How did the Cultural Leadership Board come about?
The CLB was born out of recent calls for new approaches to economic growth that fully acknowledge the impact and value of the culture sector. The value of the creative and tourism industries has been recognised in the formation of representative bodies, Local Industrial Strategies and the West Midlands current Plan for Growth. The CLB was comprised to offer a new, sector-led approach to local government’s delivery of cultural objectives.
In 2019 the West Midlands had major cultural events (Coventry City of Culture 2021 and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games) on the horizon. Such events bring potential investment opportunities and productivity improvements to the region’s arts, culture and visitor economies. In response to these opportunities, the development of the CLB provided a regional, convening and coordinating body.
In January 2019 the WMCA approved the concept of the Board, leading to a public call-out for potential members in the late summer of 2019. The WMCA received 73 expressions of interest which were reviewed by panel members from the WMCA and the cultural sector. In 2019 key cultural anchor institutions in the WMCA area were consulted to establish fair art form and institutional representation with Board membership. Later, in 2021, a second recruitment process was held to fulfil identified artform and skills gaps.