Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 5

18 February 2004

Support for Independent Arts Organisations 2004/05

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Michael Fuller, ext 6016 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the funding recommendations below totalling £786,150 be made.

Additionally, a special condition is to be placed on the funding for Haymarket Theatre that funding be dependent upon

· the production of a plan to pay off the deficit by April 2007,

· the Theatre appointing a new temporary senior manager to oversee the implementation of the review findings and

· the confirmation of this year's activity with a balanced budget by May 8.

2. Reason

To support the continuing activity of these arts organisations which provide arts opportunities for Hampshire people in response to their applications in which they state how they are delivering the County Council's objectives.

3. Other options considered and rejected

- providing no funding.

- providing reduced funding.

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted -

Councillor Waddington is a board member of Forest Forge Theatre Company Limited and on the (advisory) Council of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. These two positions provide a personal interest but no pecuniary interest as they are both unpaid positions.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee -

Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent -

Not applicable.

Approved by: (signature) Date: (of decision)

................................. ................................

Councillor J. Waddington

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 5

18 February 2004

Support for Independent Arts Organisations 2004/05

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Michael Fuller Ext. 6016 email: [email protected]

1. Introduction

1.1 Hampshire County Council provides financial support for the independent arts organisations serving the county. Decisions on the level of support are taken in advance of the financial year in order that organisations have time for planning their budgets. Notice of any substantial change in funding for an organisation is provided at least one year in advance wherever possible. The County Council's financial and other support enables independent organisations to deliver arts events and activities for Hampshire residents which, in turn, supports the County Council's Strategy for the Arts.

1.2 The County Council is able to utilise broad powers under the Local Government Act 1972 to provide financial support for the arts. In particular, Section 145 of the Act enables the Council to contribute towards the expenses of doing anything necessary or expedient for any of a number of purposes, including the provision of entertainment of any nature, or the provision of a theatre, concert hall, dance hall or other premises suitable for entertainment. The powers include the ability to contribute towards the expenses of maintaining a band or orchestra, and towards the development and improvement of the knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts.

1.3 Funding is made using the resources held within the Recreation and Heritage budget for 2004/05. The base budget for Support for Independent Arts Organisations is £738,410 which includes an allocation for inflation. Recommendations listed in Appendix 1 amount to £786,150 on the basis that a sum of £35,000 is to used from the Policy Fund to support the two new organisations in the list, the MOMC Trust and the Leigh Park Crafts Initiative Trust together with £10,000 from the Policy Fund to pay for the rental costs of the Nuffield Theatre Education Service and £5,000 for the extra payment to the Haymarket Theatre is to be found from other sources. The recommendations have been calculated upon a rounded uplift for inflation assigned to each appropriate organisation.

1.4 The funding held under this budget heading, called Revenue Partnership Funding, is identified for major arts organisations forming essential elements of the arts infrastructure of the county that would benefit from the ongoing support of the County Council. As funding recipients, organisations allow the County Council to be involved in their management and organisational changes. Generally, those organisations where the County Council is concerned primarily with just their programme are considered separately using the Programme Funding budget.

1.5 Organisations which are identified as revenue clients are asked to complete a detailed application form covering their past achievements and intentions for the future. Where possible their applications take the form of an annotated business plan. This information has been used to formulate the notes and analyses in Appendix 2 attached to this report. Officers have gathered other information from attendance at the organisations' management meetings and their events. Officers' comments form a substantial part of this report. The details of the performance and intentions of the organisations can also be found in Appendix 2.

2. Officers' Comments on the Funding Applications for 2004/05

2.1 The list of applicants is the same as those that were agreed should receive support by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage in 2003/04 with the addition of the MOMC Trust and the Leigh Park Crafts Initiative. All applicants have applied for increased funding as they are experiencing pressures from inflation especially the theatres. A summary of the financial implications of the recommendations is shown in Appendix 1. After a number of years of standstill funding from the County Council an increase was provided in 2003/04 in line with the previous established policy of continuing to make annual increases with regard to costs wherever appropriate. The following recommendations include a rounded increase on the previous funding for inflationary effects. This report continues with highlights of the changes or important issues affecting the arts, arts organisations and funding.

3. The SHIPS Members' Arts Forum Joint Investment Fund and Arts Council England South East

3.1 The Executive Member Recreation and Heritage agreed in 2003 that the County Council join the SHIPS Members' Arts Forum and to use the funding previously identified as a subscription to Southern and South East Arts to invest in the Joint Investment Fund. This Fund is being organised by the Forum with activities probably starting early in the next financial year. This will enable the Fund to use two years of contributions to get the Fund's schemes off to a flying start in 2004. It is still hoped that Arts Council England South East will adopt the pattern of matching the funding provided by local authorities but, at present, only £30,000 is in prospect to match the possible local authority contributions of £125,000. It is recommended that £61,500 is contributed to the Joint Investment Fund.

4. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

4.1 The Hampshire Arts Officers' Working Group manages the current service agreement between the Orchestra and Hampshire local authorities. This working party and the Orchestra reports annually to the SHIPS Members' Arts Forum. It continues to meet with the Orchestra's management on a regular basis. Hampshire County Council supports the Orchestra for its education programme in Hampshire schools with the Hampshire Music Service and the programmes of concerts for the Hampshire audiences at The Anvil Basingstoke, Portsmouth Guildhall, Southampton Guildhall and Winchester Cathedral. Extra funding has been found from the Policy Fund to pay for a concert at Royal Victoria Country Park and for a pilot series of mini BSO concerts in fifty schools in the county.

5. Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke

5.1 The Theatre is currently going through a crisis with a downturn in its income, a new ensemble method of working, a French season of plays and a change of Chair. The Theatre Director having announced his resignation is staying on. In response to this the board initiated a review of the Theatre's operations and staffing structure which produced a report in January. The board has since made further decisions which include the appointment of a senior manager to act as the most senior manager reporting to the board. An extra £5,000 is recommended to support this.

5.2 Although the Theatre is having to deal with its problems there have been some good productions on stage which have met with popular support from the public. The other funding bodies are reviewing their funding following the recent announcements but it is expected that the board will be supported through this time so that a stronger, more focused and successful organisation will emerge. The County Council's officers have informed the Theatre board that the County Council is unlikely change its position with regard to funding the theatre if it continues to provide a valued service to the people of north Hampshire with high artistic merit. The board has every intention of continuing with this and has reaffirmed its commitment to its strategic plan though this may change depending upon conditions set by the other funders. The funding bodies and the bank will need to work together with the board to see it through this crisis and continue to serve its public. It is recommended that funding be released only when the board commits the organisation to a realistic plan to pay off the deficit.

6. Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

6.1 Hampshire County Council has a double relationship with the Nuffield Theatre. In addition to supporting the main house programme of professional shows it also supports the education work that travels around to Hampshire schools. This work is popular with head teachers and continues its successful touring programme. An increase of £10,000 is recommending to compensate for its rental costs.

7. Salisbury Playhouse

7.1 Salisbury Playhouse continues to thrive with a popular, high quality programme of dramas, comedies and classics. It is very well managed and is financially sound with significant extra funding continued by Arts Council England.

8. Theatre Royal Winchester

8.1 The Theatre Royal Winchester operating company is now well settled into running the refurbished theatre. It is now in the midst of a successful year with good audience numbers booking for the wide range of shows. The current season has shown the management and board more clearly the needs of the Theatre and audience so as to maximise the earnings and develop it artistic role in the city and county. Local authority funding to date has supported this good start and Winchester City Council is now committed to its annual funding at £200,000 per year with hopes that this might be able to increase with inflation. Hampshire County Council has committed itself to support on a 1:2 basis with the City Council. The Winchester Theatre Fund is in the process of transferring the ownership of the property to the newly created company Winchester Arts Trust Limited which is taking on the responsibilities of the building and its improvement.

9. Forest Forge Theatre Company

9.1 The Company's new Artistic Director, Sean Aita, has made a terrific start to his year. The Company is producing some very good, quality shows for the rural communities of Hampshire. Two highlights of this year are the Out of Joint project with excluded students in Ringwood and New Milton and their conference organised in Salisbury for workers and policy makers in the field of hospice care. The Company will continue to contribute to the Hog The Limelight programme next year.

10. Proteus Theatre Company

10.1 Mark Helyar, the artistic director, continues to raise the reputation of the company with the community bookers of Hampshire as well as the business community and other statutory bodies. The Company has had another excellent year with its show about peer pressure on young people again touring all the secondary schools of Basingstoke and a well developed Christmas show included in the Hog The Limelight programme. Officers have every confidence that the Company will continue to prosper in the next year.

11. Havant Arts Active

11.1 The Director has continued with taking great strides in building up a programme popular with local residents with some visitors from further distances. She has taken on the task of rebuilding the audiences after the poorer performances of previous years with a great deal of success. It is necessary to continue to work with the Borough Council to ensure that it continues with its funding.

12. Fairfields Arts Centre

12.1 After a period of uncertainty at the centre it is now really getting to new young audiences for its arts activities producing a programme not available anywhere else in the county. The Director is keen on new technology and has added this element to the established programme of painting and other artforms. The office on the first floor of the Centre continues to be occupied by TAPS .

13. Hampshire Dance Trust

13.1 The Trust's new Director started during this last year. She had a good relationship with the organisation anyway as she had been the Dance Development Officer for Eastleigh Borough Council based at the Point, which is the office base for the Trust. She is building on the good work done by the review which has resulted in a stronger financial outlook, a stronger set of relationships in the area, greater confidence engendered in the funders and a good start for the programme development. The Trust now works, with the Arts Council England South East and County Council funding facilitating the office and worker, and project money being found from other sources.

14. TAPS (Traditional Arts Projects)

14.1 The organisation has taken a radical look at its role in the region and, with extra funding from Arts Council England, has been able to develop its programmes. In its new base in Fairfields Arts Centre in Basingstoke it is now using its better position to serve the county. There were concerns about the level of service it was able to deliver but officers are happy about the role it plays in increasing the amount of music in the county, especially in the rural areas.

15. Hampshire Sculpture Trust

15.1 The Sculpture Trust continues to develop public art in the county at the same time as delivering a programme of events for its members. The Trust members have also considered the development of an education programme as well as running an exhibition programme away from the St Thomas' premises as the venue has difficult access for the public. This, however, requires new sources of funding. The Director is expanding the role of the Trust in the field of public art and was an advisor to the County Council for the Jubilee Sculpture outside the Law Courts.

16. The MOMC Trust

16.1 It was agreed at the Decision Day in July 2003 that this organisation would become a revenue client for three years. This decision provided MOMC Trust with £15,000 as part of an arrangement whereby Arts Council England would provide £100,000 of funding to enable the Trust to find the resources to create a new crafts facility of national repute in north Hampshire, probably Basingstoke. The Trust has now attracted a matching sum of £15,000 from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and another £95,000 per year for three years from Arts Council England South East. The Trust has appointed a Project Director and a support officer who are working on a suitable site and to line up potential and possible supporters for the project. It is recommended that the funding is continued for this Trust for this next year.

17. The Leigh Park Crafts Initiative Trust

17.1 This company was created to run the new facility which is planned to be built on the car park adjacent to the Community Centre in Leigh Park. The capital project is being managed by officers of Hampshire County Council who have already attracted £400,000 from Arts Council England and applications are in place to the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) from the regional development agency for £226,000. Other revenue funding is still being sought with a bid for £60,000 from SRB.

18. Conclusion

18.1 The arts organisations for Hampshire listed above are all developing their programmes or are undergoing some review of their purposes to ensure that they perform better in the next year. It is recommended that all funding is made, subject to such conditions as listed in Appendix 2.

Recommendation

That the funding amounts listed in Appendix 1 be approved.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B. the list excludes:

1. Published works.

2. Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE LOCATION

none as documents contain confidential information

Appendix 1

Revenue Partnership Funding for Independent Arts Organisations 2004/05

Appendix 2

SHIPS Members' Arts Forum Joint Investment Fund Sheet 1

Applicant Michael Fuller, Secretary to SHIPS Members' Arts Forum,

c/o Hampshire County Council

The SHIPS Members' Arts Forum has asked the local authorities of the sub region, Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth, to contribute to the establishment of the Joint Investment Fund. This fund will develop the arts across the sub region in conjunction with Arts Council England South East which is still considering the level of its investment in the Fund. The Forum has already agreed that the four priorities established by the conference between the Local Government Association and Arts Council England which are 'engaging young people', healthy communities', 'vital neighbourhoods' and 'the creative economy'. The next Forum meeting will be deciding on the way the Fund operates and then allocate the funding for the first year's expenditure.

It is hoped that the first year of priorities will be 'engaging young people' and, as there is funding from two years, this year and next, it will be able to take off in a grand style, showing the possibilities of the Fund for developing the arts across the sub region. The sub regional structure is one recommended by Arts Council England South East though it is the only one still operating across the south east region. It was hoped that Arts Council England would match the funding from the local authorities which is the pattern in nearly all the regions of England but the South East is only offering about £30,000 as matched funding for the possible local authority funding of £125,000 per year.

The SHIPS Members' Arts Forum is attended by elected Members from the various local authorities of the sub region, often executive members for leisure or associated services. These members will be making decision on the direction of the Fund following recommendations from the Arts Officers' Group who will have drawn up a short list of project suitable for support by the Forum. This process is still being formulated and so further details may be available at the meeting.

Comments by Officers:

This Joint Investment Fund is a new way of relating to the district and unitary councils of the sub region and involving Arts Council England South East. It has taken quite a lot of time to set it up owing to the lack of a secretariat with time to work on the details. However, it is now being fashioned into a working relationship between the different public bodies involved in the development of the arts in the area. It is expected to provide real dividends over the next few years for the people of the county.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

Funding to be dependent on a satisfactory fund being agreed by the Forum.

Bournemouth Orchestras Sheet 2

Applicant Michael Henson, Chief Executive

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra,

2 Seldown Lane, Poole, Dorset BH15 1UF

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has an established relationship with Hampshire County Council through the Hampshire service level agreement which has a major focus on the concert programmes at Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester. Other funding for the company is provided from the Arts Council of England and important local authorities in the south and west of England.

The SHIPS Members' Arts Forum is the focus for the negotiations around the service into the county area. In this way the different authorities can work together to agree on a balanced programme of concerts, education and auxiliary services. County Council staff co-ordinate a group of Hampshire authorities in the negotiations around the service level agreement that now links the county, unitary and district councils of the county area with the Orchestra. This agreement not only recognises the regular series of concerts held at the concert centres at Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester but also the community and education work which carries on throughout the year in the county's schools. The Hampshire Working Group is very satisfied with progress to date.

Activity in 2002/03 (including concerts in Southampton and Portsmouth)

Comments by Officers:

The service level agreement between the Orchestra and Hampshire authorities is a good example of how the Orchestra is able to consolidate its relationships in the county. The agreement recognises that the main function of the Orchestra is to present concerts at its concert centres but also takes into account the enormous amount of work that takes part in Hampshire schools through the cooperative relationship with the Hampshire Music Service. It is recommended that the funding be continued.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

It is recommended that this funding be made on condition that satisfactory progress continues between the County Council and Bournemouth Orchestras in the maintenance of a Hampshire area service level agreement.

Basingstoke Theatre Trust, Haymarket Theatre Sheet 3

Applicant Zoë Curnow, Executive Director,

Haymarket Theatre,

Wote Street, Basingstoke

The Haymarket Theatre is located in Basingstoke Town Centre and boasts modern facilities with 450 seats, catering facilities and plenty of adjacent car parking. The Trust employs its own staff and company of actors to produce a programme of plays and musicals as well as occasionally taking professional touring productions. Local amateur companies create their own productions for the theatre.

The Trust's vision as stated in the Strategic Plan is that the Haymarket, as one of the most exciting producing theatres in the region, is able to deliver theatre in a variety of forms and it wants to have an artistic programme with identifiable strands creating an unambiguous brand image reflecting the artistic and other values of the organisation. In addition it wants to create a unique artistic and educational resource for Basingstoke and the region with a company of well trained performers with extended skills across all sectors of the organisation's work. To encourage staff to access higher education through formal links with universities it will take further steps. Also it will provide access to the performing arts for all sectors of the community and become a major leisure choice for as much of the community as possible. It intends to work closely with other arts organisations to promote the arts as a core element of the cultural life of the community.

Under the leadership of Alasdair Ramsay, Theatre Director and Chief Executive, the theatre has established its reputation as a producer, confirmed its education policy, produced an accessible, interesting programme of plays and developed touring productions programme. This year an ensemble of six actors has been employed for six months to deliver the core produced programme linked with increased community work. Also a Development Director post has been created tasked with raising an extra £100,000 for the core programme.

The main tasks of the theatre in 2004/05 are contained within its comprehensive Strategic Plan which include continuing the ensemble, the implementation of the recommendations of the organisational review which reported in January. This is a crucial moment in the development of the theatre and its relationship with its funders.

The Corporate Objectives addressed by the theatre are as follows:

Aim 1 - Maximising Life Opportunities: The Haymarket creates "a stimulating environment" thorough its artistic objectives and its education and outreach objectives specifically address life opportunities for all people in the community.

Aim 2 - Stewarding the Environment: The organisation provides a high quality cultural asset for the county as the only producing theatre in the administrative county of Hampshire.

Aim 3 - Achieving Economic Prosperity: as a major cultural attraction the organisation is a significant factor in attracting business to the region and is a partner in the promotion of Basingstoke town centre through the Town Centre Initiative.

Aim 4 - Building Strong & Safe Communities: the organisation is a community theatre with over 80 volunteers and a major programme strand of community and amateur performance. Its youth theatre provides challenging activities for young people, boasting confidence, self esteem and life skills. The Gate Escape truancy project will directly address issues which lead to criminal behaviour.

The Theatre used to monitor its work with three indicators; the achievement of objectives, the bottom line of the management accounts and attendance figures. However, it has now adopted the measures of the ratio of audience sales against targets, financial results against targets and the profile of the organisation in the media as evidenced in their press book. However, the figures reported consistently over the last three years are as follows:

The Theatre has been successful in gaining extra funding from the Arts Council through the Next Stage process which will see funding increasing from £80,000 to £250,000 this year. This now increases with inflation next year. This allowed for the employment of the ensemble cast for six months up to the Christmas production. The season in 2003/04 was classed as a French season with a themed approach to the programme which included Thérèse Raquin, April in Paris, Tartuffe and The Three Musketeers. These were mixed with visiting productions like Richard III in French and La Belle Hélène. These have not attracted the expected, nor budgeted, numbers and has caused a crisis at the theatre. The Chair has resigned and a new Chair has been elected. A review was instigated which meant that a senior, experienced arts manager had a quick look at the organisation and announced his analysis and recommendations at the January board meeting. The Theatre has been pleased with its growth and development of its education programme especially to Hampshire schools in the Basingstoke area with its Theatre In Education. However, two resignations by the Education Officer/Associate Director this year has held this back. As can be seen from the figures above the theatre is not trading well. It has been informed that it must make realistic plans to pay this deficit off in a reasonable time or else risk its support from the funders. It is expected that the year will see a rise in the deficit but that radical plans will be announced to ensure this is eradicated over the next four years.

For next year, 2004/05, depending upon the results of the review, the company aims to present an internationally themed season, continuing with an ensemble of actors and producing a programme for a minimum of 40 weeks. More co-productions are expected as this will reduce some of the risk in the programme and open up the organisation to new, wider influences. This may change with the implementation of the review's findings. The Theatre hopes to cement its relationship with Solent Peoples Theatre in Portsmouth through the Truancy project in Hampshire schools and prove the worth of the new Development Director who must attract more sponsorship and outside funding during this year.

The Theatre has identified a number of initiatives in support of the County Council priorities of countering social exclusion, increasing access, Creative Hampshire scheme engaging young people with the arts and increasing usage of Hampshire County Council facilities. These are noted as

Young people, raising educational attainment and working with educational institutions: the organisation provides work that ties in with the education syllabus, aims to provide at least one Haymarket led project a year within the field of lifelong learning, to provide activities, products and opportunities in all aspects of theatre work for students in the formal education section.

Older people: the organisation aims to maximise the educational potential of its core artistic programme through initiatives such as the Page to Stage programme and through developing its lifelong learning aims, to explore new options for physical access to the building, to offer concessions on all professional performances and to offer pre-show talks on both matinee and evening performances linked to free accessible parking.

Access to arts facilities: the organisation aims to have a programme that appeals to as wide a cross section of demographic as possible, Pay What You Can nights, concessionary tickets. Countering social exclusion: The Gate Escape truancy project tours to schools across Hampshire.

Events in Departmental facilities: Basingstoke Mysteries at Grange Barn, Basing House.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

The Theatre Director is the Chief Executive of the organisation and is, therefore, responsible for the financial as well as the artistic results of the Theatre. He has taken on board the artistic implications of the Strategic Plan but, it seems, has not managed to adapt the organisation to be able to deliver the financial results set within the plan. This has meant that the financial results for the current year will not make the forecast £20,000 contribution to paying off the deficit. Arts Council England is impressed by the new internationally themed programme even though the theatre has failed to produce the ticket income targets for these shows. It will now be a matter for the funding bodies working together to help the Theatre move out of its difficulties with a new staffing structure, a new Chair and tighter financial targets if it is to succeed. It is being recommended that a senior manager is appointed to help the board take the necessary decisions so as to bring the organisation to a sustainable position. More information will be available at the Decision Day on the developments at the Theatre following the review which will provide an update on the actions being taken by the board. Even so the programme has been markedly different from that of previous years and has gained plaudits from those who attended. The Theatre's Education and Outreach Officer, now Associate Director, is about to make some further strides to develop the connections with the community and schools.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

The Theatre's funding is for the production of high quality theatre, the presentation of visiting shows and an education and outreach programme for people living in the north east of the county.

It is recommended that conditions be attached to the funding that the Theatre will receive its funding in three tranches when

· the board has agreed a realistic plan to pay off the deficit (at the latest by April 2007),

· that an external consultant/senior manager be appointed by the board to manage the organisation above the current staffing structure by May and

· by 8 May, an activity plan for the year be submitted with a budget showing at least a break even for the year but fitting in with the ambition to pay off the deficit in total by 2007.

One way in which a quick reduction in deficit might be achieved is through a reduction for one year in the programme and this needs to be accepted as one way in which the Theatre can trade out of its difficulties with a different, better focused and sustainable service at the end.

Nuffield Theatre, Southampton Sheet 4

Applicant Kate Anderson, Administrative Director,

Nuffield Theatre, University Road

Southampton

The Nuffield Theatre is based on the University campus in Southampton serving a wide area of the county in addition to that of the city. The Theatre has 464 seats, production facilities, a restaurant and bar. It is a producing theatre with 6 productions over the main autumn to spring season including the Christmas show. It also tours shows to schools in Hampshire for thirty weeks each year and presents young people's theatre for thirty Saturdays in the year. Amateur groups use the theatre for seven weeks each year.

The Theatre aims to produce excellent theatre for the people of Southampton and the region that inspires a passionate response from as great an audience as possible. It prides itself on the new works it premieres. The company commits to breaking down barriers to access with an increase in the numbers of people who attend performances, broadening its appeal in particular to include a younger audience and generally raising the Theatre's profile. The Theatre also aims to strengthen its core activity whilst exploiting its other resources and facilities. The Education Team produces four shows over 30 weeks touring to Hampshire schools, present a children's programme on Saturdays and integrates their work with the rest of the organisation.

The Theatre monitors its work with three indicators namely the number of performances, box office takings and the percentage of resources dedicated to productions.

During 2003/04 the theatre responded to two external factors which were major influences on its business. These two were the investment by Arts Council England following the Theatre Review and the developments within Southampton which may provide a different, modern theatre space in the city centre. There will be six productions by the Nuffield including Robin Hood at Christmas and the nationally acclaimed Hamlet. As Hampshire County Council has now consolidated the funding for the main house programme and the education work it is relevant to note that the Theatre toured three productions to schools that again attracted participation in the National Touring Programme. There has been a wider range of workshops during the year with seven weeks by amateur companies. The Sunday night shows worked well with twenty-one this year. The Theatre again ran the Hampshire Youth Theatre in July creating Sweeny Todd and a junior group produced Lord of the Flies. Three age-specific youth theatre groups are continuing with a full programme of workshop and performance project activities. The Company managed to continue with the trainee director with the help of Arts Council England funding.

There will be four own productions in 2004/05 with a single studio show to complement these. Four children's touring productions will go to Hampshire schools including one Shakespeare show. There will be seven weeks of touring companies booked into the Theatre. The Education team will continue with the Hampshire Youth Theatre, maintaining the younger group. Again there will be the successful twenty weeks of Saturday children's shows, ten weeks of amateur shows and eight Sunday evening one off shows. As far as participation is concerned, this will include twenty weeks theatre skills workshops for young people, skills workshop for adults, two work experience weeks, SATS workshops, an HND final year project for Eastleigh College and a programme of activities around main house shows.

The company is committing itself to spending four and a half weeks rehearsal for its major productions, developing one piece as a site-specific co-production, first year of two year Writers' Project, revise strategy for work for children and young people and respond to University's interest in local community liaison. The organisation also intends to continue its work with Art Asia and AMH, to improve its visibility by the rest of the area and to compensate for its campus site, explore opportunities to tour its work through the country and abroad and raise the organisation's national press profile. The management are looking to develop a project for a schools' drama festival and one for a major, all ages community play of regional significance. The visiting programme will be more commercially focused to limit the risk to the end of year financial position.

The Theatre has addressed the aims of the Corporate Strategy and considered some of the different ways in which its services will fulfil them.

Aim 1, Maximising life opportunities: the organisation's commitment to a high level of artistic excellence, increased access to its work and its large body of educational work and work with young people and children directly support this aim.

Aim 2, Stewardship of the Environment: the organisation's objective to ensure the ongoing quality and sustained creative development of its work supports this aim by 'maintaining the quality of Hampshire's cultural assets'.

Aim 3, Achieving economic prosperity: as a regionally significant cultural organisation it encourages business investment as well as offering developmental training for business.

Aim 4, Building strong and safe communities: its participation work for young people encourages citizenship.

In additions to these the Theatre was asked to respond to the priorities of the Council.

Services for young and old people and raising educational attainment. The organisation supports this priority through its touring children's theatre, work experience programmes, youth theatre and SATS workshops. It works with the LEA and schools hosting drama conferences and workshops, offers advice and referral for young people aspiring to an arts career, offers business training focusing on transferable creative skills which contributes to the organisation's agenda and often offers first time contact with non-theatre goers.

Catering for those in high crime localities or areas of deprivation. All projects are run on a socially inclusive basis with certain projects specifically targeted at those in high risk areas such as the Giant Puppet project for children living in Southampton's Flower Road estate and with bursaries available to remove financial barriers to participatory projects. Events in departmental facilities. The organisation is exploring the possibility of taking performance, reading and installation projects into libraries following on from its use of children's books as inspiration for a significant proportion of its work over recent years. Countering social exclusion and improving access.

The organisation sees access and inclusion as key to all its work, with the aspiration behind its participatory work the development of individual self confidence and the provision of an outlet for self expression. The tools of this work directly combat social exclusion: team building, listening skills and problem solving.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

The Nuffield Theatre has produced some outstanding shows over the past years that have provided the organisation with a good reputation. This standard has been maintained over the past year with notable shows being Hamlet and Robin Hood. The long-term viability is a constant worry for the Theatre though the extra investment from Arts Council England has improved its position greatly. The Arts Council England investment in the city centre facilities should ensure the City Council's funding though this will also put pressure on the City's budget. The Theatre has earned the support of the County Council with a large proportion of its audience coming from the county area and with the Hampshire schools work. The Theatre is making a clear and brave attempt to eradicate its deficit over three years with a planned surplus of £50,000 per year. It is to be hoped that this pays off soon as it will mean there will be a consequent injection of funds as that deficit is paid off.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

The funding is recommended for the Theatre towards supporting the main house programme and the education work in the Theatre and Hampshire schools.

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury Sheet 5

Applicant Rebecca Morland, Executive Director,

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury

The Playhouse is situated in the centre of the Salisbury with facilities for main house productions, studio shows, restaurant and bar. The main house has space for 516 patrons and for 140 in the Salberg Studio. Although situated in Wiltshire, 20% of the audience travelled from Hampshire addresses in 2003 as analysed by postcode addresses.

Joanna Read is now well established at the theatre maintaining a consistent, high standard of production with a popular choices of shows through the year. The finances are well under control with a reserve now reaching over £190,000. The Theatre has become the centre for innovative ways of presenting programmes of work to attract a new, younger audience. However, high standards of production and excellent acting have encouraged audiences to try new productions and to trust the judgement of the management team.

The Theatre has achieved considerable acclaim from the press and audiences. The high cost of creating top quality productions has meant that it needs to find extra funding from new sources. It won a substantial increase in funding from Arts Council England through the Theatre Review.

The main aims of the organisation are to be found in the company's business plan 2002/03 - 2004/05, including its Artistic Policy and Key Objectives. In essence it is

To create and produce theatre that engages with its audience on an intellectual and emotional level, that celebrates the uniqueness of the live event, tells stories relevant to today, is imaginative and entertaining.

To encourage excellence, imagination and innovation in all areas of the organisation's work by investing in the artist, the industry and the audience;

To develop the taste, expectation and experience of the audience whilst nurturing and encouraging new attenders by embracing the familiar and unfamiliar side by side through style, form, content and programme choice;

To refresh the repertoire of available plays by seeking out the best new and contemporary work appropriate for the organisation's audience and investing in the commissioning and development of new work;

To extend the core work of the company and maximise the investment in the work by increasing the life of productions;

To place access at the heart of every aspect of the organisation's work through play choice, marketing strategy, customer care and style and content of productions.

The main element of the Corporate Strategy supported by the work of the Theatre is in the area of its Education and Outreach programme and objectives with the details also to be found within the business plan. This plan includes the commitment to counter social exclusion and widen access. Increased investment in this department has led to increased staffing levels and a new Policy and Strategy is currently being written.

The Theatre monitors its work with three indicators namely the number of performances, number of attendances, monthly management accounts including box office takings and an artistic evaluation. For the last financial year these have been slightly down on target and on the previous year, financially ahead of target and with an exceptionally high reputation as seen with positive reviews in the local and national press.

A number of achievements were made over the this year 2003/04 including the following: Artistic aims: achieved an increase in the number of own produced plays in the Studio (Pool Death, Spring 2003); continued to produce innovative revivals of rarely seen classics; productions that achieved exceptional production standards (Hysteria) or outstanding attendances (Arcadia, Communicating Doors).

Education aims: Restructure of education department into Participation, Education and Outreach Department, involving additional investment and additional post; re-branded Education programme for autumn season; additional links with teachers established through Teachers Advisory Forum and bi-monthly newsletter. The organisation also continued to provide opportunities for young and emergent directors, to present new work for the 16-15 age group and for a younger adult audience.

New Equalities Strategy was approved by the Board in spring 2003 with an initial focus on equality in recruitment.

In the this financial year there are fourteen productions created in house or co-produced with another twelve productions visiting for a week or more. There has been one touring production that is one less than planned. The Education and Outreach programme has been continuing during the year with the Youth Theatre thriving alongside the Junior Theatre Workshop. There was a summer school and a schools' tour.

As for the year 2004/05 the Theatre intends to explore options for working outdoors in the summer period, to tour own-produced work, to continue to invest in work through enhanced rehearsal periods and maintaining large cast sizes, to produce newly commissioned work on main stage. The organisation aims to expand its provision for socially excluded young people, to continue to provide opportunities for young/emergent directors, to produce new work for younger adult audience and ensure that a strand of programming is targeted at 16-25 year olds. It will be launching a Young Ambassadors scheme to promote theatre in schools and colleges, re-launching its website and ensuring that any physical access issues are covered in its refurbishment works.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

The standard of productions at the Playhouse remains continually high with a good level of public support for a wide range of plays. The programme in the Studio continues with exceptional shows being developed. The management has dealt with the historic deficit so well that the Theatre now has a surplus earning sizeable interest income that it is able to invest in the programme. The Theatre serves a large number of Hampshire residents estimated at 22,600 attendances. It is recommended that the funding be provided for next year to confirm the County Council's relationship with the Playhouse.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

The Theatre should be supported in the next year to maintain its programme and provide important arts opportunities for Hampshire patrons.

Winchester Theatre Royal Sheet 6

Applicant Nicolas Young, Chief Executive

Live Theatre Winchester,

Theatre Royal Winchester

Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire

The Theatre Royal is now established as a featured choice for Winchester residents and those of central Hampshire. The managing company, Live Theatre Winchester, has progressed well in implementing its plans for the new operation. The management has planned well and the board is working hard on the service to the public so that they are the best that can be afforded within the limited finances available.

Live Theatre Winchester is the chosen operator for the Theatre by the Winchester Theatre Fund through a lease arrangement. The ownership of the building is being transferred to a new charity, Winchester Arts Trust Limited, which has been established for this purpose. Although the fundraising was completed for original fit out items are still missing from that original list and are now being considered for installation. The education staff are running projects for the public, adults and juniors, with funds from the continuing, lucrative sponsorship deal. It is hoped that this will raise awareness and encourage the public to attend a full programme of activities at the Theatre.

The organisation's objectives as stated in the updated Business Plan 2003-2006 are as follows:

To deliver a dynamic and distinctive policy through difference to other venues within a 25 mile radius,

To maintain long-term relationships with companies who can deliver areas of the artistic policy, to provide an excellent experience for audiences and participants in numbers that achieve value for money for all stakeholders,

To conduct audience development in key areas and aid audience-friendly artistic development.

To create an exceptional education and outreach programme with high quality education activities linked to productions in the core programme, also to ensure school and college attendance at core programme productions,

To develop the youth theatre, to create stand alone projects that lay the ground work for future projects and/or give access to high quality arts activity for those who might not otherwise have access as well as a rolling programme of such activities, regular weekly and holiday activities for young people.

To created added value to theatre experience through pre-show talks, signed, surtitled and audio-described shows and through skills based sessions for adults.

To provide the theatre as a resource for the City and county with 6 weeks of amateur organisation hires, hires by schools and business use, to provide high quality technical support and box office and mailing list use for arts organisations.

To provide facilities that make a visit to the theatre as enjoyable as possible.

The Theatre has achieved a lot in the past year including the following:

200 performances of 70 different productions

188 professional performances of 95 different productions achieved,

5 companies identified for long-term relationship,

52,000 attendances for core professional programme with monitoring of repeat attendances

44,885 attenders achieved,

16,500 attendances for children's performances of which there were nine

100% increase in addresses in rural Winchester on mailing list

14,738 attendances and 74% rural mailing list achieved

new work delivered by ten companies and three dance company performances

Three packages of four or more workshops linked to core programme achieved

attendance by 4,500 students and pupils - 4,924 in autumn and spring seasons achieved

Four stand alone projects aimed at increasing access

Ten pre or post show discussions achieved

Two dance and one young playwrights weekly workshops with 500 attendances at holiday workshops.

Five signed, touch toured, surtitled or audio-described performances

Six skills based sessions for adults achieved

Thirty performances by amateur organisations achieved

Good take up of conference facilities

Take up of the box office and mailing lists by 4 separate organisations.

The Theatre monitors its work with three indicators namely the number of performances, monthly management accounts including box office takings and an artistic evaluation.

Most of the information concerning 2002/03 is found in the information above supplied by the Theatre. However, it should be noted that the management have produced a programme from scratch which has received notable attention and the support of the public of different tastes. It has a very tight financial regime with little increase in public funding as Winchester City Council continuing to fund at the original figure of the draft business plan of 1998. The Theatre has learnt of the risky nature of programming in Winchester in the summer and will not do this so much. The first home produced Christmas show proved a great hit and the follow up is doing well. During the year the Theatre attracted BBC Radio recording sessions and organised a poetry reading in the atrium area.

The target outcomes for the year, 2003/04, are to gain a total of 50,000 attendances for the whole season with 190 professional performances. The Theatre will again host local amateur companies with thirty six performances in seven separate weeks. The business plan expects to attract an average audience of 70% capacity for the professional shows and 80% for the amateur weeks. The Theatre will aim to provide a distinctive and effective artistic programme with a full education and community programme in the city but also in the Winchester district areas. They will attract regular visits from high quality companies, coherent seasons and distinctive programming initiatives. Maximising audience numbers will be a priority along with finding shows that attract those who have not yet been included in the current audiences.

The funding relationships with the City Council are that the local authorities share the public funding gap on a 2:1 basis. This currently means that the City Council is committed to funding of £200,000 per year with the County Council finding half that figure.

The Theatre has considered the issues contained within the Corporate Strategy and has proposed ways in which it will address them as follows:

Aim 1, Maximising life opportunities: the organisation's audience development strategy, to attract high attendances for children's performances and to increase the number of rural Winchester addresses on the mailing list, its education and outreach programme and its development of signed, surtitled, touch toured and audio-described performances aim to create opportunities for the whole community.

Aim 2, Stewardship of the Environment: the organisation's aim to be a 'place of artistic excellence. Also to present performances and opportunities of the highest quality, bringing diversity and passion to Winchester, Hampshire and the region' contributes to the HCC aim to maintain the quality of Hampshire's cultural assets.

Aim 3, Achieving economic prosperity: the organisation aims to provide a conference and meeting venue for local businesses and local food and drink outlets on Jewry Street have seen a 10% increase in trade since the theatre reopened.

Aim 4, Building strong and safe communities: the organisation works with young people at risk, working with the Pupil Referral Unit at Colden Common in February 2003 and running a three month project with Jade Theatre Company and the Young Mother's Support Group based at the Carroll Youth Centre during Autumn 2003. The organisation strives to be an inclusive organisation whose role is to contribute to the sense of well-being of the community.

As regards the request to consider the further priorities the following are suggested

Countering social exclusion: RALP funded project with Woodside Pupil Referral Unit and Pilot Theatre Company; bursary scheme for youth theatre participants and holiday activities; RALP funded project with NHS young mothers' support group and Jade Theatre Company; Highcliffe after school club with artist management by the organisation.

Increasing access: the organisation has a number of initiatives ranging from cheap tickets to signed and described performances to projects with excluded young people.

Creative partnerships with schools: RALP funded projects with Perins and Pilot Theatre and with Swanmore School and Scarlet Theatre Company; Wildcard Theatre residency at Peter Symonds College; developing partnership Westgate School leading to events at the Theatre in March and June 2004.

Increasing usage of HCC facilities: partnership with Hilliers Arboretum and continuation of this in 2004; possible promotion of outdoor performances at other sites.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

As a new organisation the Theatre Royal is performing very well indeed. The difficulties of the building are still inherent and are hindering a fuller programme of events and activities. It is also holding back the management's capacity to earn income from other uses. The second year of operation has worked well. The trick now is to maintain the audiences and establish the venue as a major choice in people of south Hampshire arts choices. The programme has shown some real promise that the audiences will support the Theatre through all forms of shows and activities. The youth theatre is under great demand with a long waiting list.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This new organisation continues to need the full support of its funders to establish itself as a well-managed organisation. It is recommended that the funding be paid to allow the theatre to serve the Winchester and area public with a wide range of activity and shows.

Forest Forge Theatre Company Sheet 7

Applicant Karen Jeffries, Company Administrator

Forest Forge Theatre Company,

The Theatre Centre, Endeavour Park,

Crow Arch Lane, Ringwood

Forest Forge is the very well established community theatre company serving the rural areas of Hampshire mainly on the west side of the county. It is based in its purpose built Theatre Centre in Ringwood in the New Forest. It serves the Hampshire and Dorset public with popular shows designed particularly for this audience as well as running youth theatres and other arts projects. Of particular note is the work done with hospices.

Forest Forge continues as a member of the consortium with Trading Faces and Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company though only OTTC received the massive uplift in funding from the Theatre Review. Forest Forge received a modest increase after considerable lobbying on behalf of the company by the board, the staff and the funders. The Company traditionally produces three shows each year with the autumn one being a Living Memory Tour followed by a Christmas Tour and in the spring a Tour of a classic story. This is interspersed with residencies, workshops and education work. The company has built up a strong audience for each of these programming strands and is now finding it hard to meet the demand from its venues.

The organisation is addressing the issues within the Corporate Strategy through the following:

Each of the aims are identified within the company's Business Plan 2002-2005 and Action Plans updated 2004-05.

Aim 1, Maximising Life Opportunities: The organisation aims through its work with groups with special needs or learning difficulties, its education and training initiatives and by providing projects for community participants to share theatre and related skills. Through this it aims to encourage and enable people to develop self confidence, communication skills, self awareness and to explore their own concerns, creating a sense of shared achievement.

Aim 4, Building Strong and Safe Communities: To make high quality, exciting and relevant theatre with a diversity of subject matter and performance styles available to rural areas and community organisations. The organisation aims to target elderly and retired people in day care centres and elderly peoples homes through reminiscence plays and community audiences in village halls and community centres through creating local history plays, as well as touring performances to primary schools.

Aim 5, Improving Services: The organisation strives to consistently develop its work as an integral part of the cultural and artistic life of the communities it serves. It intends to tour to a larger area of the county identifying new communities to involve in its work, as well as further developing the role of local stories in its cultural identity and a sense of community ownership of its theatre.

With regard to the County Council priorities the company identifies the following:

Improving access to arts activities: the organisation's primary aim is to deliver high quality professional touring theatre and participatory work primarily to non-theatre spaces for the greatest possible range of people, delivering work that directly reflects those communities' needs and concerns.

Countering social exclusion: the organisation provides activities for people with special needs and works with the terminally ill. The organisation also tours the Out of Joint project to secondary schools, a project that deals with issues of exclusion.

Young people: As well as touring Out of Joint and other family or children's theatre to schools and community venues the organisation runs a popular youth theatre for children and young people between the ages of 7 to 14+.

Older people: as well as delivering an accessible programme of touring theatre to rural areas the organisation has developed a reminiscence play based on stories gathered through reminiscence workshops and will be touring it to elderly people in homes and day centres.

Events in departmental facilities: the organisation intends to take its youth theatre performances to departmental outdoor spaces as well as exploring further work with the department similar to that with the Hog The Limelight scheme.

Working with educational institutions: the organisation will continue to tour work such as Out of Joint to schools and intends to offer a Day of Community Theatre to colleges and universities, and INSET work to schools.

It monitors its work in an exemplary fashion with three indicators being its booking indicators set before each year, financial and management team reports.

The company planned five tours during the current year, 2003/04. In the spring they completed the Molly Sweeny tour. The autumn show 'Raising the Roof' focused on the trials and tribulations of village hall committees and their local problems. The Christmas show this year was Cinderella which was a departure for the company which often takes a sideways look at the festive season rather than an obvious panto topic. Extra funding enabled the company to tour the show 'Out of Joint' tackling issues to do with exclusion for secondary school children.

For 2004/05 Forest Forge is provisionally planning to undertake three major tours again with as much as it can manage in the way of workshops and education work. The spring show is a small-scale popular show 'The Belle of Bonavista Bay'. The autumn show is planned to feature a Hampshire story of life during the second world war when the Americans came to the New Forest to be called 'GI Blues'. The Christmas show will possibly be A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens touring for nine weeks. The Company would like this to be a musical again. Applications are being made to the Arts Council for this show to be specially commissioned. The Company is planning to be involved with the Pride of Place Theatre Festival. The work with the hospices will continue and expand following the prominence that they gained with the conference on palliative care. Two new plays came from that titled 'The Escape' and 'The Great Escape'.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

Forest Forge is a very successful community theatre company with a good track record of providing popular programming for Hampshire audiences in the rural areas of the county. The new start the company has given itself with the appointment of a new artistic director has been a great benefit and he has fitted in very well so that the audiences are just as happy with the service. The measure of the company's success is often that all dates are gone when the Hog The Limelight needs to book its allocation and this continues to be the case. The Out of Joint project with excluded students has been an important step forward assisted with additional funding from the County Council.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This funding should be made for the company to continue its work in the rural areas taking theatre to the halls of the villages and towns of the county.

Proteus Theatre Company Sheet 8

Applicant Mark Helyar, Artistic Director,

Proteus Theatre Company, Queen Mary's College,

Cliddesden Road, Basingstoke

Proteus Theatre Company is the community theatre company based in Basingstoke that serves communities in the east and north of the county with theatre shows and drama projects. The Company exists to provide high quality, challenging and entertaining theatre and drama activities with and for communities in towns and villages in the north and east of Hampshire.

The Company is committed to delivering a programme that entertains, educates and has the potential to effect change; to integrating performance and participatory activity; to produce new work; to reach new audiences through taking theatre to non-theatre venues; to produce a policy informed by practice, community involvement and artistic vision; to encourage an environment of cultural understanding and exchange, to form effective partnerships with other arts organisations as well as borough, district, county and regional arts funders to sustain and develop the organisation's role within strategic theatre provision; to ensure the genuine implementation of equal opportunities in all areas of the organisation's work aims to produce new work, ensure educational potential is maximised and to promote a community perspective in their work. At least one production is linked to one of the education projects during the year.

With regard to the response of the organisation to the challenges of the Corporate Strategy the company has identified the following initiatives.

Aim 1, Maximising life opportunities: the organisation delivers an accessible community and education programme with the potential to effect social change, producing new work appropriate to its target audience delivered through its touring programme, projects, technical training, workshops and residencies. Chaser, an interactive theatre programme for young people that explores the facts and myths surrounding peer pressure and drug abuse has to date reached 9,000 young people. Breakthrough, a theatre project for people affected by physical disability or mental health issues is delivered to the local community in a series of free weekly drama workshops enabling participants to express themselves in new and challenging ways, to confront issues facing them, learn to deal with them and find their role in society. Aim 2, Stewardship of the environment: the organisation takes theatre to non-theatre venues in urban and rural communities providing access for those with little access to appropriate or affordable transport; Chaser recently won a Green Apple Award for environmental best practice in recognition of the project's impact on young people, the community and the environment.

Aim 3, Achieving economic prosperity: the organisation can provide training packages for corporate organisations, local authorities and service providers such as health trusts, police and schools.

Aim 4: Building strong and safe environments: the organisation takes its work to the communities it serves, helping to encourage cohesive community activity and ownership; it was involved in delivering the communication of the Housing Strategy and Community Safety Strategy in recent years.

Aim 5, Improving services: the organisation assists the county to improve services for the community through its Disability Discrimination Awareness training and Housing Strategy and Community Safety Strategy.

With regard to the County Council priorities the company identifies the following:

Young people: Chaser - created specifically for Year 9 pupils and will be targeting areas of deprivation within Gosport, East Hampshire, Rushmoor, Havant and Hart. A new project to be delivered in conjunction with Queen Mary's College and Central Studio will be targeting young people aged 16 to 25, a new target group for the organisation.

Older people: taking theatre to communities, cross-generational projects such as the Basingstoke Mysteries.

Raising educational attainment: both Chaser and Breakthrough projects provide opportunity for learning, debate and empowerment. The organisation is part of a co-financing funding bid to the Learning and Skills Council for a theatre-based project working with excluded groups to develop skills and confidence for a return to education (confirmation of award will be known by early December).

Working with education institutions: the organisation has strong links with Queen Mary's College and is forming links with the Basingstoke campus of King Alfred's with a view to delivering joint projects.

Social exclusion: Breakthrough project.

Improving access to arts activities: taking theatre out to communities.

The company monitors its work with three indicators namely number of performances and other activities, the geographical spread of the work and the audience numbers and feedback.

In 2002/03 Ladies That Walk was commissioned by the organisation for touring to small or alternative venues and toured for 2 weeks November - December 2002 as part of HCC pilot scheme taking performance to alternative spaces. An extra 3 weeks was added to the winter tour of Around the World in 80 Days due to demand, delivering 50 performances to new and existing venues in Hampshire. The Breakthrough project received a financial donation of £30,015 and support of £35,000 for a third and final year was confirmed for 2003/04. Chaser tour extended for 2003 to include 2 weeks in Winchester and 4 weeks in the New Forest. Wondervision was performed at the Pride of Place Festival, Salisbury in April 2003, a festival designed to showcase professional rural touring theatre companies. A successful drive to recruit new board members has taken place, and a board retreat in July 2002 identified action points on a number of board and organisational areas for development. The organisation was a finalist in the Basingstoke Business Awards for a second consecutive year.

For the current year 2003/04 the company have drawn up some objectives which are being put into place in the areas of programming, marketing and audience development, management improvements, finance and partnerships.

Programming: produce three professional tours, a programme of work for the Basingstoke Festival, three additional projects and a programme of residencies and workshops, as well as implementing the new writers and new work strategy.

Marketing and audience development: sustain and develop marketing strategy and audience development plan and develop the organisation's corporate partnership and friends scheme. Management: review and sustain areas of organisational development implemented in 2002/03, operate equalities strategy and provide a healthy and safe working environment. Finance: continue to address strategies for increasing revenue and project income from private and public sectors and review fee structure for performances, projects and workshops. Partnerships: sustain creative partnerships with The Haymarket, Central Studio and Queen Mary's College, develop new relationships with other arts organisations and community agencies, work in partnership with local and regional funders to implement the organisation's role within the strategic development of theatre provision and collaborate with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on the implementation of Basingstoke Festival 2003.

So far the company have assessed that they will have toured Ladies That Walk (Spring 2003) as an additional tour to that originally planned; Colonel Cody as the family Winter Tour; Walking Out (Spring 2004); Chaser 2004 - 2 tours taking place between January and April 2004 in Hampshire. As for the participatory programme they have organised the Basingstoke Mysteries as a well founded community project from April to July. They have also run Breakthrough from April to October and run a programme of workshops and residencies across the year. As for income generation they have involved themselves in Local Strategic Partnership Launch in July, done DDA Training at QMC and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Customer Service Training for Sentinel Housing and Contact Centre Training for the Borough Council again.

In 2004/05 the organisation aims to be a valued theatre resource by producing a high quality product, programming at least two major tours per year extending incrementally each year the length and touring area of each tour. It aspires to excel in the production of touring and participatory theatre locally that is of local, regional and national importance measured in terms of quality, quantity and social impact, to work with QMC and Central Studio. Additionally, it will sustain a commitment to the production of new work and the support of writers through the implementation of new work and writer development policy and by working in partnership with other agencies with the same commitment

Proteus want to adopt a clear brand image and market position for the organisation as a whole as well as its touring, participatory and theatre-based training work, to focus participatory programme and its long-term qualitative experience and social impact on Basingstoke and North Hampshire. Besides this it will manage a healthy, safe and well-resourced working environment, risk assessing all venues the organisation works in and maintain and develop creative partnerships with other local organisations including Central Studio, QMC, The Haymarket, Fairfields, The Anvil and TAPS as well as developing non-arts partnerships such as those with Hampshire Constabulary, schools and local authorities with at least one sizable co-production with a new partner in the next three years.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

Proteus is a well-managed and achieving organisation. The Artistic Director has established the company as a major touring and workshop company serving north and east Hampshire much in demand. It is still unfortunate that Arts Council England does not support the company as it does similar companies in the region but it does generate great support from the Borough Council instead. The Proteus Board is committed to the vision of the company as a local resource gaining inspiration from the stories in its areas and presenting those to the people there. There is good work to build on from the last few years with the outreach and education work developing a huge demand in addition to the touring shows into the village halls of the county.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This funding should be made for the company to continue its work in the area of the north and east of the county taking theatre to the village and town halls as well as schools work developing its participatory work with young people in the area.

Havant Arts Active Sheet 10

Applicant Amanda Eels, Director

Havant Arts Active, Havant Arts Centre,

East Street, Havant

Havant Arts Active provides a range of professional and amateur performance events, classes and workshops at its Old Town Hall base in the centre of the town with youth and participatory arts activities centred on Bedhampton Arts Centre. The Havant base has an auditorium for 130 people and is complemented with other spaces including a gallery with a cafe and bar area.

The professional programme encompasses theatre, classical music, folk, cabaret or alternative comedy, film, literature events and young people's theatre. Havant Arts Active promotes a range of participatory events for adults and young people including holiday workshops in theatre, dance, video, photography, creative art and new circus. Adults are offered a comprehensive series of classes for adults and young people in tap dancing, contemporary dance, yoga, recorders, keyboard techniques, literature, creative art, painting and drawing, drama for disabled people, voice work and history of art. Bedhampton has been used mainly for youth arts development with many art forms represented as funding has allowed.

As regards the County Council's Corporate Strategy the company has suggested the following activities as the main ways in which it supports it.

Aim 1, Maximising life opportunities: the centre exists to provide access to stimulating and groundbreaking participatory and performance arts events for its local community. Through innovative professional arts events it hopes to inspire and challenge audiences, to provide workshops and classes to allow the community to become involved in activities that will advance their skills, increase employability and be sociable, to encourage young people to participate in the arts, leading to possible career opportunities and development of communication skills.

Aim 4, Building strong and safe communities: The centre is a strong focus for the local community.

And for the current County priorities the organisation has said the following:

The broad range of theatre, music, film, talks, exhibitions, children's theatre and community events offer the local community the opportunity to be entertained, inspired and stimulated. The workshops and classes offer the opportunity for all areas of the community to become involved in activities where they can advance their skills, socialise and increase their employability. The organisation's family friendly and children's events allow families to participate in the arts together and its youth based work encourages young people to participate in the arts which can lead to increased confidence, improved communication skills and career opportunities. The full programme of holiday workshops engage children of all ages during every school holiday. The organisation has also prioritised partnership work with local arts organisations and with R&H departmental facilities including Staunton Country Park and the Discovery Centre.

The Arts Centre monitors its work with three indicators as identified within the business plan but include the following, namely the number of events in each type of artform, average audience numbers for each type and box office income for each type.

In 2003/04 the audiences have responded to the programme and the Centre is proving a success in attracting different audiences for its different programming strands. Partnerships have been established with the library, soon to be a Discovery Centre, and Park Community School, which has now received arts status. Havant Arts Active played an increased role in the May Arts Festival. It still manages its affairs with a very small staff contingent following the disappointment of a failure of the Borough Council to increase its funding after the Arts Council England withdrew its funding. The board now think that the programme is running close to the maximum potential for the staffing complement. The world music programme has been increased with the Roots Around the World strand. The organisation celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary during the year and it also initiated their corporate sponsorship scheme.

Havant Arts Active hopes to consolidate its schools' liaison network in 2004/05. It is reconsidering its use of Bedhampton Arts Centre with a relaunch of it as a Youth Arts Centre for the Havant area though there are discussions of how it may make better use of its current site to release the second site. It will be seeking further funding from other sources for capital and revenue development. Further use of the space will enable the Centre to develop its visual arts programme with a dedicated space for local artists. The Nine Days in May Festival managed by the Borough Council will be another vibrant week of performance and arts activities across the Borough.

Financial information

Comments by Officers:

It is still a problem to the company that the Borough Council has not maintained its funding which it increased following the removal of the funding by Arts Council England. It is coping with this by leaving staffing posts unfilled and the other staff putting in extra time to allow the service to continue. This is hindering the Centre in achieving its ambitions as it is under funded compared with its comparator organisations. However the Director is pushing the programme's scope and finding new audiences for music, in particular, which was not catered for in Havant. The programme is well planned providing a series of high quality and interesting events, which have found its audiences. The participatory work is also well supported.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This funding should be made to Havant Arts Active for it to continue its work for the widest range of people and in the broad spectrum of arts at its twin sites in Havant and Bedhampton.

Fairfields Arts Centre, Basingstoke Sheet 11

Applicant Andrew Buchanan, Centre Director,

Fairfields Arts Centre, Council Road,

Basingstoke

This independent Arts Centre is situated in an old primary school close to the centre of Basingstoke and contains a number of different sized spaces for its strong participatory programme. The Centre also contains a self-contained flat as an office for an arts company on the first floor. The Centre runs weekly classes and one-off workshops, promotes occasional professional performances and presents a strong series of visual arts exhibitions. It works with key partners within Basingstoke and Hampshire to extend the services offered by the Centre beyond the building.

Fairfields Arts Centre will continue with its weekly arts classes, numbering over forty three in some weeks, for all age groups. In addition there are holiday workshops and an exhibition programme through the year. Also there were professional workshops/talks, and much activity linking with Sightlines, the Dance Festival, the Art of Words and Women's Work. The visual arts programme included work by Damien Hurst, Tracey Emin and Kathe Kollwicz and a new media programme was developed. Unfortunately, the development of new media suite is delayed to Spring 2004.

Amongst the achievements at the Centre this year have been the improved financial management of the centre where, for the first time in several years, the centre has showed a good surplus on the year's trading and a small surplus on the balance sheet. Also a change of direction following the business plan to emphasise its visual arts and new media work. There has also been an improved quality and range in visual arts programme, improved relationship with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and more effective Board and staff team which has resulted in a healthier financial position. The Centre has looked at board development with a skills audit on existing board members and active recruitment of further board members to fill identified skills gaps.

It monitors its work with three indicators namely the class attendees' questionnaire, enrolments and attendance numbers.

In 2003/04 the Centre is running forty arts activities a week over six days as well as four or five evenings during the ten week terms in the fields of dance, drama, music, visual arts, literature and new media. The dedicated visual arts display space will show nine professional shows this year as well as having twenty three talks linked to them. Thirteen holiday schemes will have happened by the end of the year. The new media work resulted in a digital art exhibition in the local shopping centre over a three week period. The cultural diversity work included a hip hop residency.

In 2004/05 the Centre plans to continue its classes, workshops and exhibitions in the centre. The artforms will continue with a concentration on visual arts and media, dance, literature, music and drama. The professional exhibitions will be mixed with local artists' work. The holiday workshops will run in the year. The capital programme is being supported by the County Council and it is intended that the Director will finalise work on this aspect during the year.

In particular the business plan show the following.

Providing opportunities for involvement in the arts: maximising use of available resources for programme; maximising resources; high level of quality through appropriate professional involvement; forty participatory arts classes; eight exhibitions and twelve professional workshops/talks; ten holiday workshops for children; work with other arts organisations; strong culturally diverse programme.

To ensure the effective management of the centre: effective financial control on overall budgets with focus on cashflow; development of effective administrative systems; ensure the staff skills base is appropriate to the effective operation of the centre; plan and operate appropriate training for staff, volunteers and board.

2004/05 and medium term aims: internal monthly reconciliations to budget and disseminated quarterly management accounts and cashflow projections to board and funders; to prioritise demands made on the centre by its users, tutors, artists and funders in light of limited resources; to ensure that the conditions of all licenses are adhered to; to ensure staff appraisals are linked with centre needs and appropriate funding for small training courses; to address problems of increased workload associated with HCC Adult and Community Learning Unit.

To provide support for artists: provide resources for the development and communication of artistic practice, promoting local and regional arts networks, and commissioning work were possible; offering subsidised arts spaces to local artists and groups; aiding collaborations between new and existing organisations; new media suite; to make active contributions to the Basingstoke festivals Sightlines, Spring into Dance and Wordfest; to curate own exhibitions which could be offered to tour to other gallery spaces with supporting print; posters and preview cards; to commission work and establish a purchase fund, then examine the viability of establishing an art work loan scheme to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and local businesses to provide art in public spaces; to establish an online gallery and create cd roms for artists; to improve physical access and address the needs of people with disabilities.

To develop a schedule of potential capital development: develop a capital strategy to match the centre's growing needs.

In response to the Corporate Strategy the following are proposed.

Maximising Life Opportunities: major provider of lifelong learning in the arts sector in Hampshire.

Achieving Economic Prosperity: provides access to skills and employment; provides £180,000 of service for £40,000 provided by Arts Office.

Building Strong Safe Communities: very much a community focused organisation used by over 400 local people a week.

And for the County Council's priorities the Centre has made the following analysis.

Young people and educational attainment: digital media work and hip hop project have been particularly successful in attracting young people; the organisation regularly supplies artists and workshop leaders for schools and colleges and would like to expand on this; organises residencies in schools and visits to the gallery space.

Older people: activities specifically aimed at older people; working with Age Concern. Countering social exclusion: work with Voices, a group of single mothers referred by the Health Services; a strong understanding of issues of access and equality that are held throughout the organisation.

Support for Departmental priorities for events in Departmental facilities: attempts have been made to work with Libraries but this has yet to happen but the organisation would like to extend its touring exhibition service when in place to HCC organisations.

Financial Information

Comments by Officers:

Fairfields Arts Centre is still the major provider of quality participatory arts opportunities in the Basingstoke area if not Hampshire. The management has really built a good programme which is gaining support from the public and the funding bodies.

The new business plan has produced a renewal of the Centre and has allowed the organisation to build on the solid foundations of the past.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This funding should be made for the Centre to continue to build on its formula of serving the Basingstoke population with a varied programme of workshops and classes.

Hampshire Dance Trust Sheet 12

Applicant Lucy Frazer, Director,

Hampshire Dance Trust,

The Point, Leigh Road, Eastleigh

The Dance Trust is the countywide agency for the development of all types of dance, dancers, dance teachers and dance programmes. It operates in partnership with other arts organisations and any other that wants to work in dance. Although based in Eastleigh it operates in venues around the county. It focuses in three main areas; local and county based community work, professional dance workers development and youth dance.

The Trust aims to increase the geographical spread of participatory and spectator dance activities, to increase accessibility to dance and to provide an information and advice service for the general public. It also aims to strengthen and develop existing dance projects and to encourage training and work opportunities for local and visiting dance artists and companies. Links with most of the local authorities in the county have also been developed which has now been formalised into an agreement to provide the Trust with three year funding in return for a programme of dance services into those three areas.

The activities in support of Hampshire County Council's Corporate Strategy are:

Maximising life opportunities: Hampshire Youth Dance Company (HYDC) offers young people the chance to be part of a dance company; youth dance road shows highlighting recreational, vocational and health aspects of dancing careers advice will be touring to secondary schools; ArtistLink provides lifelong learning opportunities for dance artists and practitioners based in the county; DASH supports teachers of dance in formal education across the county; youth dance opportunities offer culturally diverse work; Dance Caper-Bility offers accredited training for practitioners working with disabled people in dance; Creative Dance Apprenticeships continues with South East Dance Agency involving street dance and hip hop workshops in Portsmouth pupil referral units.

Achieving Economic Prosperity: a large proportion of project funding is raised through trusts and foundations bringing money into the county.

Building Strong and Safe Communities: youth dance programme in Winchester, Basingstoke and Test Valley is targeted at young people suffering rural and/or social deprivation; Creative Dance Apprenticeships in Portsmouth.

And in response to the Council priorities it has proposed the following:

Services for young people: Hampshire Youth Dance Company work; hAnts In Your Pants! district youth dance project; Man Jumping boys dance project; website will have specially designated youth dance page including young people' s contributions.

Supporting departmental priorities of events in departmental facilities: contributes to arts festivals in the county (Hat Fair, Basingstoke Festival, Beggars Fair) and the outdoor BSO event at Royal Victoria Country Park and will continue to create and support work created by others which is site specific and based in HCC facilities.

Working with educational institutions and raising educational attainment: DASH consortium in Hampshire schools, regular INSET opportunities, continuing development of relationships with specialist arts and sports status schools specialising in dance.

Improving access, countering social exclusion and catering for those in areas of deprivation: People Moving training courses training teachers and practitioners in issues of inclusive dance teaching with particular reference to requirements outlined in Disability and Special Needs Act 2001; Hampshire Dance projects are heavily subsidised to ensure that those at an economic disadvantage can participate; Creative Dance Apprenticeships project; district youth dance programme in Winchester, Basingstoke and Test Valley targeted at young people suffering rural and/or social deprivation; membership bursaries for members of Hampshire Youth Dance Company if socially disadvantaged.

It monitors its work with three indicators namely the artistic quality, public awareness and the increase in activities and organisational management through the strategic plan.

In the present year, 2003/04, the new Director, Lucy Frazer, has been further consolidating the position of the Trust in the world of dance in Hampshire. The Trust has built on the work of the review last year which produced a new business plan to work with The Point to establish a regional centre of excellence with outreach work throughout the county. The new strategic partnership, entitled PHAD, has been launched this year. The significant events of the current year include the appointment of a new members of staff to act as general manager and the coordinator of education and youth activities. The company has also developed a project with a residency in Havant and Gosport for apprenticed students.

Other identified achievements include the following:

Review Year 1 of three-year Business Plan 2002-2005; evaluate Year 1 of RALP programme;

deliver and evaluate Man Jumping project as pilot initiative for Dance PHAD partnership; develop plans for major three-year partnership proposal with The Point as a Centre of Excellence in this part of ACE SE region (known as a Dance PHAD);

begin discussions with Southampton City Council regarding future partnership work. Artistic programme: professional development work to include work with Artistlink members, an INSET training session per term in association with DASH (Dance Association of Schools in Hampshire) and to identify commissioning partners for ArtistLink commissioned dance company and to tour a performance piece to at least two outdoor festivals in Hampshire. Dance in Education work to develop DASH network and develop proposal for major residency with The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs in Autumn 2004.

Youth Dance work to include organisation of a series of regional venue and shopping centre performances by Hampshire Youth Dance Company; to develop educational and INSET package for schools based on science-dance awareness (part of Innervations project);

To aim for 30% male membership of HYDC8;

Second year of three-year youth dance programme hAnts In Your Pants! across Basingstoke & Deane, Test Valley and Winchester;

Run a youth dance careers road show;

Development of dance bursary awards.

Dance & Disability work to evaluate delivery of Dance Caper-Bility 2 training course for people interested in working with disabled children and adults;

Deliver further training courses and seek ways of supporting new and established dance and disability groups in cross-county projects and residencies.

Supporting Actions: fundraising work to include developing three-year fundraising strategy;

Governance work to develop Board; policy development on Education, Child Protection, Health & Safety and Equal Opportunities; establish regular staff appraisals;

Complete marketing strategy with AMH, launch website and establish systems for recording participation.

In the forthcoming year, 2004/05, Hampshire Dance Trust hopes to increase its youth dance activities, especially with the hard to reach groups, and focus on links with the region. The Hampshire Youth Dance Company, for students between 13 and 21 years, will go from strength to strength. (Seven members are now in higher education dance courses). The Trust will support professional training opportunities as well as organise its own programme of training. It will also develop a skills database of local dance practitioners and involve these in the development of Hampshire Dance's role as the county and regional dance facilitator through forums, focus groups and sub committees.

Financial information

Comments by Officers:

The Hampshire Dance Trust is becoming a major force in dance development in the county. It has built on the progress made by the previous Director with district councils and has the full support of Arts Council England. The current successes are due to the commitment of the Director and the enthusiasm of those others working in dance. The increase in funding last year has provided the essential impetus for improvement that is now coming to fruition.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This funding should be made to the Trust for it to continue its developmental work in dance in the Hampshire

TAPS (Traditional Arts Projects) Sheet 13

Applicant Jason Knight, General Manager,

Traditional Arts Projects (TAPS),

Fairfields Arts Centre, Basingstoke

TAPS is the arts development agency that concentrates on traditional arts activities. In recent years it has concentrated on music and dance traditions as expressed in local choirs and village bands. It works with district councils that have a strong rural heritage in these areas like East Hampshire, Test Valley and the New Forest. It provides a service for Hampshire in particular though it has a remit to serve the central southern region except the IOW. It promotes an understanding of the contemporary relevance of the traditional arts and encourages participation in them by the creation of community related events led by Roger Watson, its Director.

Its main aims to break down cultural and stylistic barriers and working towards a new inclusive English identity through the delivery of community events and participation, education work at all levels, skills training for individuals and groups and professional development and touring. The organisation aims to promote and encourage creative skills such as composition, arrangement, song writing, choreography, drama writing and storytelling within the traditional arts, to encourage established practitioners of the traditional arts to share their skill with others, to foster collaborations between these practitioners and those from other areas of the arts, to place equal value on the contribution of all participants regardless of professional status or cultural experience and to work in a co-operative and supportive way which enables all participants to take and retain ownership of the results.

TAPS is able to offer a number of established performance and workshop projects and create new projects or adapt existing schemes for a variety of clients and promoters. The seemingly diverse projects are linked by the common underlying theme of traditional arts. TAPS promotes an understanding of the contemporary relevance of the traditional arts and encourages participation in them by the creation of community related events through the development of new material. TAPS offers the One World Band suitable for young people, Tall Tales for class groups, Indian Tales for whole schools, other school orientated projects and community projects. The latter includes Mummers, Village Hall shows and the Longsword Dance.

As for work which addresses the Corporate Strategy of the County Council TAPS proposes to do the following:

Aim 1, Maximising life opportunities: The organisation's artistic policy is grounded in community events and participation, education work at all levels, skills training and professional development and its delivery of this policy through workshops, projects and performances meets many of the issues raised by this aim.

Aim 4, Building strong communities: Community events and participation give rise to local ownership, a feeling of well being and of being involved.

And in addressing the Council priorities:

The majority of the organisation's work provides educational music opportunities for young people through workshops, projects and performances delivered within their educational institutions in and out of the normal education day. Its work has been used to deliver maths, geography and cultural identity agendas as well as music and its projects only work when in partnership with the organisation receiving the work on behalf of their community. Because of the organisation's mobile nature it increases access to arts activities and the desire to make its work as widely accessible and available as possible make access at the core of its ethos and delivery of its artistic policy. The organisation will continue to work in youth centres, hospitals, libraries, country parks, prisons, schools, colleges, universities, village halls, community centres and residential homes. The organisation has worked on a pilot storytelling/song workshop delivered into residential homes for the Arts Office, on the Basingstoke Mysteries (participants with ages ranging from 7 to 99), with potential young offenders in Portsmouth and will be working in Staunton Country Park in March 2004 and in deprived areas of Gosport as part of its work with Music Fusion.

Work is monitored with three indicators namely the responses of the Artists' and Users' Forum, the results of the Project Log and the evaluation of the projects.

Its aims for this year, 2002/03, are to be found in the business plan for 2002-2005. It includes:

Programming: to develop a Training Programme for project leaders, educationalists and artists for delivery in 2003/04 using an arts training consultant employed to develop the training strands of the resource materials; to deliver skills training weekends for established practitioners.

Marketing and audience development: research, develop and produce resource materials to support and promote the work of the organisation and to act as training tools for the 2003/04 training programme; to research into multicultural training methods, develop a new marketing database and review marketing and audience development strategies.

Management: to employ a consultant to review and report on the organisation's human, financial and physical resources, its location within the market place, staff training needs, funding opportunities and local, regional, national and international partnerships in order for it to grow as a Development Agency and to review organisational plans in line with this review.

Financial: to stabilise financial resources and develop a finance strategy for raising core income and decreasing reliance on project income; to raise finances for organisational development through Arts Council England funding and other sources; to review fee structure for artists and clients. Partnerships: review and develop partnerships with key regional, national and international organisations and networks.

The organisation began to stabilise itself during 2002/03 with an award from Arts Council England of just over £50,000, leading to a fresh overview of the organisation, the development of a new corporate identity and the beginning of the development of resource and training materials. Boka Halat has continued to be successful at national folk festivals and has received interview time and airplay on Radio 3, helping to raise the organisation's profile. Other significant events have been the Vocal Weekends in Romsey and the continued success of the recently started community choirs.

Next year, 2004/05, will see programming developments to deliver the training programme including Training the Trainers which will train six artists become project leaders. Also Training the Artists where these new project leaders will train twelve artists in connecting the past with the future and how to draw on their creativity, performance and repertoire and Training The Teachers/Multicultural Training which will train ten educationalists/community leaders on how to work together and recognising cultural differences between artists from different cultures within the education system. Marketing and audience development: review performance indicators in light of increased artist contact through the new training programme.

Management: devise and provide training opportunities for TAPS volunteer base, review administrative office location. Finance: continue to develop revenue streams through finance strategy. Resources: develop website as an interactive resource to support the training programme and support practitioners and others. Partnerships: further develop partnerships with other key regional, national and international organisations and networks, delivery of pilot partnership projects.

Financial information

Comments by Officers:

TAPS is an innovative organisation providing a unique service across the county. It achieves high quality projects using professional artists with community groups and education establishments. The level of return visits shows the high regard with which they are held and long may it continue. The organisation will continue to be monitored carefully to ensure that the County Council is gaining value for money.

Recommended conditions attached to the funding:

This funding should be made for TAPS to continue its work in Hampshire.

The Hampshire Sculpture Trust Sheet 14

Applicant Astrid Bowron, Director

Hampshire Sculpture Trust, St Thomas' Centre

Southgate Street, Winchester

The Hampshire Sculpture Trust has established a reputation for excellence in providing the public with opportunities to enjoy a wide range of sculpture through commissions, exhibitions, artist in residence placements and a membership scheme. The Trust manages the office and exhibition space at the St Thomas Centre in Winchester. The Trust was established to assist in the preservation of the county's existing cultural heritage and specifically to 'promote the education and enjoyment of the public on matters connected with sculpture in Hampshire'.

With regard to responding to the Corporate Strategy the Trust proposes the following:

Aim 1, Maximising life opportunities: to provide life long learning for the people of Hampshire of all generations through exhibitions, art education events and workshops.

Aim 2, Stewardship of the environment: by contributing professional expertise towards the enrichment of existing cultural heritage through facilitating and managing the commissioning of new public art works throughout Hampshire.

Aim 3, Achieving economic prosperity: by providing a service that brings employment to artists through commissions, exhibitions and workshops and by creating major exhibitions and events that attract visitors raising the cultural profile of the county and contributing to its tourist economy.

Aim 4, Building strong and safe communities: by involving people of all ages and backgrounds in the organisation's core activities it aims to significantly improve quality of life, engendering a sense of pride in the Hampshire community and encouraging a genuine interest in the cultural heritage of the county.

Aim 5, Improving services: through the commissioning of public art and putting artists forward for work in schools and with community groups.

Aim 6, Developing councillors and staff: by giving talks about the importance and benefits of public art and Percent for Art to communities and the built environment, by increasing the provision of training in specialist areas such as art education.

The Trust is keen to respond to the challenges of the Council's priorities as follows:

The organisation provides workshops and educational activities for people of all ages, with projects specifically aimed at young people. The organisation's Director closely supervised and curated an exhibition of work by art students on the MA Sculpture course at Winchester Art School which proved to be a valuable learning experience for the students and assisted their professional development as young artists, an exhibition which will become an annual fixture in the organisation's calendar and will feature art student-run workshops with children from local schools. The organisation is committed to life long learning with many of its members coming to study art late in life, exhibiting their work and enjoying a network of professional support and activities facilitated by the organisation. The organisation also advises other arts organisations on employing artists to run workshops, such as that run by the Theatre Royal, Winchester with young Winchester mothers.

The Trust monitors its work through the number of its exhibitions, the number of members' activities (like talks, workshops and tours) and its publications.

During the current year, 2003/04, the Sculpture Trust continued its development. However, due to the financial constraints the organisation was unable to appoint a permanent Education/Exhibitions Assistant and had to run a reduced educational and exhibitions programme to that set out in Business Plan 2003/04. This has led to a greater emphasis on consolidation, strengthening the organisation's financial position and service delivery and on the building up of strong working partnerships in the county. The organisation has made considerable progress in developing its public art commissioning activity, notably on the Gosport Discovery Centre commission, a partnership it hopes to continue with other Discovery Centre developments where public art needs to be integral to the creative thinking. It has also considerably improved the service it offers to its members with greater emphasis on providing opportunities for work and professional development, facilitating exhibitions, workshops and commissions. A website is being developed.

In 2004/05 the trust hopes to continue to develop the new working partnership with Hampshire County Council's Recreation and Heritage Department supporting its commitment to increase the provision of visual arts for the county through projects such as the Creative Hampshire initiative and public arts commissions for Discovery Centres. Also it hopes to develop the organisation's profile and strengthen its position as the only professional public art commissioning agency based in Hampshire, thus contributing to the promotion and enrichment of the cultural heritage of the county. It will plan and organise a significant visual arts event to include a major international artist in Winchester during 2004/05, to further promote the work of visual artists in the county and to continue to provide them with a network of information and opportunities and to develop the organisation's website to disseminate information about its activities to as wide an audience as possible. In addition it is again hoped to realise the digitalisation of the Survey of Sculpture, Monuments and Memorials through partnership with Hantsphere (the newly launched website of Hampshire's Historic Collections by the County Council's Library Services) in order to reach as wide an audience as possible, funding permitting.

Financial information

Comments by Officers:

The Sculpture Trust is taking on a greater role in the field of public art commissions which is just what the Council has been expecting for a number of years. This will allow the Trust to build on its reputation for high artistic ambitions to the benefit of the Council and the county.

The Trust is in a good state for it to build on its sound work to date. The new Director has many new ideas to stimulate further activity and it is going to be interesting to see what she can achieve through a dedicated fundraising campaign.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

This funding should be made to the Trust for it to continue its work developing sculpture and public art in the county.

The MOMC Trust Ltd. Sheet 14

Applicant Margaret Benton, Project Director,

MOMC Ltd, c/o Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Civic Offices, Basingstoke, Hampshire

The MOMC Trust exists to inspire creativity and to build a new, diverse audience for contemporary craft. It will work in partnership with makers, educationalists and national, regional and local agencies to achieve its goals. These are to: create a landmark building in Hampshire to house a large exhibition space of international capability, a unique participatory craft exhibition experience and craft retail opportunities; to create a new diverse audience for contemporary craft; to provide opportunities for people to experience and take part in life-changing artistic experiences through making and doing; to develop a life long learning programme with links to all the craft workshops, galleries and teaching institutions throughout the region and other major craft centres; to provide training and development opportunities for professional makers and become a central hub for crafts activities in the region and to help develop Basingstoke as a centre for cultural development.

The Trust will respond to the imperatives of the Corporate Strategy mainly through the economic initiatives. However, it has stated the following:

The objectives for 2004/5 will substantially progress the establishment of a major gallery, learning and retail resource for contemporary craft. In so doing, the project will particularly meet HCC's strategic Aim 1 maximising life opportunities and Aim 3 achieving economic prosperity.

As regards the current priorities the work will:

The Trust will enable development of a unique service through contemporary craft in the County and beyond.

Education is at its heart - for artists, participants and visitors.

Access and inclusion are critical factors in ensuring success and are at the heart of the site selection process.

MOMC intend to target young people through this project. The crafts offer a different means of expression from conventional language and can offer access to creativity for young people who may find mainstream education difficult. In addition, the project will offer direct input into school curriculum work through work with artists and partnerships with schools. They aim to target young people who are unlikely to be familiar with the arts in an open, accessible and interactive way.

It monitors its work with three indicators namely the achievement of the organisation with its key objectives, funding gained and the decision on a prospective site.

The Trust's main ambitions for the current year, 2003/04 were to recruit a full-time administrator/manager to support the Director and manage the organisation, to negotiate new partnerships, to secure a site for the new building, to review the MOMC concept brand and title, to develop artistic and education policies, to conduct architectural and engineering outline feasibility study.

What happened during the year was mainly the finding of temporary support for the director was in place from June 2003 with full-time post recruitment in November 2003. Negotiating new partnerships: agreements made in principle for joint collaboration with Viables Craft workshops in Basingstoke, Craft Study Centre, Farnham, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Grosvenor Estates. Two options for the site of the new building are being actively explored through the relevant authorities, and creative use of space, potential for income development and access are being discussed as key issues. Branding experts are being consulted and external and internal discussions taking place about the title, brand and the range of subjects covered by this new facility. It is planned to test the draft proposals in a major public market research exercise in early summer 2004. Specialists have been commissioned to undertake research in developing artistic, education and fundraising policies and strategies. First stage reports are in process for the end of 2003/4 in each area. Before an Official Journal of the European Union competition can be held, an engineering feasibility and planning study of the site and a development plan are required. Hampshire County Council's Property, Business and Regulatory Department has offered to do an initial desktop engineering and planning study by end March 2004 and a development plan will be commissioned in January 2005.

In 2004/05 the Trust will expect to establish a detailed definition of capital project brief once the site is confirmed, architects' tender and selection will follow with a fundraising strategy for capital development Then major artistic policies will be confirmed and final concept determined. Pilot activity programmes will be implemented and market tested.

Financial Information (for the whole company)

Comments by Officers:

The MOMC Trust Limited (a new name is being devised during 2004) is well set to build the dream of a national centre for crafts development with the resources it has attracted from Arts Council England and the two local authority funding bodies. The commitment to fund has been taken by the local authorities for just three years with this one2004/05, being the second. It should be obvious in a year's time to see where the success of this project is to be found.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

It is recommended that the funding be provided for the MOMC Trust to develop the project in Basingstoke during this year on the basis that there is no commitment to funding beyond 2005/06.

Leigh Park Crafts Initiative Sheet 15

Applicant Judy Hoyland, Secretary,

Havant Borough Council, Civic Offices,

Havant, Hampshire

The LPCI Trust is planning to create a facility for a mixed community of professional crafts people and residents from the Leigh Park and wider area, which will comprise of twelve workshops and two training and education spaces. The main aims of the organisation are to awaken an interest in and to engage with the crafts, to help improve individual enjoyment, self-confidence and skills development leading to vocational opportunities and improved employment prospects, to create a potential pool of skilled fabricators, to enhance the community and develop inherent enterprise skills, to provide a supportive environment for new graduates with affordable workspaces and access to business development support and training.

The project will assist in 'achieving economic prosperity' within the Leigh Park and wider Havant area. This is a high level requirement which aims to lead the development of a strong, diverse and sustainable economy which supports jobs, businesses and investment in one of the most economically deprived areas in Hampshire. The organisation further aims to improve skills and employment through a diverse training programme leading to skills development and employment opportunities and in turn meeting the needs of Hampshire employers by developing links between skills training availability and business needs. The organisation also meets the County Council's Arts Strategy by encouraging all sections of the community to participate in arts activities, providing support for artists and arts organisations to create and maintain a robust arts infrastructure and economy, facilitating the provision of the highest quality arts experiences for the people for the people of Hampshire, enabling a broad range of arts experiences which reflect, challenge or expand our understanding.

In response to the Council's priorities it has informed the Council that:

The aim of the outreach programme is to work in an area of deprivation to encourage the development of participation and interest in the crafts. In the index multiple deprivation 2000 Havant is the most deprived borough in Hampshire and the eleventh most deprived borough in South East England. The Leigh Park area is the most deprived in Havant and has been identified for regeneration funding by the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB). The organisation aims to work closely with local organisations in the delivery of a programme of activities for the community and may use Leigh Park Library as a venue for craft talks or for workshops on the Hog The Limelight scheme.

As the organisation does not yet have a member of staff there are few indicators that the board has adopted. However, as the funding is for the enterprise once it takes over the facility which Hampshire County Council is building in Leigh Park it would be appropriate to adopt assessment criteria in the light of that date.

In the current year, 2003/04, the board has been applying for funding to start its own programme of craft workshops so as to engender a sense of anticipation and excitement that the facility will be created in the centre of the town in the summer of 2005. Hampshire County Council is managing the building project with a view that it will then lease it to the new company, the Trust.

In 2004/05 the Trust will be looking to start the recruitment of the permanent staffing for the new building. The Trust has recently appointed an Outreach Coordinator who is due to start in February 2004. This post holder will be initiating a number of pilot schemes which should encourage local Leigh Park people to reignite their interest in crafts. Research has already shown that the area did have a long history of working in textiles and wool and this will be tested through the year. A consultation programme with the people and communities of the area will continue by the Trust and the Council working together.

Financial Information (for the whole company)

Comments by Officers:

The LPCI Trust is just starting its work to define the programme in the facility which Hampshire County Council is building in Leigh Park. This funding will allow the board to establish itself to start the programme quickly in 2005.

Recommended conditions to be attached to the funding:

The funding should be provide to the Trust for it to establish itself and the foundations of the programme for the new Centre.