage, literature, visual arts and design, film, and animation. The Fund is administered through a partnership between Renfrewshire Council and OneRen. 3.3 The purpose of CHEF is to raise cultural ambition and stimulate new cultural, heritage and events activity, aiming to create long-lasting cultural, economic, and social transformation in Renfrewshire. The Fund has seven objectives: • Increase the number of people taking part in creative activity in Renfrewshire • Increase opportunities for young people to develop their creative ambition • Stimulate the local economy • Realise the potential contribution creativity can make to education, social inclusion, and quality of life • Strengthen and broaden the network of people developing cultural and creative projects in Renfrewshire • Increase the number of people visiting Renfrewshire • Raise the profile of Renfrewshire throughout the UK. 3.4 Renfrewshire Council’s Cultural Organisations Development Fund (CODF), funded by Future Paisley, is reserved for established or developing organisations based in Renfrewshire that have a cultural and creative purpose. Since 2019, £580,000 has been awarded in grants to eleven local cultural organisations. Through CODF, organisations have built their governance, leadership, and management; developed their existing workforce and created new staff posts; and extended their engagement and reach. Art Connection, a new network of cultural organisations, has emerged with membership of previous CODF recipients. 3.5 The purpose of CODF is to strengthen and build the capacity of local cultural and creative organisations in Renfrewshire. The Fund has 3 objectives: • To support organisations to become more sustainable and to take the next steps in their strategic development. • To build capacity in organisations to raise cultural ambition in Renfrewshire. • To support organisations which have an ongoing commitment to diversifying and expanding cultural participation. 4. 2023/24 Funding rounds 4.1 Building on the positive impact of previous funding rounds of cultural grants and the interim evaluation presented to Leadership Board in December 2022, Renfrewshire Council agreed £200,000 for Round 13 of CHEF, funded through Future Paisley cultural reserves. In addition, £200,000 has been identified through the Future Paisley Programme to fund a fourth round of CODF. Grants will fund activity to be delivered within the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years. If possible, funding for CHEF Round 13 and CODF Round 4 will be bolstered by any ‘fall ins’ returned to Future Paisley from underspends from previously awarded cultural grants.
Page 3
4.2 Following the 2022/23 funding round, two recommendations were made by the Cultural Recovery and Renewal Fund Panel in relation to the CHEF fund, and were subsequently agreed by the Future Paisley Partnership Board: 4.2.1 Recognising an imbalance between an increasing number of applications from organisations representing black and ethnic minority communities and New Scots, and those successfully being funded, officers from OneRen and the Council will strengthen engagement with groups to ensure the application process is accessible and the criteria understood. In addition, up to £30,000 of CHEF Round 13 funding will be available to support applications from artists, groups and organisations who represent minority groups. 4.2.2 The criteria for CHEF Round 13 will be strengthened with priority given to applications that meet one or more three development areas: • Clear opportunities for a young person or young people to develop their cultural and creative skills. • Cultural and creative activities that promote cultural diversity and bring communities together. • Projects that reach and impact those with protected characteristics. 4.3 The 2023/24 funding rounds will be launched in June, and open for applications through summer 2023, with potential applicants offered pre-application advice and support. Applications for both funds will close in September, with grants awarded in autumn, following a rigorous application assessment process. 4.4 The established Cultural Renewal and Recovery Fund Panel will review recommended awards in CHEF Round 13 and CODF Round 4, and based on their views, the Head of Marketing and Communications will determine the applications to be awarded funding. The Cultural Review Funding Panel comprises two elected members Cllr Lisa- Marie Hughes and Cllr Alison Ann-Dowling and Future Paisley Partner Dr Alan McNiven, Chief Executive of Engage Renfrewshire. 4.5 OneRen will run a series of information sessions about CHEF Round 13 for prospective applicants, prior to the application deadline. This will be supplemented as required by one-to-one support in alignment with our key development areas, to improve accessibility. The maximum award will be £20,000, with applicants able to apply for up to 100% of total project costs. 4.6 One Ren will also run a series of advice surgeries about CODF Round 4 for prospective applicants, prior to the application deadline. Only single applications will be eligible, with a maximum award value of £20,000. Organisations will be required to generate a minimum of 10% of their total project budget from other funding sources, either in cash or in kind. 4.7 The interim evaluation of CHEF and CODF (and recovery funding through Covid19), is demonstrating strong cumulative impact. In addition to a wide range of beneficial community impacts, funding has protected the livelihoods of freelance arts practitioners and supported cultural organisations during a precarious financial climate, even enabling some to thrive. Future Paisley investment has generated momentum and created a new cultural landscape and has supported the development of new cultural organisations, events and partnerships and helped existing infrastructure to extend its reach. Funds have redistributed power, enabling creative communities to lead their own projects on their own terms, based on their own needs. Projects have contributed to enhancements in our communities’ health and wellbeing, promoted
Page 4
cultural diversity and strengthened social cohesion. This ongoing commitment by Renfrewshire Council is helping to build agency and capacity in our communities and the next generation of cultural leadership in Renfrewshire. 4.8 Evaluation of the Future Paisley programme is ongoing, will be brought back to a future Leadership Board for review. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – none 2. HR & Organisational Development – none 3. Community/Council Planning – Council Plan PLACE (Demonstrating that Renfrewshire is a great place to live, work and visit) - delivering Future Paisley, our far-reaching cultural regeneration programme, harnessing the power of the arts, heritage and culture for social and economic change. 4. Legal – none 5. Property/Assets – none 6. Information Technology – none 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report 8. Health & Safety – none 9. Procurement – none 10. Risk – none 11. Privacy Impact – none 12. Cosla Policy Position –not applicable Author: Louisa Mahon, Head of Marketing and Communications, T: 0141 618 7546 E: louisa.mahon@renfrewshire.gov.uk