Local arts cultural codesign in Birmingham Ginnie

Local arts & cultural codesign in Birmingham Ginnie Wollaston BCC Culture Commissioning Service

Birmingham’s Cultural Strategies 2010 - 15 2010 -15 Local Arts Forum established Our vision is for Birmingham to be a continually surprising city where the vibrancy and diversity of culture inspire the people who live, work in and visit the city, and bring economic success and international recognition. Key strategic themes: Culture on your Doorstep - COYD Next Generation - NG Great International City - GIC Cultural & Visitor Economy C&VE Culture on Our Doorstep – Outcomes 2015 -18 • The cultural voice of residents is valued, enabled, developed and shared • More people are involved in cultural activities in the city • The profile of artists, audiences, participants and cultural leaders in the city better reflects our population • Residents have the confidence, agency and skills to create, facilitate, commission, attend or host a variety of cultural opportunities that are relevant and accessible to them

LOCALISM ACT: 2011 • More decision making powers from central government to individuals, communities and councils Four main headings: • new freedoms and flexibilities for local government • new rights and powers for communities and individuals • reform to make the planning system more democratic and more effective • reform to ensure decisions about housing are taken locally

Culture Commissioning Service 2011 -2016 10 Local Arts Forum Development 2011 -16 Annual contracts £ 4 k District Arts Plans and facilitate Local Arts Forum in each District Public Art Strategy and PA Gateway Group Film Birmingham Festivals Unit & Old Rep Theatre Advice, Guidance and building capacity Culture Central Company, Birmingham Education Partnership Creative City Partnership – LEP Young People on Arts Boards Adults Training EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS LOCAL ARTS DEVELOPMENT WORK WITH AND FOR YOUNG PEOPLE CORE ACTIVITY Gallery 37 Foundation Youth Summer School (£ 40 k) GRANT COMMISSIONING Connecting Communities (Cultural Pilot & CCC programme year 1 & 2) £ 120 k Revenue funding for 11 major arts orgs and B’Ham Museums contract Total £ 7 million Project Commissioning (Culture on Your Doorstep, Next Generation, Great International City) 100 applications for £ 350 k Arts Champion Programme applications £ 40 k

Arts Champion & Local Arts Forum programme: 2014 -15 - 2016 - 17 1 BCC Officer looking after 1 -3 Districts 1 lead BCC Officer for overall programme 1 Arts Champion delivering over 3 years In 1 District of 100, 000 residents From 2011 -12 longer term delivery encouraged in 2 nd & 3 rd year Variety of delivery in local venues with partners e. g. Parks; libraries; shopping centres & community centres

Birmingham’s Priority Neighbourhoods 10 Districts of approx. 100, 000 residents (green boundary) 31 Priority Neighbourhoods and Clusters City centre cultural venues

Local arts Fora set up 2011 -12 and continue to present • 10 Local arts fora established in 10 Districts • Each contract managed centrally by BCC • District Arts Plans agreed with District Officers • 4 public meetings to bring artists, arts organisations and community groups together • Web and online presence created with local branding • Arts activities funded with annual grass roots festivals and events e. g. Art Soak (Selly Oak); Arts March (Northfield); Art. Smile (Edgbaston);

Cultural Co-design – key elements involving residents and communities in decision making • • • Co-design encourages participants (i. e. residents) and artists, to co-create the process of creating and producing art through steering groups, deciding programmes, choosing artists Encourage the artist and the participant to create solutions together, the final result will be more appropriate and ‘owned’ by the participant It is accepted that the quality of the art work can be increased if the interests and ideas from the participants are considered in the process Research with residents Proposal Arts Delivery with Evaluation residents

CHOICES – ADAPTED FROM C 2 POSITIVELY LOCAL C H Co-ordinator undertakes conversations with stakeholders and residents to locate ‘energy for change’ – individuals lead change – find the ‘fed up and brave’ O I C E S Offer opportunities to artists and arts organisations (local and professional) to tender and engage residents in selection, writing briefs, panel selection Hone positive vision by listening to issues raised by residents. Shape the plan and budget with LAF / Arts Champions and steering group. Refresh research to underpin aims and outcomes for CC programme. Submit report with agreement from residents, stakeholders & Arts Champion to BCC / ACE for decision Initiate arts activities, Inspire residents to engage as participants, audiences or volunteer artists on programme and involve them in creating local media ‘buzz’ Continue creative engagement and check –in with steering group to focus energy on key events –build community marketing and local buzz to maximise audiences Evaluate programme, gain feed-back and comments from range of attenders, stakeholders, artists via questionnaires, social media to establish attendance figures, ethnicity and gender details and Case studies Share Case studies and lessons learnt in Symposium with possibility for national / regional audience attending in May / June 2016

Birmingham’s 10 Districts

Cultural Co-design introduced 2013 -14 with 3 Cultural Pilots Aims for the Cultural Pilot • • • Research, design and pilot new ways of delivering locally based cultural and arts activities Involve local residents & community groups to co-design pilot activities Increase participation in arts and cultural opportunities and engage new partners IN 3 areas Community based budget • • • Balsall Heath (12, 000 residents) Castle Vale (12, 000 residents) Shard End (26, 000 residents

Alice an extraordinary adventure in Shard End Park & Balsall Heath Carnival & Castle Vale Festival

Connecting Communities through Cultural Co-design • Funding of £ 120 k from Arts Council, Birmingham City Council & DCLG • Co-design methodology applied to 10 Districts • Contract to 10 Co-ordinators in small arts organisations for £ 9 k • Research proposals assessed by BCC & ACE • Delivery August 2014 – April 2015 • Symposium sharing March 2015 • Evaluation Merida Associates

10 programmes 2014 -15 • Edgbaston Birds Wedding Festival with Cerebral Palsy residents • Erdington Photography & Healthy Eating with families and children • Hall Green Public art mosaic with range of family and communities • Hodge Hill art work with Dementia patients and families using visual arts • Ladywood working with Soho Museum and creating festival in Summerfield Park

10 CCC programmes 2014 -15 • Northfield NAF created community arts showcase Music! Dance! Draw! • Perry Barr worked with families and senior citizens with drama and dance • Selly Oak created photographic portraits with young people and seniors • Sutton Coldfield created music and dance festival • Yardley created a visual art mosaic with dance & drumming festival

What do participants say? ‘I love coming to this group as it’s so friendly and welcoming. The arts bring everyone together – mums and children, I find it so relaxing and look forward to working on the memory blanket. The arts is a great way for me to bond with my boy. ’ (Mother, Hodge Hill) ‘Great working with a professional artist and it’s helping people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds came together to do different activities and share with each other at the end. (Participant Hall Green)

Key lessons learnt from 2013 -15 Long term development in neighbourhoods: The journey to effective co-production takes TIME and TRUST. It requires a paradigm shift from funding specific outcomes to investing in creating appropriate scaffolding that enables people to grow and develop within local networks that are set up to create and sustain local arts and community engagement. Select a theme and vision with residents and community: A key element of the model is to identify a theme pertinent to the neighbourhood that resonates with local people can creates a rallying effect - Ignite the Spark! Host activities in venues and locations that feel ‘safe ‘ and are accessible: Re-connect and re-imagine local sites to find new ways for residents to engage with their local neighbourhoods through artistic participation and creations e. g. libraries, parks, community venues Select people as co-ordinators, producers and artists with facilitation skills who can enable groups: Use residents / local leaders to create local profile using community marketing methods as well as social media, traditional print.

Symposium sharing with 3 cities – Bradford, Bristol & Burnley ‘It’s really good to hear how everyone has approached the brief differently – they aren’t always comparable but seeing examples of the work people have been doing was especially good. ’ Such an inspiring day - learnt so much hearing about the other projects. . more sharing events between the cities and visits to would be really useful. Very much enjoyed Beatfreeks style of presentation. There was definitely an energy that was strong and positive about arts in Birmingham. Some brilliant presentations in the morning and debates revealed that TRUST is vital between partners and requires pre-engagement; ownership of project; caring and non-patronising attitude

CCC Year 2 programme 2015 - 16 • New CCC Producer network no 11 Arts • Research in same & new locations • New vision and artists & partners • Less paperwork • More online technology • Making it simpler! • New Artist Commission to bring all 10 programmes together • New online toolkit to summarise learning • New qualitative focus of enquiry question for each programme • Making it clearer!