Agenda item

The Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy for Epsom and Ewell sets out a vision and direction for the development of cultural services, facilities, and activities within the borough.

The Committee received a report presenting the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy for Epsom and Ewell, which sets out a vision and direction for the development of cultural services, facilities, and activities within the borough.

The following matters were considered by the Committee:

a)            Signposting and Promotion of Cultural Assets within the Borough. Following a question from a Member regarding the signposting and promotion of cultural assets and activities within the borough, the Principal Programme Manager highlighted the recently launched Nonsuch Park Formal Gardens Virtual Guided Tour, developed as part of the ongoing work with the Bloomberg Connects app, headed by the Arts, Culture and Heritage Officer. The Principal Programme Manager explained there was an intention to create an Arts, Culture and Heritage page on the Council's website, to be used as an area to share progress on the projects referred to in the report and the strategy, and to potentially promote other relevant cultural institutions within the borough.

b)            Community Groups. A Member enquired as to why the list of community groups on Page 14 of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy, as seen at appendix 1 to the report, listed the LGBTQ+ and BAME communities together as a single entry on the list. The Principal Programme Manager stated that historically, both communities have been seldom heard from within the Epsom & Ewell Borough and have been listed together to indicate the equal priority to which they are to be afforded by the strategy. The Chair added that a goal of the strategy is for it to be tool to encourage and foster inclusivity and accessibility for all community groups.

c)            Communication and Marketing. A Member enquired as to how the cultural events within the borough would be communicated and marketed to residents. The Principal Programme Manager explained that there were ongoing conversations with the Council’s internal communications team, along with investigations into the possibility of taking on marketing apprentices. She stated that, through the Council’s relationship with the University of the Creative Arts, there was a plan to provide communications work experience for a number of the university’s students. She informed the Committee that Beam Counters (or ‘people counters’) had been installed at Council venues, the data from which, in conjunction with survey data taken on site during cultural events, allows Officers to ascertain as to how many people, and which demographics, show interest in particular events, in order to enable more targeted marketing and communication.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Adopt the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy.

(2)      Note that as part of implementing the strategy and action plan officers will:

i)             establish a Cultural Stakeholder Group,

ii)            plan, lead and deliver council-led projects and activities set out within the current and future action plans, and support and facilitate the activities of partners in delivering the strategy,

iii)          identify new arts, heritage and cultural partners and stakeholders and work on feasibility studies for future projects and initiatives as resources allow,

iv)          write and submit any grant funding requests that will support delivery of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy.