Agenda item

Considered -

A report by Mark Kibblewhite, Senior Policy Officer, Business and Environmental Services, North Yorkshire County Council regarding the North Yorkshire Cultural Framework.

Mark Kibblewhite was unable to attend the meeting and so David Smurthwaite, Strategic Manager, Planning and Regeneration, Craven District Council presented the report.

Some of the key points highlighted in the report are as summarised below:

·         The Cultural Framework for North Yorkshire has been developed by a partnership working group made up of the District Councils and North Yorkshire County Council, with support from Arts Council England and Cultural Stakeholders in the County

·         The framework was taken to the meeting of the Executive in March 2022, at which meeting the Area Constituency Committees were asked to review the document and identify any key cultural assets that may have been overlooked

·         The framework seeks to draw out the role that culture can play in regeneration and place shaping; developing skills and supporting creative industries; individual health and wellbeing; and supporting community development and quality of life

·         The framework will be a catalyst for the beginning of an ongoing cultural conversation in North Yorkshire

·         Key themes in the framework are: innovation; use of new technology to open up access and expand reach within the County and beyond; using our creativity and voice to alert communities to the challenges we face around climate change and help catalyse action

·         The pandemic had a significant and negative impact upon large parts of the cultural sector and so part of the framework is about sustained recovery

·         Members were referred to the audit of cultural assets in the county at Appendix F to the main report.

There followed a discussion, the key points of which are as summarised below:

·         There is often a lack of leadership which means that opportunities for local cultural organisations to work with each other and complement one another are missed.  Often provision is dis-jointed and the links with economic development and tourism missed or not fully realised

·         National funding tends to go to those organisations that have built a strong local reputation for the delivery of high quality cultural events.  It is much harder for smaller, developing groups to access such funding

·         Query raised about the lack of analysis in the report and framework document of the threats to cultural activity in the area, such as the loss of music venues

·         The framework is a statement of what there is at the moment.  What about the plan for what happens next and some clearly stated steps for the development of cultural activity and how this can support the local economy and growth

·         There is a need to target a number of areas of the county

·         Cultural activity can sometimes feel exclusive and not for everyone.  Further work needs to be done to encourage people of all ages and from all backgrounds to engage in culture

·         More work could be done to host larger cultural events in the county

·         Query regarding the quality of some of the cultural events in the county and how events planners could be supported in their work

·         The creation of a new unitary council for North Yorkshire will create opportunities for the development of a more coherent and sophisticated cultural offer for the county

·         It would be helpful to consider as part of the framework how cultural events and assets could be used to encourage young families into the area

·         More could be done to link culture and leisure to education.

The committee chair summed up and thanked David Smurthwaite for attending the meeting. 

Resolved –

a)    That the committee notes the report

b)    That members forward any queries regarding the cultural framework to David Smurthwaite.