Working group updates
‘More than a Moment’ update and feedback from WMCA EDI conversation – Jerrel Jackson updates:
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Working group last met in July and was focusing on the action plan items
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Jerrel attended the More than a Moment meeting organised by Culture Central and is waiting on some further information to guide our future work. Overall, CLB was moving in the right direction.
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Jerrel met with Mike Lewis (WMCA Senior Policy Officer) and Anna Sirmoglou (WMCA Equalities & Diversity Manager) to better understand wider WMCA approach and how inform them about the EDI work the CLB is undertaking. This was a useful conversation.
Cultural & Creative Social Enterprise programme – Salla Virman on behalf of Pamela Cole-Hudson Key updates:
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The programme is progressing well overall
- Delivery has been extended until the end of January 2022 for Kiondo so now expecting the programme to come to an end in February 2022
Black Country Cultural Investment working group – Salla Virman on behalf of Parminder Dosanjh updates:
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The stakeholder group has been meeting regularly and a consultant was hired to bring together ideas
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Two workshops were held in July with the invitations extended beyond COG and CLB to ensure wider engagement.
- A first draft of the proposal has been produced and there will be a further consultation in September before further work will be done on scoping specific investment ideas and the detail.
Tourism Recovery Plan feedback – Andrew Lovett
Andrew and Indi attend a briefing session with the West Midlands Growth Company to go through the draft Tourism Recovery Plan. It was agreed that further feedback would be sought from the CLB. Andrew therefore invited comments from CLB which will then be fed back to WMGC.
Key feedback included:
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Overall, cultural sector opportunities not sufficiently included in the proposals – there is a real opportunity to create more excitement about the region
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Consider how the region’s cultural heritage could be better used in branding the region (e.g. internationally significant music heritage, visual arts, dance). These could be a great way to develop ‘hero themes’
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Ensuring diversity & inclusion are considered when e.g. highlighting contributions of different people
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Ensuring we make the most of our heritage assets
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Ensure that looking at the sector more widely beyond the major events, as well as giving opportunities to smaller organisations as well to showcase their offer
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Ensure the recent WM cultural sector research will inform the strategy – particularly around demographics and cultural participation data & recommendations
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Ensure night-time economy is considered, as well as link up culture and heritage
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Focus on ‘experiences’ and create different narratives for different customer segments. Sussex Modern is a great example of pointing tourists to smaller organisations and places of interest for tourists to visit –but fitting with a coherent narrative.
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Go ‘beyond Shakespeare’ to consider what our strengths are and how to change the dial to include a varied cultural offer.
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Better links with the tourism & cultural sector – potentially some information sessions to ensure tourism sector better understands the cultural sector – particularly considering the major role culture plays in our visitor economy. Tourism sector should also keep the cultural sector better informed of opportunities and developments
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Ensure digital marketing is considered across the piece with interesting creative content – and ensuring especially young people are targeted in relevant channels and are offered interesting experiences that link both with the heritage – but still have a contemporary edge (e.g. Peaky Blinders)
- Ensure cultural offer is included in international promotion opportunities such as Dubai Expo
Salla to collated feedback and share with WMGC.
Action:
- Board members to send further feedback to Salla & Andrew