What Next? Cardiff

When: Wednesday 9 September 2015

Time: 8.30am – 9.30am (British Council arts leads will be available for an hour afterwards, until 10:30am if you’d like to discuss anything further)

Where: British Council Wales, 1 Kingsway, Cardiff, CF10 3AQ (NB: further information at bottom of agenda)

Chair: Rebecca Gould, Head of Arts, British Council in Wales

Agenda

1. Welcome and introductions

2. Updates from the last month / discussion

Yvonne Murphy to update group on the following:

  • Feedback on Get Creative campaign – a research team is evaluating the Get Creative campaign, as well as conducting a broader piece of research into everyday creativity. They are in early stages of designing that broader piece of research, but an indication can be found on the research team’s project blog
    Yvonne Murphy will feedback comments on the Get Creative campaign from the What Next? group to the research team.
  • Get Creative in Wales – date to be confirmed
  • Google Hangout monthly meeting for all UK What Next? chapter Chairs or chapter reps to convene (future meeting dates: Wednesday 14 October 1-2pm, Wednesday 11 November 1-2pm, and Wednesday 9 December 1-2pm)
  • Update on Spending Round MP Engagement Strategy Further details included below

3. British Council Arts Refresh strategy

  • The British Council’s Director of Strategy for the Arts Group; Kate Arthurs, marketing lead for the Arts Group; Alex Fleming and Head of Arts in Wales; Rebecca Gould will present Refresh – the new British Council global arts strategy, with Q & A afterwards. NB: the strategy will be sent in a separate email shortly (no obligation for you to read the strategy before the meeting).

4. Future What Next? meetings
Speakers and topics for discussion at future meetings to be discussed and confirmed.

Suggestions so far (TBC):

  • 16 September
    Neil Hanratty, Cardiff City Council (Yvette Vaughan Jones to invite)
  • 23 September
    Chris Jenkins, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Wales Office (Chris Ricketts to confirm)
  • 7 October
    Bethan Jenkins, Plaid Cymru

                Future topics/speakers:

  • Son of Cardiff City Region – how to get arts/culture represented at Board level
  • Equality, Diversity and Social Justice: Time for Positive Action (on Google drive ) – speech from Kerry Michael at NitroBEAT
  • SUSTAINABILITY DUTY: Identify and invite the lead individuals from the following to future What Next? Cardiff meetings: Prosperity, Resilience, Health, Equality, Communities, Welsh Language, Global Responsibility.

5. Any Other Business

MP Engagement Strategy – call for help  (see item 2 on agenda)

Over the last six months, many What Next? colleagues have been working on a strategy to engage with the forthcoming Spending Round – where the budget will be set for the next four years.

Colleagues in Treasury and DCMS are currently modelling significant cuts – from between 25% and 40% and so it is ever more important that we make the most robust case possible for investment.

As well as drafting our submission it is absolutely critical that we engage MPs across the whole country with compelling reasons to care about this. Our ambition is for every MP to be contacted by someone making a positive and informed case for culture and that they be invited to an arts event. We are be pulling together as much of a co-ordinated and resourced strategy as we can. At the beginning of September we will be sharing useful links, resources, key messages, contact info and tools to help you contact your MP.

We’re writing to ask for some urgent help from you all in marshalling our resources: we really, really need your help please.

Thanks so much to everyone who has already done this – but if you haven’t…

We need:

  • Quotes from non-arts businesses
  • Local case studies in the form of simple infographics
  • Your knowledge of Conservative MPs
  • Your knowledge of areas in the country with no funded arts provision

 Resources

The Arts Council has already created some great briefing materials as part of their advocacy toolkit, but we think we can add value by creating some very short and beautiful briefing docs for each region (and where possible, constituency) which include…

  • jobs and employment numbers for the sector,
  • an endorsement of the arts and culture by a prominent local non-arts business,
  • some infographic case studies along the line of the one attached (made in 2013, so possibly needs an update!).

1) Generate a quote from a business and send it to us

We are particularly looking for quotes from significant businesses and local employers so please do contact any corporate partners or board members that you have and ask them if they might say something loosely on the lines of this…

‘Public investment in the arts is not only good for the community its good for business too. Creativity in the workforce is one of the most important things a modern business needs, and every employer needs its staff to have a great place to live. That’s why the xxxxx (local examples) is so important’.

Do also ask them if they would be prepared to go and speak to your MP with you in September too

2) Make an infographic for your arts organisation and send it to us – along the lines of Belgrade Theatre example attached.

This should hopefully be much easier than it looks and just involves adding in the relevant numbers to the boxes. There is help with the formatting available if you need it.

MP engagement strategy

University College London is very brilliantly supporting What Next? to help co-ordinate our approach. Joe Bond (joe.bond235@googlemail.com) has pulled together this google-doc spreadsheet that maps arts organisations to MPs, constituencies their contact details and he is on hand to support arts organisations and individuals to make the case. Joe will be in touch will colleagues to support on this.

3) Help us to create the most effective strategy for influential Conservative MPs

As well as Ministers, engaged backbench Conservative MPs could be particularly influential in this landscape. We need to identify Conservative MPs who have an interest and connection with the arts, either through their constituency or through personal passion. We need your help to identify them!

Could you see if anyone in your What Next? group has a strong or existing personal relationship with a Tory MP who you feel is sympathetic to our case – if you can identify such an MP, please let Rosie Luff RLuff@hanovercomms.com know and we can discuss the best way of contacting that MP and the best briefing we can give him or her.

4) Help us to identify advocates in constituencies

Please do look at the Googledoc – particularly at the constituencies which don’t have a cultural organisation against them. Many important Conservative MPs are in seats where there are no funded cultural organisations. We are particularly looking for advocates in these areas which would be willing to go in and make the case. Do you know a Creative Industry / Voluntary / Community or Commercial partner who we could approach to do this? If you do, please contact joe.bond235@googlemail.com or on 07546 776 290 to let him know. Do feel free to edit the shared document directly if you’d rather.

This is all urgent, so it would be great to get responses as soon as possible

 Upcoming events

 No Boundaries Conference

29/30 September, Watershed Bristol or HOME Manchester

http://nb2015.org/

Inspiring Curiosity Conference

21/22 October, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

http://www.belgrade.co.uk/event/inspiring-curiosity-conference-thursday

Landmarks Conference

8/9 October. Llangollen Pavilion

Below information from Amanda Spence, Design Advisor, Design Commission for Wales:

Details of our Landmarks conference 2015 are now available on our website including booking details and sponsorship opportunities.

Landmarks is the Design Commission for Wales’ autumn 2015 conference and exhibition which will explore the relationship between the natural resources of the Welsh landscape and human intervention, informing and inspiring a future for design in the landscape.

The two day event includes a film night and canal boat trip, along with an international line up of speakers, chaired by Sarah Dickins of BBC Wales.

The accompanying exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre will run from 25 September until January 2016 and features the work of several young designers from Wales, and we are currently editing and translating the Landmarks publication.

The link above will take you to the full programme, and you will also find sponsor opportunities.

Tickets:

Early bird (until 10 September 2015) £225 / Standard £275/ DCFW Commissioner, Panellist or Hatch member £190 / Student £150

There are also exhibition stands/stalls available which include two delegate places. We welcome creative use of the stands to promote, sell and communicate landscape-related produce and ideas.

We’d love to see you there and please feel free to share the details with your networks.

Please contact Amanda Spence at Design Commission for Wales if you have any queries amanda.spence@dcfw.org

Kind regards

Amanda Spence, Design Advisor, Design Commission for Wales

The purpose of What Next?

Broad aim: to find new ways of engaging with our audience and visitors: the ever-expanding millions who value and take part in the cultural work that happens day-in, day-out up and down this country.

Guiding star: to encourage the people of this country, as individuals and as communities, to see connections between the many different ways art and culture affect and enhance our lives; to urge everyone to register their endorsement of – and pleasure in – their art and culture, especially where these are under threat.

What Next? UK movement website: www.whatnextculture.org

What Next? Twitter: 

Cardiff: www.twitter.com/wncardiff or @WNCardiff and #wnculture

UK: www.twitter.com/whatnextculture and #wnculture

Venue information

 The British Council will be hosting What Next? for the period 9 September to 14 October 2015.

 Venue address: British Council, level two, 1 Kingsway, Cardiff, CF10 3AQ (indicated in red on this map)

 Access: The building is called “One Kingsway” it’s accessible via the pedestrianised area just off Kingsway. On arrival turn to the left to take the lift or stairs to level two (no need to report to security staff on arrival, though they’ll be happy to direct you if you’re unsure)

When you arrive on level two, the door to the British Council office is directly in front of the lift, on arrival press the buzzer to the left of the door to be let into the office.

If you take the stairs, when you reach the level two exit, turn to the right until you reach the door to the British Council office, on arrival press the buzzer to the left of the door to be let into the office.

Meeting room: the meeting will be held in room seven, you’ll be shown to the room on arrival.

Refreshments: Tea, coffee, water and pastries will be provided from 8:20am

Contact: British Council in Wales; Rebecca Gould, Head of Arts, 07971 155505 and Lyndsey Halliday, Project and communication support officer, 07904 689109

Bicycle parking: There is ample bicycle parking on the pavement opposite the British Council office, just off Greyfriars road (some near to the Slug and Lettuce and some near to the Hilton hotel)

Train station: The nearest train station is Cardiff Queen Street, about an 8 minute brisk walk. Cardiff central station is about a 13 minute brisk walk

Car parking: There is on street parking for disabled badge holders only on Greyfriars place.

The most convenient car parking for non-disabled badge holders is on King Edward VII avenue (near to Cardiff city hall) Parking for up to 2 hours is £2.80. The underpass near to the roundabout on King Edward VII avenue brings you out next to the British Council office (One Kingsway)

What Next? future host venues

  • 21 October to 25 November, Sherman Cymru
  • 2 December to 16 December, Creative Economy Unit, Cardiff University