Group Prompt: In 2030, this is a place that values creativity and collaboration. There is a growing understanding of the value of the arts, culture and creativity to this place, and of what is needed for creative activity to thrive at every level from hobbyist to specialist. There is vibrant network of accessible (in every sense) spaces to make and share work, an active commitment to the provision, upkeep and maintenance of public art, heritage assets and cultural buildings to a high standard – and an understanding of the way this relatively small investment impacts on place-making, perceived value, community, social cohesion and civic pride.
Group facilitator: Connor Alexander
Our group’s discussion spanned many areas related to our city’s value of arts and how that manifests itself in our spaces.
A real drive in our conversations was to see how we might, as a city and collective of creatives, develop transparency between ourselves. How can we share data more easily to help us each make a stronger argument for the arts? How can we share more easily, the work and the spaces that we have at our fingertips and support their conservation?
Our group also recognised the vital role that the Council plays within our city and wanted to make Coventry City Council’s decision making and arts funding application processes more transparent and accessible. There was also a want for artists to be more involved in the council’s decisions with regard to business permit and building development, to ensure that there is a consideration of the city’s arts and culture in future contracts. This might also manifest in a basic arts and culture levy for businesses.
Finally, there was a hope that we might find a new way to think about arts and cultural development rather than those who make the decisions and those who are affected by it, but instead meet somewhere in the middle to find a more equal language and way of working.
Key Actions:
1 – Development of a cross-communication between cultural organisations, artists and stake holders. More meetings like this!
2 – How do we reform the conversation, language and thinking around those who make decisions and those who are impacted by them. Not top or bottom but a meeting in the middle.
3 – Pooling of data on how arts and culture impact the city to help all of us make the argument for their support and preservation.
Quick Win:
- Development of an Arts Trail/Compendium that helps direct us all to some of the lesser known spaces and resources that are already in the city.
Transcript of post-its: from base of building (easy) to roof (harder/longer-term)
- Network of accessible space – quick win – start a network group – which is part of F13
- Lack of funding for arts provision at school
- Connect business to artists in their local area
- Engage community groups to the right space
- Develop collaborative spaces – groups
- What spaces and networks are here now? What can we use?
- Representation of artists involved in arts planning in Council
- Short amount of time to achieve
- Display the economic value of art to corporate
- More joined up thinking and communications between leaders & creatives
- Council to require a percentage of business trade towards arts
- Section 106 goes towards arts
- Encourage communities to take over disused space
- Cohesive action across the whole council
- Accessibility to/through the bureaucracy
- Access to the right space
- Development of an Arts Quarter
- Arts Space Broker – solely for the purpose of art
- Schools & Education
- Celebrate what we have and bolster and question what we have
The Culture Works Collective 