Culture creating London anew

8 SEPTEMBER 2010

POLICY: CULTURE

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policy document - culture

London’s cultural sector and creative industries are estimated to be worth around £20 billion per year to our economy - second only to the financial services industry – employing more than 500,000 people across the capital. But the value of the industry extends well beyond economic worth and their potential as a cornerstone of London’s economy remains unfulfilled.

Although the GLA has strategic responsibility for culture, no single agency for culture exists in London, nor is the GLA a major direct funder of the industry. The role of the GLA and the Mayor, therefore, is to work in partnership in setting priorities, providing leadership, encouraging innovation, piloting projects and delivering long-term improvements and strategic direction to the sector.

The current Mayor’s approach to the cultural industries has, as in so many other areas, fallen short of the potential of the office.

To make the most of the potential of the powers of the Mayoralty effectively, the Mayor needs an inspiring vision that others can rally to – with the Mayor developing key themes and associated interventions to drive the cultural transformation of the city.

The current Mayor’s Culture Strategy 2010 has been published and is in the consultation phase. It doesn’t pass

the vision test. It is a bland, safe strategy with five main themes:

Maintaining London’s position as a world city for culture•Widening the reach to excellence•Education, skills and careers•Infrastructure, environment and the public realm•Culture and London in 2012 •

These are all hygiene factors – they’re not a vision for how culture might sit in a markedly different relationship to the city and its citizens. What the current Mayor’s strategy lacks is any sense of how London’s communities can really embrace culture differently, and any coherent overarching cultural vision – in terms of how can art, artists, and communities can play a bigger role in the cultural and civic life of the City.

This isn’t about London showcasing culture, but about culture creating London anew.

I want to make London the most supportive cultural city in the world – the best place to shoot a film, to create a site specific piece of work, to stage a public space / public realm experiment. A place that hosts extraordinary events – that other cities thought were impossible to undertake effectively. And a city that achieves this with large scale public

CONTEXT

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policy document - culture

involvement.

By investing in culture, we invest in ourselves. Even in these tough recessionary times, I want to lead London as a capital of inspiration, where our capital’s cultural offer is open to all, regardless of their wealth, background or geographic location.

As Mayor, I will:

Re-invent the London Cultural Strategy Group as a lean •and powerful body to promote culture and the arts across London, seeking to over the functions of Arts Council England’s London operations to ensure we deliver better value for money and an improved offer for Londoners.Appoint a Creative Director for London and a series •of ‘artists and performers’ in residence to showcase London’s up and coming talent. Create a powerful new Film Council for London, •attempting to minimise the damage the Government’s decision to abolish the UK Film Council will cause to one of London’s most important industries and capture the talent, experience and expertise that is at risk of being lost.Negotiate a ‘Londoner’s discount’ for major London •attractions to ensure that all Londoners, whatever their background, can enjoy some of our favourite tourist hot spot.

Spearhead a ‘cultural co-commissioning’ initiative, •bringing together key public service commissioners with representatives from the cultural sector to look at how culture can help them with the design and delivery of new public service solutions in areas like mental health, education and community cohesion.Broker a ‘city to the suburbs’ deal with some of London’s •major cultural brands to release strategic funds and commission new activities across the city.Work with trades unions and community groups to •re-establish the ‘Rise’ festival as Europe’s largest anti-racism festival – bigger and better than ever before.Encourage bottom up innovation by giving communities •the money to commission their own cultural activity and create more ‘pop up’ performances and exhibitions across the capital.Work to identify a network of public spaces across the •city that could be utilised to cultural ends and work with local landlords and authorities to help reinvigorate high streets left empty as a result of recession.Invite leading artists and intellectuals from across the •globe to colonise some public institutions/space to reaffirm our status as a global cultural capital.Build a new young people’s artist exchange programme •– with a focus on digital, fashion, music and culture – with the aim of creating new cultural production and experiences.

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The potential for culture to make a difference is bigger now than ever – not only for the enjoyment for London’s citizens, but to improve the ambition, aspiration and quality of life of all Londoners. Resources and funding may be scarce, but in London’s cultural community we have both established and aspiring artists and performers whose creativity should be nurtured and promoted by City Hall.

The Greater London Authority Act requires the establishment of a Cultural Strategy Group. The Group is a ‘body corporate’, which means it has the power to establish itself as a quasi-autonomous body, appointing its own staff, holding and allocating funds etc. As Mayor, I will reinvent the Cultural Strategy Group as a new, lean and powerful body to promote culture and the arts across London and seek to take over the functions of Arts Council England’s London operations to ensure that, in a challenging spending climate, we are delivering better value for money and improving the artistic and cultural offer for all Londoners.

I also want to ensure that artists are genuinely able to take the lead in developing and shaping London’s cultural offer. Within the new Arts Administration, I will appoint a ‘Creative Director’ for London, to animate London’s public realm and spaces with greater verve and ambition than ever before and ensure that City Hall itself is used as a space for promote London’s rich cultural heritage through the appointment of artists and performers in residence, aimed at giving up and coming citizens the break through they need to showcase their talents.

As Mayor, I want to see culture at the heart of every community and at the centre of public service delivery. As a nation, I believe we have yet to fully realise the huge contribution that the cultural sector can make to improving public service delivery and quality of life, particularly for those suffering as a result of poverty and inequality. I will therefore spear head a ‘cultural co-commissioning’ initiative, bringing together a ‘star chamber’ of key public sector service commissioners with a representative group from the cultural sector to look at how culture can help them with the design and delivery of new solutions that will impact on key priority areas, like mental health services, education and skills and community cohesion.

London’s cultural offer should extend beyond the tourist hotspots of central London and reach into every community. As Mayor I will work to broker a ‘City to the Suburbs’ deal with some of London’s major cultural brands to release strategic funds and commission new work and activities across all of London’s communities, supported by my administration.

I also want to promote a ‘DIY culture’, encouraging ‘bottom up’ innovation by giving communities the money to commission their own cultural activity / celebrations and create more pop up cultural performances across the city – both small and large scale. This would essentially create an environment in which Londoners can stumble across culture in their city.

One of the barriers to cultural activity at local level is that most facilities still require a hire charge. As Mayor, I will work to identify a network of public resources across the city (church halls, hireable public rooms, etc) and investigate the possibility of offering a public subsidy and commissioning artists to work with local communities to use these spaces to cultural ends. While London remains affected by the recession, I would seek to work with landlords and local authorities to help reinvigorate high streets with empty units by using them to host ‘pop up’ cultural exhibits.

Our city’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths. It is astonishing that within a matter of weeks of taking office, Boris Johnson saw fit to scrap Europe’s largest anti-racism festival: Rise. Rise was a fantastic celebration of London’s multicultural vibe, but its core message of combating racism and discrimination was vital in a city where racism and fascism continues to pose a threat. As Mayor, I will work with trade unions, anti-racist organisations and community groups across London to re-establish Rise – bigger and better than ever before.

CREaTINg a POwERfUL aRTS adMINISTRaTION

fROM ThE CITY TO ThE SUBURBS: dISTRIBUTEd CULTURE aCROSS ThE CaPITaL

CELEBRaTINg LONdON’S dIvERSITY aNd gLOBaL REaCh

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There is so much more we can do to celebrate the diverse cultural influences that make our city so vibrant – a truly global city. As Mayor, I would invite leading intellectuals and artists from across the globe to culturally colonise some public institutions/public space and build a new young people’s artist exchange programme – with a focus on digital, fashion, music and culture – with the aim of creating new cultural production and experiences.

London is a national and international centre for film, but that position is at risk following the Government’s disastrous decision to abolish the UK Film Council (UKFC).

Currently, our city is third busiest filming production centre in the world1. Over 75% of the UK’s film industry is located within the capital or the two major studios just outside the

city2. In 2009, the UK enjoyed its second best production year on record and the highest level of inward investment to date, which more than doubled from £338m in 2008 to £752m. The total value of feature film production in the UK in 2009 was £956.9m, up by 56% compared with the previous year3. Much of this success can be attributed to the role performed by the UK Film Council and Film London, which was formed in 2003 with support and ongoing funding from UKFC and the London Development Agency (LDA). For every £1 the LDA invests in film, £4 is returned to London’s economy4. The chorus of strong opposition to the planned closure of UKFC ought to have been enough to persuade ministers to think again. Instead, they appear determined to press ahead with a policy that will harm our film industry and disproportionately harm London.

Where the Government lacks leadership and vision for London’s film industry, I will provide it as London’s Mayor, by creating a powerful new Film Council for London. By strengthening the power and position of Film London, we can ensure that the experience and expertise of the UK Film Council isn’t lost and strengthen London’s position as a global centre for film production, an attractive destination for film tourism and home to a rich tapestry of film festivals, screenings and satisfied audiences, with a film festival to rival those of Paris, Venice and Cannes.

Whilst many of London’s galleries and museums are free, the majority of London’s major attractions remain unaffordable to ordinary Londoners – especially those with children. Ticket prices for a family of four can range from c. £50 upwards for London’s most popular attractions – and that’s before they’ve had to fork out for travel, lunch and pocket money for the gift shop.

As Mayor, I will build on Labour’s legacy of free entry to galleries and museums by seeking to secure a ‘Londoners’ Discount’ at major London attractions. I will work to ensure London becomes a city where all residents are able to enjoy its attractions and share in the iconic experiences which represent the spirit of the city to millions of non-resident visitors every year.

a LONdONER’S dISCOUNT fOR LONdON aTTRaCTIONS

STRENgThENINg LONdON’S POSITION aS a gLOBaL CaPITaL fOR fILM

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Most major London attractions already offer some discounts, for advanced bookings for example, but even at those prices many families find themselves priced out – and not just those on low incomes. By negotiating schemes, like the one run by Tower Hamlets and Tower of London for local residents, we can ensure that access to some of London’s great attractions is available to all.

I believe this is a good example of where the Mayor of London could do so much more using the agency of the office to negotiate a better deal for all Londoners. Access to culture, London’s major attractions and the history of our capital city is a hugely important part of ensuring that London is a city where all are able to share in the enjoyment of living in and bringing up a family within the greatest city in the world, no matter what your income or where you live within its boundaries.

Case study: Tower of London

The Tower of London, managed by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), currently runs an excellent scheme for Tower Hamlets residents.

Negotiated by Tower Hamlets council, the scheme allows Tower Hamlets residents to gain access to the Tower of London for just £1 per ticket, on production of a Tower Hamlets library or ‘Ideas Store’ card and evidence of residence in the borough, like a utilities bill.

The Tower also does a significant amount of work to foster strong links with schools in the borough and offers supporting, mentoring and apprenticeships for the long term unemployed.

policy document - culture

MY PhILOSOPhYMy approach as Mayor will rest on three fundamental principles::

Prevention is better than cureas Mayor, I will prioritise investing in the future. I want to rebalance spending, so instead of all our money being spent on the cure (e.g. young people processed through magistrates courts), we spend more on prevention (e.g. young people given support to prevent re-offending).

human relationships should be at the heart of service delivery

as Mayor, I will put relationships at the heart of public policy - these networks are the glue that binds communities together, building social capital. It’s the quality of the relationship between the teacher and the pupil, police officer and resident, youth worker and gang member, Job Centre advisor and unemployed Londoner that has the greatest impact on positive outcomes.

Participation is not an optional extraas Mayor, I will work to ensure that people have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, putting people first in GLA decision-making. On the left we’ve always understood the value of redistributing wealth. we’ve been slower to embrace the value of redistributing influence, which in itself can reduce inequalities.

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REFERENCES

[1] http://filmlondon.org.uk/library/documents/Annual_Report_2006-09.pdf [2] http://filmlondon.org.uk/library/documents/Annual_Report_2006-09.pdf [3] http://filmlon-don.org.uk/about_us/facts_figures_research [4] http://www.lda.gov.uk/projects/film-london/index.aspx

© Oona 4 Mayor campaign 2010

Reproduced from the website www.oona4mayor.com. Promoted by Matt Cooke on behalf of Oona King, both at 6 heron Quays, London E14 4JB.Cover image reproduced under licence. Other images are the copyright of their respective authors and are reproduced under creative commons licence. Other images courtesy of hotblack, straymuse and kamalbabla on sxc.hu