Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Policy & Resources Item 3

21 September 2005

Funding for Solent Peoples Theatre

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Nicola Horsey Ext: 5423

1. Introduction

1.1 On 9 December 2004 (under item 1) the Executive Member for Policy and Resources agreed to fund the Solent Peoples Theatre's Critical Engagement project in association with the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage. The agreement was that the total cost of £30,000 would be divided equally between the two budgets with the Policy and Resources budget contributing £7,500 in 2004/05 and a further £7,500 in 2005/06:

`subject to a satisfactory report being submitted by the Director of Recreation and Heritage in September 2005'.

1.2 The rest of this report is an evaluation of the Critical Engagement project.

2. Background

2.1 The original proposal from the Solent Peoples Theatre was aimed at encouraging active participation in democratic processes by engaging the people of the Solent sub region in critical dialogue about the following:-

· local, regional and national issues

· developments in science, medicine and technology

· the mechanisms of democracy

by using theatre and related participatory activities in a wide variety of community contexts that attempt to:

· provoke/debate

· demystify the processes and institutions of democracy

· bridge the divide between local politics and the realities of everyday life.

2.2 The target audience was adults of voting age and the project was called Critical Engagement: Theatre for Democracy.

3. Critical Engagement: Theatre for Democracy

3.1 Within the overall project were a number of different projects including:-

i) performances of the Handmaid's Tale, based on a book by Margaret Atwood which toured 10 Hampshire schools and colleges in November 2004 involving around 900 young people. At the end of the performance the narrator questioned the audience about concepts of freedom and how they impact on everyday life.

ii) Active Citizenship workshops which went into two Hampshire schools in March 2005, involving 99 young people. The audiences were given interactive voting handsets to respond to a variety of questions based around democracy and citizenship.

iii) A rock and roll road show `Stand up and Be Counted' which used a mixture of live music and comedy to address issues surrounding democratic participation in the lead up to the May 2005 national and local elections. 11 out of the 24 performances were in Hampshire in locations such as Alton Town Square, Andover Market and in Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke which were watched by around 500 people.

3.2 An officer from Recreation and Heritage was able to watch two performances of the `Stand up and Be Counted' rock and roll road show. One, in a town centre on a cold day, did not work too well with most people just watching for a few minutes. The second, at a college, was much more successful with students watching the whole way through with active audience participation and going away with election wristbands. The performances at both venues were well structured with good music, but it was the weather, the timings of the performances and the locations that were an issue.

3.3 The Critical Engagement project is a three year project and the company are busy rehearsing for new projects starting in the autumn.

3.4 Looking back at the original proposal from the Solent Peoples Theatre it is clear that they have not met all their original goals which included 71% of the project being undertaken in Hampshire. A bid has been made to the Arts Council England to continue with the work into 2006/07. However, the original proposal was very ambitious. It is obvious from their detailed evaluation reports that the Solent Peoples Theatre have learnt a great deal from the project so far. The proposals for the next two years of the project are being amended accordingly and it is on this basis that the recommendation from Recreation and Heritage is for the final instalment of £7,500 to be paid. It needs to be made clear that this really is the final payment from Hampshire County Council towards the Critical Engagement project.

4. Financial Implications

4.1 The majority of the funding for this project has been found from Recreation and Heritage Policy Fund and the Policy and Resources grants budget in 2004/05. The request for the final £7,500 is from the 2005/06 Policy and Resources grants budget.

5. Legal Implications

5.1 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.

6. The Views of the Local Members

6.1 No local members were considered appropriate to consult on this wide ranging programme.

7. Hampshire County Council's Corporate Strategy

7.1 The proposal addresses the desire within the Corporate Strategy to build strong and safe communities by getting people to engage with the ways in which communities decide their futures at the ballot box.

Recommendation

That the final instalment of £7,500 is paid to Solent Peoples Theatre for their Critical Engagement project, from the 2005/06 Policy and Resources grants budget. This is the final grant from the County Council for this project.

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

Project Proposal from Solent Peoples Theatre Arts Service file

Evaluation Reports Arts Service file