Arts Strategy 2006 - 11

"We want Hampshire to be the Cultural County of the South, sensitively exploiting our rich heritage and providing our people with life enhancing opportunities that feed the spirit and their imagination"

Ken Thornber, CBE Leader Hampshire County Council (2004)

This strategy, led by Hampshire's Arts Service, and in collaboration with colleagues across the Council, will help to achieve this vision. To do so we must create an environment where

· forward looking and innovative cultures can flourish

· thriving arts organisations and individuals can play a full part in putting culture and creativity at the heart of public life

· the economic impact of arts and other creative industries both through direct and indirect employment is recognised

· opportunities for learning and personal creativity are available to people of all ages

· creative and cultural organisations are recognised as contributors to local distinctiveness, social cohesion and regeneration and community vitality

· all the people of Hampshire can access high quality arts events and activity whether they live in urban or rural areas

· participation in the arts is recognised as promoting and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing

and

· where cultural and creative diversity provides a thread that runs through the whole.

This strategy is for the period 2006 - 11 and builds on the collective endeavour of the creative and cultural sector in Hampshire. It responds to trends identified through research of the cultural agencies such as Arts Council England and research organisations such as MORI. It is founded on the belief that the arts can change people. All the following social benefits can only be achieved through engagement with the wide range of arts performance and practice, formally and informally, and being open to influence. In order to generate the impact, the creation of extraordinary art is essential.

Employment and economic impact - Arts organisations based in Hampshire provide direct employment for hundreds of people, and there are more self employed makers and artists. The size of this sector will be quantified in the research into the economic and social impact of the arts currently in progress and commissioned by the Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth (SHIPS) partnership. Employment is set across the public and private sectors and these are interdependent. Artists and other creative practitioners play an important part in Hampshire's economy. Creative people are spread widely across the county. There is an established infrastructure of theatres, galleries, colleges, workshop facilities, arts centres and village halls which act as magnets for artists and audiences alike. Creative people draw on specialist and general suppliers and arts organisations are part of the evening and visitor economies which support further employment. Visitors are drawn to festivals, events and destinations, and they contribute to the tourism economy of the County. The creative and knowledge industries are increasingly important in the County, being one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy. A thriving arts scene, with active practitioners and destinations' gives the County competitive edge.

Learning and creativity - Artists are exemplars of creative thought and practice - the twenty first century is fast moving and fast evolving. Developing creativity as a life skill and applying knowledge gained in one context to another is important to our ability to contribute effectively in our communities both at work and play. Engaging with the arts is one way of acquiring these important skills both in school and in later life. The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) Regional Economic Strategy (RES) Consultation Document is clear on the need for a flexible creative workforce which is `able to develop and respond to the rapidly changing needs of the knowledge economy' (p.25)

Local Distinctiveness, Social Inclusion and Vitality - The arts are about ideas and creativity, a way of expressing who we are and understanding the world in which we live. Whether urban or rural, speaking English, or speaking one of the over fifty other languages spoken in the County, artistic expression is rooted in our common humanity. Being part of an arts event, as participant or observer, has the power to bring us together in a unique way and create a sense of belonging. Public art interventions are changing the landscape and are physically and directly creating a sense of place. The arts can contribute powerfully in this way in areas of regeneration and the development of strong communities. Creative engagement with arts activity can provide young people with an arena for self expression, development of self confidence and for positive engagement in the public life. For older people arts activity can provide a means of staying connected with the wider community and their own creativity. Importantly we know that 80% of the population attend one or more arts event in a year and some 87% participate in arts activities (Source: Arts in England - Attendance, Participation and Attitudes Arts Council Research Report 37 December 2004)

The concept of the sustainable community does not rely entirely on good housing, retail, transport links and a quality environment. The Regional Economic Strategy is also clear that `A strong cultural offer in a locality makes a key contribution to the quality of life, making it a desirable place to live, work, play, visit and do business.'

Health and Wellbeing - Participation in creative and arts activity has a positive impact on wellbeing, both physical and mental. Collective activity and stimulation are as important as the physical activity involved in artistic practice. Increasingly the arts are demonstrating that they can contribute to maintaining independence in older people, creating opportunities for sufferers from mental illness or addiction to regain self esteem and confidence and more directly being used as tools of education in such arenas as sexual health, obesity etc.

The strategy is set firmly within the context of the Council's Corporate and Cultural strategies and the wider policy context which includes Government Green and White Papers on Youth and Older People, Local Area Agreements and the wider cultural policy landscape of Arts Council England, the South East England Cultural Consortium and the Regional Economic Strategy.

"Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits."

Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 27

Context - Policy Framework and Environment

The Arts Service operates as an area of activity outwith the statutory obligation of the County Council to provide specific services. However Hampshire County Council has long seen its role as guardian of Hampshire's Cultural Heritage and has invested accordingly. The creation of a Recreation and Heritage Directorate in 2002 is further evidence of this commitment.

The wider policy framework is, however, a key driver in shaping the way the Arts Service develops in the next period. New Government agendas such as those for older people and young people (Every Child Matters and Youth Matters Green Paper); new ways of working across the county such as Local Area Agreements, and the policies of key partners and investors such as Arts Council England, all impact on the way the service works.

Hampshire County Council

The Council's current Corporate Strategy was published in October 2002. Since then there have been significant developments affecting the County Council's strategic direction - Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), Community Strategies at County and District level and second generation Local Public Service Agreements (LPSAs). The Corporate Strategy was revised in July 2004 in the light of these influences. Its overall shape was not changed and retained the following six aims within the general theme of "developing the quality of life for everyone":

· Maximising life opportunities

· Stewardship of the environment

· Achieving economic prosperity

· Building strong and safe communities

· Improving services, and

· Developing councillors and staff

The revision was primarily intended to update the original document, sharpen its focus and reinforce the links with CPA improvement programme, the Cabinet priorities at the time, LPSA targets and the Community Strategy.

The start of a new administration following County Council elections in May 2005 and the development of a Local Area Agreement (LAA) for Hampshire have prompted a more fundamental review of the Corporate Strategy. This work is still going on and is likely to culminate in the adoption of a new Corporate Strategy, probably in late spring 2006. The strategy will be shaped by the Council's need to find ways of responding to priorities agreed at a national level between the Government and local authorities (the seven "shared priorities") and the local priorities expressed in community strategies and plans. The issues coalesce around the need to deal with some of the most intractable problems we face as a society - social exclusion, poverty, sustainable communities and the environment. Early indications are that the County Council's new Corporate Strategy will be organised around the following overarching priorities:

· Responding to the improvements that people say they want (including the top four issues raised in surveys of residents' opinion - public safety, facilities for young people, affordable housing and the condition of roads and pavements)

· Planning for and investing in the future (which will target issues around climate change, use of natural resources, sustainable economic prosperity, development of infrastructure and early intervention)

· Removing barriers to choice and improving opportunities for all (focussing on public health inequalities, education and skills - particularly for children with special educational needs and gifted children - and independent living for older people and vulnerable adults)

· Encouraging participation and contribution (democratic renewal through wider consultation and communication, improved structures for local working and building better partnerships).

These priorities will be underpinned by key principles relating to value for money and efficiency, evolving appropriate structures to support the priorities and the County Council's adoption of the Aalborg commitments on sustainability.

At present the development of the response to these priorities does not have an explicit performance specified link to the arts as a delivery agent. However it is demonstrable that the activities of the Arts Service do make their contribution. This is particularly the case in respect of work done with young people, older people and in rural communities. It is also true to say that other Directorates (e.g. Adult Services, Children's Services) and other parts of Recreation and Heritage all use the arts as an instrument in their own service planning and delivery. The infrastructure of cultural organisations across the county also plays its part in addressing these priorities as well as contributing to the quality of life in Hampshire and its economic prosperity.

The intrinsic value of cultural activities and the wider social benefits delivered by cultural services are at the heart of "Enjoying Hampshire" - Hampshire's Cultural Strategy. This was approved as a core strategic document of the County Council in June 2003. It articulates cultural policy objectives that complement those of the Corporate Strategy and provide the primary focus for all cultural services under the following key aims:

· stewardship of the county's cultural heritage

· promoting access, inclusion and participation

· supporting lifelong learning

· achieving economic benefits

· reinforcing sense of place and community identity.

The Cultural Strategy is also being reviewed in parallel with the Corporate Strategy. Initial discussion has confirmed the general validity of the aims expressed in the current document, but also suggests that a new strategy should:

· say more about supporting and enabling creativity, innovation, quality, excellence and new cultural expression

· be stronger on the "instrumental" value of culture (what cultural services can contribute on, for example, health, learning or interventions with disaffected young people)

· emphasise more strongly the centrality of cultural activity to quality of life and physical and mental wellbeing.

Appendix 1 - Policy Framework for Hampshire County Council

The Wider Policy Context

Arts Council England

Arts Council England (ACE) invests substantially into Hampshire via regularly funded organisations, project funded organisations and individuals.

In the period 2005 - 2008 ACE will invest over £1,000,000 each year into Hampshire based regularly funded organisations, this builds on relationships built up over previous decades. These organisations provide the arts infrastructure of Hampshire, and are also funded, in general, by both the relevant District Council and the County Council. In the same period ACE will also make awards using the Grant for Arts scheme and their own Managed Funds for specific time limited projects. This is not a fixed investment. However the magnitude of funding can be illustrated by historic comparison.

In the period April 2003 - June 2005 Arts Council England invested in £1,700,000 in Grants for the Arts and Managed Funds in Hampshire in addition to the regularly funded revenue organisations. Over 80 awards were made to organisations and individuals in Hampshire ranging from £100 to an individual to £90,000 to Creative Hampshire, with an exceptional award of £245,000 to ArtSway towards the purchase of the freehold of its building. This project funding is a more responsive and fluid mechanism and levels of investment in Hampshire fluctuate over years.

Appendix 2 - Arts Council Investment

Many of the clients, particularly the larger organisations, are subject to funding agreements that include ACE, the County Council and the relevant District. Arts Council policy agenda therefore has a significant impact on Hampshire. ACE is also aiming to make the RFO's it supports, stronger, more robust and effective organisations.

Ambitions for the Arts 2003 - 2006 states that ACE will

· Prioritise individual artists

· Work with funded organisations to help them thrive rather than survive

· Place cultural diversity at the heart of our work

· Priorities young people and Creative Partnerships

· Maximise growth in the arts.

More specifically for the local authorities - ACE conducts its relationships through sub regional partnerships - in the case of Hampshire the Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth (SHIPS) sub Region. In this case the key document is Local Government and the Arts - A Vision for Partnership The four shared priorities set out are

· The creative economy

· Healthy communities

· Vital neighbourhoods

· Engaging young people

The period of the first Local Authority partnership agreements is coming to an end. 2006/7 will be regarded as an interim year where new agreements are negotiated to tie in with the ACE government settlement commencing April 2008.

The District Councils

The District Councils are subject to broadly similar national policy drivers as the County Council although the corporate objectives of each are expressed in different ways and attitudes to the role that culture can play in delivering against core objectives vary considerably. Some districts are significant investors in cultural activity and others have little or no investment at all. Appendix 3 sets out the policy and action areas of each of the districts and identifies shared investment.

Appendix 3 - The District Interface

Whilst the Districts and the County share policy agendas, they also share a number of clients that provide the arts infrastructure of Hampshire or on which Hampshire residents rely for their arts experience. This is particularly true of the Unitary Authorities of Southampton and Portsmouth, to a lesser extent the Isle of Wight. The task for the County Council is to negotiate a rationale for shared investment and clearly identified responsibilities with each to ensure that duplication is avoided and maximum impact of investment is attained. These negotiations will regularly involve Arts Council England South East as it too has an interest in ensuring its investment and policy imperatives are effective.

The South East Cultural Consortium

The Cultural Consortium includes representatives from a range of agencies such as the Arts and Sports Councils, SEMLAC, local authorities and sector representatives. It uses an inclusive definition of culture which encompasses:-

· Shared memory and experience

· Including minority interests as well as majority interests

· Supporting excellence as well as wider participation

· Valuing the traditional as well as the experimental

· Emphasising lifelong learning and creativity

· Seeing cultural activity as fundamental to health, wellbeing and quality of life

Fourteen Objectives respond to the challenges of Partnership and Coherence, Recognition, Inclusion, Learning, Excellence and Support.

SEEDA - Regional Economic Strategy (RES) 2006 - 8

SEEDA has set the goal that the SE Region will, by 2016, be a world-class region achieving sustainable prosperity.

The SE region is divided into three bands, Inner South East, Outer South East and Coastal South East. Hampshire is for the most part in the area described as the Outer South East. However the Coastal South East is also important to the County and crucially, contains its neighbours Portsmouth and Southampton.

For Hampshire the key drivers for sustainable prosperity laid out in the RES are for the Outer South East Area "quality of life as a source of competitive advantage" and in the Coastal area "releasing untapped potential". This means using the market towns as centres to extend access to services and combat isolation. For the urban coastal areas the task is to focus on the economic dynamism and develop new futures that exploit and enhance the advantages of the location.

The focus on innovation and creativity and in particular the cultural industries as drivers of creativity (Coastal SE) is a welcome addition to the RES. The work of the Arts Service in providing opportunities, with its partners, for engagement with creative activity sets the scene for further developments.

The RES also acknowledges the importance of investment in the cultural infrastructure of the region. This infrastructure makes an important contribution to the quality of life, making it a desirable place to live, work, play and do business. Cultural infrastructure is not just a built infrastructure but also organisational. Culture is clearly a tool for development of cohesive and inclusive communities, skills acquisition, pathways to employment, healthy lifestyles and has the capacity to combat anti social behaviour. All these are important in the delivering an environment able to sustain economic prosperity.

This resume of key policy objectives demonstrates that there is a level of consensus as to the value of cultural activity in both quality of life indicators and instrumental policy delivery. These drivers revolve around an agenda set by Central Government. This, in turn, provides the basis on which effective partnerships can be built with a range of partners WITHOUT needing to develop separate agendas for action. However the initiatives which are developed to deliver against these policy objectives are devised with local distinctiveness, specificity and focus. The strength of the arts is that the creativity of arts workers provides for imaginative and innovative ways of using cultural and creative activity in new settings to support the delivery of core services. The cultural organisations of Hampshire not only provide for the rich quality of life in the County but are tuned in to ways in which their creative activity can support those policy areas which support a wider social agenda.

Hampshire County Council - Arts Across the Authority - State of Play

The County Council's Investment in, and use of, the Arts falls into four categories

· Financial Investment in the form of Grant Aid to outside organisations and direct investment in activity by the Arts Service

· Human resources - Arts Office and Arts Centre staff delivering direct programme activity and coordinating staff elsewhere in Recreation and Heritage and other Directorates

· Building resources and Art in Offices Collection

· Activity generated by other Directorates and elsewhere in Recreation and Heritage.

The County Council's own investment is supplemented through the obtaining of additional grant aid from a variety of sources. Arts Council funding, Single Regeneration Budget, and Museums, Libraries and Archives Council funding all feature in the portfolio of sources drawn upon over the last years. In addition partnerships with other Councils are essential in maximising resources for the delivery of the service.

Financial Investment

Grant Aid

In the financial year 2005/6 the County Council disbursed some £866,788 in grant aid. The greatest proportion of this investment is made to 18 revenue clients that support the large scale arts infrastructure of the county and key strategic partnerships. These relationships have been built up over time and post 1997 local government reorganisation has resulted in some agreements crossing the current administrative boundary.

The County Council has evolved a system of grant aid which has resulted in five separate schemes (Revenue Funding, Programme Support, Festivals Projects and the Two for One scheme). The intention was to create a system that did two things. The revenue portfolio contributed to the development of the cultural infrastructure of the County in partnership with the districts and other agencies. The smaller schemes provided a system whereby an organisation could progress from receiving one off support for discrete projects, graduate to programme support and eventually, if appropriate and over time, to become a revenue funded organisation.

However it is clear from the pattern of spending that, other than for the revenue funded organisations, the amount of funding in each grant is modest to very small and real distinction between the categories difficult to define. It is also apparent that the practice of inviting certain organisations to apply for support each year has created a situation where it is difficult for new activity to come to the notice of officers. Whilst this has meant that most applications could be funded in this way, the obvious issue relative to equality of opportunity has arisen. The pattern of support shown, from the records, demonstrates that a number of organisations might easily assume that they would always get funded. This is not to diminish the potential these schemes have to making a difference to smaller organisations wishing to make a real impact in their communities.

The project funding grants and some of the festival grants are very small and it is clear that the activities concerned are local arts activity, without a significant impact within the wider county It is also clear that some of the organisations applying to the County Council have not or do not seek support from their District Councils. This has led to occasions where the County Council supports activity that may not be supported by the relevant district. The reasons for this are varied covering both policy and capacity. Questions need to be asked about whether this is appropriate and whether a partnership approach to support these community events would enable a broader range of activities to be supported, across more districts, by the County Council.

The grant aid programme has historically been dominated by performing arts companies - specifically theatre (touring and building based) and classical music. Very little support is currently given to dance, the visual arts, literature or media. It is not incidental that this is the case, as the infrastructure is under developed in Hampshire and these art forms are traditionally populated by sole traders or partnerships which results in issues of accountability and access to funds. The current county grant aid regime does not allow access to funds by individuals, although Arts Council England now does give support to individuals.

Arts Office staff provide the management and administration of this substantial grant aid programme. The team also leads on special projects such as the development of the Leigh Park Craft Initiative (Making Space) in Havant. It also provides day-to-day support to the wider service.

Appendix 4 - Revised Grant Scheme Proposal

Direct Programme

The County Council makes direct provision for arts activity. The Arts Service leads the SHIPS (Southampton, Hampshire, Isle Of Wight , Portsmouth and Arts Council SE Partnership) which manages a range of strategic cross boundary projects. It provides for the Hog the Limelight rural touring scheme and invests in some smaller scale strategic projects and Literature Development. The Arts Project Officer works on capital projects with partners and oversees the Art in Offices scheme on behalf of Property Buildings and Regulatory Services. The service also manages the Active Hearts scheme for Adult Services.

SHIPS Joint Investment Fund - This fund jointly invests in seven discrete projects that work across the district, county and unitary boundaries. The schemes include a major piece of research into the Economic and Social Impact of the arts in the SHIPS sub region and projects covering Dance, Health, Mobile Media, Open Arts, Public Art and Youth Music. Over the three years of the project a collective investment by Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight Unitary Councils, Test Valley, Basingstoke and Deane, Eastleigh, Gosport, Havant, Winchester and New Forest District Councils and Hampshire County Council of £335,000 has levered £149,000 directly and other project specific grants have been gained.

Hog the Limelight - this well established and much appreciated scheme covering some 62 villages is one of the largest rural touring schemes in the UK. However its success had led to the position where it is no longer possible to bring new villages into the scheme within the limits of the budget. There is a group of villages which have been long-term users of the scheme and which might be regarded as highly experienced promoters with limited need of support from the Arts Service.

Literature Development - This work, which involves reader development, live literature events and writer development has a history in Hampshire. Following the move of the Literature Development Officer to Forest Arts Centre, the post is currently frozen pending the review of the Arts Strategy. The budget for a post, currently split between the Arts Service and Libraries, is held over. This area of work needs a re-launch.

Youth Arts - The Youth Arts Development Officer works within the Arts Service, however both salary and budget are provided by the Sport, Community and Outdoor Service. The focus of the project work is on areas of deprivation and much work is developed with colleagues in Children's Services. However the programme is ad hoc given the limitations of funding and would benefit from a cross county strategic focus.

Creative Hampshire - This three year scheme is part funded by Arts Council England. The first year focussed on activity with schools with specialist arts college status. In this second year work with primary school clusters is in development. The scheme promotes arts activity allied to the development of teaching for creativity and new ways of developing curriculum delivery. The programme is modelled on aspects of the national Creative Partnerships programme. The project is overseen by a working group comprising staff of the Inspection and Advisory Service, Head Teachers and Arts Service staff. New developments with the Museum Service and targeting specific cohorts of pupils will inform the next stage of Creative Hampshire's development.

Active Hearts - The highly effective and large scale (over 1000 events per annum) programme of activity undertaken for Adult Services in residential care homes, day centres and nursing homes is coordinated by the Arts Development staff. This work for Adult Services is in now in its 3^rd year. Review of the scheme's management will encourage care homes with appropriate activity staff to take greater ownership of the programme.

Events - The Cultural Strategy has as one of its aims the exploitation of its countryside sites for larger scale arts and other cultural activities. Some events such as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts at Royal Victoria Country Park have taken place. The range of activities could be grown.

Arts Projects - A dedicated post was created to support the delivery of major capital projects such as the Leigh Park Craft Initiative. The current post-holder's knowledge skills and experience has meant that they have also been drawn into the development of public art elements of the Discovery Centre programme and other events, such as the Great Hall Exhibitions. This post holder is also responsible for the Art in Offices scheme. On completion of the major build projects it is self evident that this post-holder's role will need review and refocus.

Audience Development - The audience development agency amh (Arts Marketing Hampshire) operates as a stand-alone business unit within the Arts Service, providing research, market intelligence, organisation and audience development services to Hampshire County Council and offering a range of subsidised and commercial services to cultural organisations throughout the SE Region and beyond. The new Arts Council England South East regional audience development initiative (Audience Development South East) is currently hosted within amh. This development has changed the relationship between HCC and ACE relative to amh. HCC has subsequently redefined its own relationship with amh via a defined service level agreement. This ensures that the County Council retains a level of service from amh for itself and its clients whilst enabling the organisation to develop its strategic regional programme. The new funding arrangements are more prescriptive than hitherto and current business structure does not allow amh to launch as an independent organisation at present. Any move to independence would need to ensure that HCC investment in amh was safeguarded and the organisation was not put in jeopardy.

International dimension - The Arts Service has a limited ability to work with other officers in the department and the Policy Unit to build arts projects into exchange programmes and to support those arts organisations developing their own international dimensions; ArtSway, Forest Forge and the Hampshire Music Service provide examples where this dimension is in place. Arts Council England has also developed an international portfolio. The service should look to exploit this facility within the framework and seek European funding for suitable projects of an adopted Arts Strategy.

Arts Centres Programmes see section below.

Additional Investment - In addition to County Council resources the Arts Service seeks out additional investment to support both its own activity and those of its partners. This is mostly done on a project by project basis and in the case of Lottery (ACE and HLF) funds may cover more than one financial year.

Appendix 5 - Hampshire County Council Investment in the Arts 2004/05

Human Resources

The current Arts Service staff consists of 44.5 full and part time staff supported by a range of freelance project providers and casual staff. The staff is highly qualified with a significant percentage being graduates - irrespective of the status of the post. The team is made up of both experienced professionals with considerable years of experience and new entrants. There is a mix of Hampshire `born and bred' as well as `incomers'. However it would be true to say that the majority of the staff have lived and worked in Hampshire for long periods. This has the significant advantage of continuity and knowledge, but the downside is limited working knowledge of other policy and operational environments. The balance of both these characteristics makes for a rich team.

Building Resources and Art in Offices

The Arts Centres The Arts Service is directly responsible for the operation of the four arts centres, based in Rushmoor, Fareham, New Forest and Winchester City Council areas. None of the centres was purpose built but are, as is common across the country, recycled from their original function. Whilst the buildings have real character and atmosphere and are enjoyed by patrons and staff alike, it is also true that the spaces they occupy constrain their activity.

Tower Arts Centre, Winchester - is a converted Water Tower in the south west of the city. It shares a site with Kings School. In 1996 the centre was extended to provide additional space for workshops and rehearsals, some exhibition and circulation space, and alterations were made to ensure that the building was accessible according to the DDA.

West End Centre, Aldershot - the centre occupies the old West End School. It enjoyed a period as a county run Drama Centre before turning full time to an arts centre function. As a Victorian school and school-house building the centre consists of converted classroom and hall spaces. In 1997 some cosmetic alterations were made to the building and, more recently, the rear access was made accessible in line with DDA requirements and the theatre seating was replaced (with support from Arts Council England). The West End Centre occupies the largest building of the four and is a listed building.

Ashcroft Arts Centre - another, but much smaller, Victorian school. The centre has had a recent refurbishment which has provided new exhibition space, soundproofing and an enhanced foyer and bar. This project attracted additional investment from arts Council England and Fareham Borough Council.

Forest Arts Centre - originally a Drill Hall and then a Council run drama centre, Forest Arts has had the addition of a dance studio (2001) and a remodelled foyer (1994).

In addition to these directly run facilities Hampshire County Council owns the following:-

Bedhampton Arts Centre - a small Victorian school leased to Havant Arts Centre. Very little investment has been made in this facility over the years - and there are some issues about legal title to the property.

Art in Offices The Art in Offices scheme was established in the 1980's, funded by the Property, Business and Regulatory Services department, to purchase visual art and craft as a developing collection of modern and contemporary art for the County Council. Works purchased in the early days of the scheme were most commonly prints, some from leading British artists including Brigit Riley, David Hockney, Elisabeth Frink and Graham Sutherland. More recently, the scheme has focused on purchasing contemporary work primarily from Hampshire based artists including Catherine Barnes, Josephine Chisholm and James Woolley. All of the work held in the collection is displayed in buildings owned or leased by Hampshire County Council. The aims of the scheme are; to raise the profile and awareness of contemporary visual arts and crafts, support the local economy by supporting the work of Hampshire based artists and makers and to enhance the work environment for Hampshire County Council staff and create a welcoming place to visit.

Arts Centre Programmes The Centres provide mixed performance (music, theatre, dance and comedy), literature and visual arts, participatory programmes (classes, workshops for adults and children and holiday activity for young people) and outreach work in the wider community. As would be expected the majority of users are very local (approximately 5 mile radius) with some events having a wider audience pull. The very different architectures dictate, to an extent, the programme that is possible. However the tone of the programmes reflect a mixture of market demand and market lead by the relevant Director. The centre directors plan programmes to meet local needs and also to provide a challenge by developing the range of activity and presentation their audiences can access. Some collective programming is undertaken which allows some economies of scale and effective use of resources.

District Council support for the centres varies, but in all cases, for historic reasons, the County Council is the primary funder. This was identified as an issue in a review of Hampshire County Council's Arts Service carried out by independent consultants Artservice in 2004. The general pattern of funding viewed across the UK would see the major investors being District Councils with a smaller proportion of funding from other authorities. The Point in Eastleigh (substantially funded by the District Council) demonstrates the primacy of local funding. However The Point has also carved out a position for itself as a centre of excellence for dance in the County in addition to its community programme. Hampshire's Arts Centres could develop areas of expertise or programming, identified as centres of excellence, which would similarly have a county wide impact.

The fact that the centres are operated by the County Council has mixed benefits. The support services that the County Council provides through financial and HR functions, for example, are invaluable. However local authority operated venues are unable to access sources of funding available to charitable or otherwise independent organisations (for example charities, private gift aided donations etc) and can sometimes be less able to respond swiftly, because of the inherent nature of large institutions, despite the directors' entrepreneurial endeavours. Developing a strategy which enables this entrepreneurialism to grow is important in the next period.

The development of the Discovery Centre model provides some opportunity for development e.g. Ashcroft Director programming for Gosport Discovery Centre and support from the Arts Development Officer, relative to programming children's theatre and classes. However it is also true, that given the finite resources available, there is some danger of creating internal competition for these resources - especially in Winchester.

The Arts Centre Network in Hampshire is spread in a wide geography and is evenly split between County Council operated Centres and independent Centres. For the most part they are situated in areas with little or no other like provision. New Milton, Aldershot, Havant and Fareham have little competition in scale although both Aldershot and Fareham have middle/large scale civic halls close by. Winchester and Basingstoke contain critical masses of arts and entertainment venues and the advent of the Discovery Centres will add to the mix. Centres at Bordon and Totton have had limited and no support from the County Council, relying instead on the support of the relevant Town Councils. This is an historic position.

The new centre in Andover - The Lights - based in the old Cricklade Theatre and opening in late 2006 will be jointly supported by the Borough and County Council and will create a pressure on the budget in the short and medium term.

Leigh Park Craft Centre a new build centre containing 7 makers studios and two craft education spaces. The building will be complete in October / November 2006 and will be leased to Making Space which will operate the centre and provide a community craft programme for local people. The building is being designed by Hampshire County Architects and funding from Hampshire County Council, Single Regeneration Budget, Havant Borough Council and Arts Council England has been secured for its development.

Building Issues Within the constraints of available budgets the Property, Buildings and Regulatory Services Directorate has invested regular and modest amounts on Council Arts Centres for upkeep, small scale adaptations to enable compliance with the DDA and some refurbishment. However all County Council Centres require significant investment in basic mechanical and electrical installations and built fabric. This amounts to some £1.5 million over the next 5 years. Decision on how to prioritise any work done in this period will be bound up in the asset management and development plan for Recreation and Heritage, particularly in relation to the plans for the programme of Discovery Centre Development. The County Council has in previous years operated a capital grant scheme to which other arts centres, and indeed other arts organisations, could bid. However this scheme no longer operates on a regular basis.

Arts Initiatives undertaken or supported by other County Council service providers

Recreation and Heritage

Museum Service - The Service has extensive collections of topographic prints, drawings and watercolours, ceramics, including contemporary ceramics, silver, glass, costume and textiles in its permanent collections which are available for study and display.

The Community Museums and the Flora Twort Gallery in Petersfield have some dedicated temporary exhibition space, most of which are being upgraded with new lighting over the next few months. Gosport Gallery is approved for National Indemnity for high value loan exhibitions. Temporary exhibitions based on fine and applied art, both contemporary and historic, selling and non-selling are shown in one or more venues within Community Museums across Hampshire in any one year.

The Community museums are spread across the county. At Havant the museum service shares premises with the Havant Arts Centre and has undertaken joint initiatives with them. There is scope for more collaboration on this site and with Making Space at Leigh Park in terms of offering exhibition space.

Educational activities based on art and crafts delivered largely to primary school and family audiences on museum premises and at SEARCH (Hampshire County Council Museums and Archives Service education resource centre at Gosport). The Museums, Learning, Access and Interpretation team work in collaboration with the Arts department especially on the Reminiscence programme for County Council Care homes and the Creative Hampshire project using artists to work in schools and building links with Museums.

Archives - Using the extensive archives and records as stimulus, the service engages new audiences through the medium of arts projects. To illustrate how this works the following projects are examples of recent activity. The `Write On Fareham' project 2004/05, funded by Arts Council South East and SEMLAC (South East Museums, Libraries and Archives Council), used archives and museum collections to inspire children's creativity in writing and drawing. A children's author ran workshops in four schools in Fareham and Portchester. In 2005/06, taking part in the national Big Draw project, an artist used examples of manuscript maps from the archives as inspiration for creative family workshop sessions using paints and textiles. Projects at this scale have to be fundraised for as additional activity for the service. The service also participates in the Hog the Limelight programme through presentations of archive photographs and film relating to the local community.

Community, Sport and Outdoor Service - Targeted work with young people is undertaken in partnership with Sports, Community and Outdoor Services. The Youth Arts Development Officer is responsible for linking with District Council colleagues and other local stakeholders, particularly in the voluntary sector, to deliver projects in areas of high deprivation. Over the last two years this work has been a major contributor to the Cabinet key priority work in Andover addressing Young People, Crime and Deprivation; work with groups at risk, including children looked after, care leavers and young people with disabilities. Partnership funding of £20,000 is made available from the Sports, Community and Outdoor services budget as well as access to the Recreation and Heritage Policy Fund for projects in Andover.

Countryside - Many of the Countryside Service's sites are used for Arts and Cultural events throughout the year. The Service manages seven major parks, five of which host or organise a very wide range of events with an artistic or cultural flavour.

Manor Farm Park has hosted puppetry and children's theatre events and Royal Victoria Country Park (RVCP) hosted a youth theatre production. Orchestral and Band Concerts are regular events at RVCP, in particular large scale concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP) has a standing exhibition featuring local artists and Staunton Country Park has an artist in residence preparing a sculpture trail.

Arts activities are regularly used as way of generating awareness, understanding and engagement with countryside matters; for example woodcarving, natural mosaics and youth arts workshops at QECP, interactive storytelling, Victorian school lessons and photography workshops at Staunton Country Park.

Artist interventions to create local distinctiveness are also used, such as carved story posts or artist blacksmiths making park and field gates. A local maker was commissioned to create small metal insects which were used as geo cache signifiers and these can now be found all over the world.

In collaborating on developing the Arts Strategy the Countryside Service has become more aware of the potential to develop a more planned use of arts activities to enhance and enrich its existing service.

Libraries - The Library and Information Service undertakes a number of initiatives which support reading and writing amongst all groups in the community. It contributes £5,000 to the Arts Department to enable the very successful HOG programme of speakers to be offered in libraries countywide. It also supports the following range of initiatives: Author events in libraries for both adults and children, most often sponsored by publishers/booksellers, authors taking part have included Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman. Reading groups - separate groups run for adults, children, visually impaired people and Dads `n Lads, special collections of books and spoken word cassettes are provided for these groups; games workshops and a very successful initiative which particularly encourages teenagers to take part in book promotions generally, including collections to support various major book prizes e.g. Orange, Man Booker, as well as the Richard and Judy TV book club and World Book Day etc.

In addition the Wessex Children's Book Fair - the largest children's book fair in the country, is held every two years, and run in conjunction with a local bookseller (P&G Wells, Winchester) and is supported by publishers. The book fair also involves Hampshire schools and reaches more than 6,000 children, teachers and parents.

Adult Services

The principle use of the arts by Adult Services is the commissioning of the Active Hearts programme for frail elderly adults in County Council settings as described above.

Children's Services

Schools are the most obvious locations where arts activity takes place as part of the Children's Services offer. In addition to curriculum activity many are engaged in supporting after school activity independently and in collaboration with Arts Development Officers in the Districts. Hampshire was a pilot authority for the Young People's Arts Awards, developed by Arts Council England and modelled on the well established Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

A major element in the offer is provided by Hampshire Music Service (HMS), HMS seeks to engage and inspire young people to "Participate, Enjoy and Achieve" in music-making. It does this by providing and promoting high quality teaching and musical opportunities for children in Hampshire schools, and through a growing extended curriculum programme. It has a key role in working with schools to implement the Government's Wider Opportunities pledge - that all children should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, and it supports schools in implementing the statutory National Curriculum.

HMS is Hampshire County Council's single point of reference for music education. It provides instrumental and vocal teaching for pupils, class music teaching, music curriculum inspection, advice to schools, and runs an extensive programme of music ensembles for the community of Hampshire, including many concerts and special events.

Funding for instrumental and vocal teaching is delegated to schools, with whom HMS trades through a Service Level Agreement and Specialist tuition for the most talented young musicians and the Area and County Bands, Orchestras and Choirs is funded by Hampshire County Council.

Music Standards Fund grants, introduced in 1999, have funded new opportunities in singing, music technology, pop, rock, jazz, and world music, for pupils in primary, special and secondary schools.

The integrated approach to music in Hampshire, delivered by some 300 staff, is one of its strengths for which, in November 2004, the National Music Council awarded Hampshire its top award for music provision. Through the service some 14,500 pupils receive weekly instrumental and vocal tuition. 2,700 pupils are members of the 70 Area and County Bands, Orchestras and Choirs. Over 18,000 pupils take part annually in additional music festivals, workshops and other events. In Music GCSE and Key Stage Assessments, Hampshire pupils achieve well above the national average.

In October 2005, the Executive Member for Education endorsed the recommendation of the Children's Services Policy Review Committee, that Hampshire County Council becomes a signatory to the Music Manifesto and agrees to support its aims. HMS will target specific new initiatives towards the projects' aims during the period to 2008.

Property Building and Regulatory Services

Hampshire County Council Policy and Resources funding for arts projects is on a very exceptional and ad hoc basis. In the main, if an art work is included in a building project it is because a client group (within the Council or external) has funded it. Art works create a special identity for a building and enhance the built environment. An arts officer will need to be formally identified to lead on this work. Recent building projects with associated arts projects include:

· Gosport Discovery Centre - stained glass entrance lobby by Martin Donlin and installation by Steven Pippin (Pippin work funded by ACE), Winchester Discovery Centre - textile wall hanging by Alice Kettle and developmental art by Mitchell Bould (Bould funded by ACE)

· Registry Offices Refurbishments - contemporary pottery and glassware

· Serle's House paintings, ceramics and glass and the museum service supplied paintings

· Leigh Park Craft Initiative - Attached artist Jacqueline Poncelet working on security doors.

Artists interventions in a scheme are not merely decorative but can be built into the fabric of the scheme or can influence the overall design such as in Gosport and Leigh Park.

It is not only major public buildings that use artists; schools also work with artists. In these settings projects can lead to collaborative learning and developing ownership of a new building. Recent projects include:

· Great Binfields Primary School - Sculpture by John Thompson and David Johnson (School funded)

· Osborne School - Etched glass by Mitchell Bould (Bould funded by ACE)

· John Hunt of Everest School - major art and learning bid in to Arts Council

The Art in Offices Scheme described above also provides art work for refurbishment and new build projects and creates a sense of place and an enhanced environment.

Gaps in provision

An analysis of expenditure on arts infrastructure through Arts Revenue Funding (2004/5) shows that it is dominated by investment in theatre (40%) and music (27%) with arts centres (18% not including direct investment in Hampshire County Council operated centres) following on and visual arts (11%) and dance (3%) lagging behind. It is not necessarily the case that the County must support through finance all other areas of endeavour. However, as a strategic authority, the County should take care that it does not inadvertently put barriers in the way of sector development, sustain organisations or initiatives that are out of time, or through ignorance, fail to create an environment where an activity can make a major social, economic or cultural contribution to the quality of life in the county. Areas that need examination are

public and percent for art, visual arts and crafts and the creative industries film and media. Nor is it the case that the Arts Service should take a lead in this area. A more appropriate directorate may be that of Economic Development or indeed a District Authority or partnership. This list should be a dynamic to enable the actions of the Council to remain timely.

Arts Strategy for Hampshire County Council 2006 - 2011

Hampshire Facts and Figures -

Hampshire is the third largest county in the UK with over 1,250,000 residents. There is a mix of urban and rural areas, and whilst only 15% of the county is urban, 77% of the population lives in those urban areas. The population is set to increase by 8.4% by 2026 with the number of people over the age of 85 doubling and the number of school age children declining by 12.5%.

Whilst one district in the county (Hart) is classified as the least deprived in England there are pockets of serious deprivation elsewhere; three wards in Havant and another ten elsewhere lie in the top 20% of the most deprived wards in England. Children perform well in school, above the national average, but this headline masks variation with areas of underperformance often in areas of deprivation.

Hampshire is a healthy County, however, again this masks inequalities in some areas with mortality rates for cancer and circulatory diseases amongst the under 75's being higher than average South East rates in Gosport and Rushmoor, whereas longevity in the New Forest and Hart exceeds the South East average. Obesity levels in children, as nationally, are a cause for concern.

The County is prosperous with unemployment below the national and regional average, however there are problems with recruitment and retention of staff. Whilst headline growth in the County economy is in line with the South East as a whole, there are serious pockets of deprivation particularly in the south of the County. Internet use and access is above national average and broadband coverage is now virtually 100%.

(Source - SEEDA Regional Economic Strategy Discussion Document Dec:2005)

Affordable housing is an issue. The Regional Assembly's plans for housing growth will put pressure on resources, infrastructure and some green space. Major transport infrastructure and congestion across the transport infrastructure will need to be addressed.

(Source - Digest Hampshire LAA submission V1)

Vision for Hampshire

"Hampshire will be a prosperous and attractive county for all, where economic, social and environmental needs are met in the most sustainable way and the quality of life and sense of community of present and future generations improved." Hampshire Strategic Partnership

The vision will be delivered through innovation, added value and action.

What does this mean for the Arts?

The arts have a part to play in delivering the vision through placing cultural activity at the heart of the delivery of the Council's objectives. The Council's commitment, and rationale for supporting the arts, is set out at the head of this document.

The task of the Council's Arts Service, through the strategy, is to ensure that the arts infrastructure in Hampshire can function well, innovate and play a full role in the social and economic life of the County. With its partners, including partners within the County Council, it must balance its function as an enabler (through its grant schemes and other support) and its role as a provider - making interventions where it can make a real difference. It should act strategically but ensure local impact; it should ensure that its partners share its values of access, inclusion and stewardship. It should promote a sense of place, learning and participation and economic vitality.

Quality and innovation will mark out the infrastructure of Hampshire, whether in artistic practice or the way art and audiences meet as consumers or participants in whatever setting. The idea of exchange will become more important as work made in Hampshire is exported out of the County to the region and beyond, whilst the best from elsewhere is imported.

Maximising value for money and using its investment to lever partnership funding will be a watchword as will being explicit about the purpose and return on investment required.

With its partners the Council must work out a way to support those areas of creation which are essentially solitary; particularly writing, the visual arts and new forms of creation for example in new media. These are areas traditionally under invested in as the formalised infrastructure is weak or non-existent.

Policy Objectives

These objectives define what Hampshire will do and how it will work to achieve the objectives

1. To deliver the Corporate and Cultural Strategy objectives through the actions of the Arts Service and other Directorates within the Council as appropriate.

2. To support the development of a sustainable and thriving arts and creative industries infrastructure in Hampshire.

3. To prioritise those areas of activity where the County Council can make a real strategic difference.

4. To work in partnership with stakeholders at Parish, Town, Borough, District and Regional levels to ensure that joint investments are maximised.

5. To lead by example by developing strategic approaches to cross departmental working.

6. To ensure that excellence permeates all activity whether supported or directly delivered.

Policy Objective 1

To deliver the Corporate and Cultural Strategy objectives through the actions of the Arts Service and other Directorates within the Council as appropriate.

Hampshire's Cultural and Corporate Strategies provides the over-arching framework for this Arts specific strategy - the County Council through its statutory and non-statutory functions plays an integral part in ensuring the health of the cultural ecology of the county. The County's partners in this endeavour are the public, private and voluntary sectors. These three sectors are interdependent - The private and voluntary sectors use publicly supported buildings; creative practitioners work for the public, private and voluntary sectors singly and severally. Publicly funded artists can learn their skills in the voluntary sector and exploit them in the private sector.

Through a series of historic and policy functions the County Council plays a significant role in the preservation, conservation and stewardship of the infrastructure of Hampshire's cultural heritage. This cannot be an exercise in history alone but also an imperative to ensure that future innovation and creativity are encouraged to flourish. The product of this new work is the heritage of the future.

The creative and cultural infrastructure must be encouraged in the development of its own creative practice. Without such excellent creative arts organisations as partners the Council cannot hope to deliver against its social and economic agendas.

Actions

· To work with Museums and Archives and Countryside Services to maximise joint working which exploits the cultural heritage

o Review desirability of accessioning the Art in Offices and public art (where appropriate) commissions into HCC museum collection

· To identify those revenue clients involved in innovative practice and support the development of that innovation

· Ensure that supported organisations sign up to the development of new audiences and demonstrable equality standards

· To ensure that cultural diversity and sharing is at the heart of the Arts Service practice and that of its partners

· To develop a wide ranging approach to learning and inclusion across the arts

· To understand, develop and promote the role that culture plays in the economy of the county.

Policy Objective 2

To support the development of a sustainable and thriving arts and creative industries infrastructure in Hampshire.

The cultural infrastructure of Hampshire is manifold. Landscape and architecture are important signifiers of the distinctiveness of the County's culture - however buildings and other infrastructure cannot of themselves achieve anything. It is human intervention that gives them value and meaning. Much of the cultural infrastructure in Hampshire is historic, and that includes the arts infrastructure. The built infrastructure is predominantly based in urban areas, and for the most part in town centres, not all of the infrastructure is purpose built and with significant exceptions few of the buildings belong to the late twentieth century. The geographic spread of this infrastructure is unplanned and there is limited ability to create new infrastructure in the current economic and funding climate.

The County Council funds a range of organisations within its own administrative boundaries. However, members of the public do not always recognise these boundaries and emotional geography is a more potent influence on loyalties. Therefore organisations based outside the County boundary but providing services to Hampshire residents are also supported.

Not only are there a myriad of arts organisations in the County but both Hampshire and the neighbouring Unitary Authorities all have Higher Education institutions which both train the arts practitioners of the future and provide employment for existing practitioners. Both students and teaching staff are consumers of the arts provision in the county and beyond. The Universities of Southampton and Winchester with their various campus locations exemplify this.

Cultural infrastructure is not always building based but includes networks of organisations which tour arts activity into a variety of settings. Even more difficult to see and quantify is the complex web of individual endeavours; writers, fine artists and makers, web designers, musicians and other practitioners resident in Hampshire. These ply their various trades in a complex set of inter-relationships between themselves and cultural organisations in the County and the South-East region more widely. This infrastructure supports a potent mix of social, economic and creative endeavours which together help to define the quality of life in the Hampshire.

Actions

· Review the portfolio of revenue clients for strategic role and development potential and determine future relationships through development of three year funding accords (including District and ACE funding partners)

· Develop the concept of centres of excellence and distinctiveness in Hampshire's cultural offering and link to revenue funding streams

· Within the context of the reports to the Policy Review committees relative to the Artservice review and Partnership Funding report of 18^th November 2004, to review and revise the Grant administration to simplify the schemes

· Determine the role of the Arts Centres across the county relative to -

o Strategic relationships with the District Council's and agreed programme of support

o Identification of strategic role for the `in-house' centres

o Options on management structures to support the development of the businesses and the capitalisation of entrepreneurial initiatives in `in house' centres

o Long term review of the Arts Centres and Discovery Centres and potential for joint working and/or co-location to new facilities

o Role in development of infrastructure to deliver Young People's Arts Awards

· Keep a watching brief on viability and advisability of amh seeking independence

· Review areas of under representation and develop appropriate strategies

· Build relationships with the Higher Education institutions in areas of mutual interest e.g. professional development, business support to creative industry graduates etc.

Policy Objective 3

To prioritise those areas of activity where the County Council can make a real strategic difference.

The public, private and voluntary sectors each are able to support or sustain the cultural health of Hampshire. Each sector works in distinct ways capitalising on its strengths.

Actions

· Revise the arrangements for the rural touring scheme Hog the Limelight to enable a wider participation in the scheme viz:

o Remodelling the financial parameters of the scheme in order to provide support to new villages, without destabilising the whole scheme

o Continuing support to less experienced village promoters and look to extend the range of villages in the scheme

o Investigate provision of standard level of activity across the 11 districts with extra provision pro rata where the district financially contributes to the programme

o Working with individual districts on ways to develop the scheme, e.g. for young people in holidays

· Develop clear strategy for the development of a centre of excellence for Literature in the county

· Develop strategic approaches to under represented areas of work with appropriate colleagues or agencies, keeping this list dynamic and timely

o Visual Arts and Craft Practice

o Dance

o Literature

o New Media and Film

o Creative Industries

o Public Art

· Focus activity in areas of priority as identified as areas of need or strategic importance as identified by Hampshire County Council, e.g. Andover, Aldershot, Gosport and Havant and the rural areas. List to remain dynamic and in line with corporate decisions

· Review the legacy of the round one JIF projects for strategic starting points and future action

· Mobile Media project

· Youth Music

· Dance

· Public Art

· Open Arts

· Arts In Health

· Develop a range of economic development (including cultural tourism) initiatives

· Cultivate an international dimension into the Arts Strategy building on activity already taking place.

Appendix 6 - Action Plan Strategic Organisations / Initiatives

Policy Objective 4

To work in partnership with stakeholders at Parish, Town, Borough, District and Regional levels to ensure that joint investments are maximised are maximised.

The County Council cannot ignore the policy imperatives of other stakeholders in the county's cultural infrastructure. Moreover it has to recognise that it is often not the lead funder of these areas of work, the District Councils and Arts Council England are also major investors in the arts. Much of the arts infrastructure has to respond to the differing policy imperatives of each stakeholder, although many are shared, particularly the agenda negotiated between ACE and the Local Government Association. Hampshire County Council, through the management of its grant aid programme has the power to sustain or de-stabilise the cultural infrastructure of Hampshire.

Actions

· Build strategic long term vision relative to joint clients with Arts Council England and appropriate District and other stakeholders

· Negotiate clear guidelines, and lead responsibilities with each of the Districts relative to support of both joint strategic clients and local arts activity

· Where appropriate develop tripartite strategic plans with Districts and Arts Council relative to investment in each area

· To actively pursue the development of new resources to invest in arts activity which delivers against the range of policy areas. Such resources may be European, UK, regional, local, public or private sector investments as appropriate

· Review the terms of reference and management arrangements for SHIPs JIF partnership in light of current programme and future direction

· Use the outcomes of the Economic and Social Impact study to inform future working.

Policy Objective 5

To lead by example by developing strategic approaches to cross departmental working.

The Recreation and Heritage Department has a key role in the preservation, conservation and promotion of the County's heritage. It also has a key role to play in delivering the core objectives of the Corporate Strategy in ways that add value to the services provided as a requirement of statute. Active Hearts work with fragile elderly people supports continued health and well-being; new curriculum delivery as a consequence of work through the Creative Hampshire scheme supports improved educational attainment. These examples demonstrate the value of cultural activity as integral to these services. The Arts Service provides the knowledge, skills and experience to other directorates. These collaborative endeavours enable the maximising of resources resulting in the development of excellent services to residents.

Actions

· Within the context of the Council's priorities, Government priorities for youth, Every Child Matters and the Youth Green Paper, and Local Area Agreements devise, with appropriate colleagues, a strategic plan for the development of Youth Arts Development

· Work towards a continuation of Creative Hampshire with Children's Services

· With appropriate partners, develop a new strategy for the support of professional development and training to replace the dance bursary scheme and to include additional areas of practice

· Within the context of County Council Rainbow of Wellbeing initiative, to review the management of the Active Hearts scheme with Adult Services with a view to putting ownership of the scheme with the managers with confidence to operate effectively

o Continue to provide support to those settings where this level of confidence is lacking

o Review the Nursing home element of the scheme and refocus as per the outcome of the review

o Encourage Adult Services to recruit more dedicated activity staff

o Develop strategic approach to joint working with Adult services

· To survey the countryside sites for potential exploitation for arts and broader cultural events and to develop a strategy to market the sites for such activities

· Building on the history of commissioning public art works in Hampshire's own building programme work with PBRS to formalise this practice through development of a public and percent for art strategy

· Develop e-commerce activity relative to arts centre programmes and other appropriate activities

· Collaborate with the Discovery Centre development programme and build an existing programme of activity in each strategic area

· Work with Economic Development colleagues to ensure joint working on areas of common interest such as cultural tourism, creative industries, sector skills development etc.

Policy Objective 6

To ensure that excellence permeates all activity whether supported or directly delivered.

The concept of excellence not only relates to the creative offering that the County Council supports through its grant schemes but also relates to its own endeavour. Clear artistic vision supported by excellent management process ensures that maximum effectiveness and value are garnered - without excellence in the core of the artistic activity it is impossible for the County to direct and achieve excellent social outcomes of community cohesion, creative learning or other access or inclusion objectives.

Actions

· Use the grant aid schemes to support excellence and innovation

· Build new team structure and ethos in the Arts Service to maximise strategic joint working and effective use of resources both within Recreation and Heritage and across the wider authority

· Maintain and monitor SLA with amh

· Develop a clarity with the key strategic organisations about the expectations the County Council has for its investment return

· Development of detailed business plans for the in-house arts centres based on strategic role determined for each

· Develop parallel reporting systems between arts centres both in house and funded to enable effective/appropriate performance comparison

· Develop an effective monitoring and evaluation system for the grant aid schemes and Arts Service's own practice

· Introduce a performance management culture within the Arts Service in line with County Council frameworks

· Ensure all Arts Service activities and those of clients adhere to relevant legislation relative to employment, health and safety, child protection and other areas as appropriate

· Develop an effective communication strategy for the arts service

· Create a rolling action plan with Milestones, which combines actions in appendix 6 with new actions arising from this plan.

Appendix 1 - Policy Framework for Hampshire County Council

Hampshire County Council

The six aims of the County Council's Corporate Strategy are:

· Maximising life opportunities

· Stewardship of the environment

· Achieving economic prosperity

· Building strong and safe communities

· Improving access to services

· Developing councillors and staff.

The Cultural Strategy has as its values; Access, Inclusion, Stewardship, Sense of Place, Learning Opportunities, Increasing Participation and Economic Prosperity. These values underpin the vision of Hampshire as a place which

· Supports the preservation, conservation, development and promotion of the county's cultural heritage

· Enables forward looking, innovative and creative cultures to flourish

· Encourages affordable and easy access to high quality cultural activities and facilities for all

· Facilitates a recognition and understanding of the history of Hampshire and its people, in the context of UK, European and world history

· Ensures that learning opportunities offered by cultural facilities and activities of Hampshire are fully utilised

· Promotes and encourages the sharing of the culture of minority groups within the county

· Ensures that culture plays an increasing role in the economy of the county in a sustainable way.

Hampshire Strategic Partnership

The partnership has four key themes

· Strong and safe communities

· Health and wellbeing

· Economic prosperity and lifelong learning

· Environment, infrastructure and transport

The underlying principles of the strategy are sustainability- to improve the quality of life by addressing economic, social and environmental wellbeing and positive action to promote equality, diversity and social inclusion.

These themes are derived from the Governments Shared priorities of

· Raising standards in schools

· Improving the quality of life for children and young people, families at risk and older people

· Promoting healthier communities

· Creating safe and strong communities

· Transformation of the local environment

· Promotion of economic vitality of localities

· Meeting transport needs effectively

The Community Strategy developed in 2004 informs the development of the Local Area agreement.

Local Area Agreements are a three year agreement that sets out the priorities for the defined area agreed by the Regional Government office, the local authority and the Local Strategic Partnership. Hampshire is one of the counties in the South East piloting these agreements before roll out across the country.

The agreement will set out a range of desired outcomes, indicators and targets aimed at delivering a better quality of life for people through improving performance on a range of national and local priorities. The agreement has as fundamental the reduction in duplication of service, better use allocated budgets and joined up service delivery derived from commonly agreed priorities. Nationally there are four `blocks', Children and Young People, Safer and Stronger Communities, Healthier Communities and Older People and Economic Development and Enterprise.

Hampshire's LAA is aimed at promoting sustainable communities characterised by

· Reduced social economic and environmental inequalities for vulnerable communities and groups across the County, including rural areas

· A strong, safe and healthy society

· An environment to be proud of

· A strong economy.

Hampshire and its partners have agreed a refined a list of priorities

· Improve life chances for children and young people

· Deliver first class support for business, promote skills and workforce development and address barriers to employment

· Improve access to housing and accommodation

· Tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, recognising the harm of drug and alcohol misuse.

· Promote and improve the safety, health and wellbeing of children, young people, adults and older people in Hampshire.

· Empower local people to have a greater voice and influence over decision making and delivery of service.

· Improve the co-ordination of transport and access to services across the County

· Use material resources more effectively.

The LAA will contain new LPSA targets where achievement of more stretching performance targets over the period of the agreement will attract reward grant from Government.

Whilst none of the performance indicators directly relate to the activities delivered by the Arts Service it is true to say that, nevertheless and without over-claiming, the actions of the service can contribute to the desired outcomes viz:-

· Improving services to under 5s - the activities of the Arts Service will provide a basis for collaborative working with the proposed Children's centres. Further, there are bodies of evidence to support the view that active participation in arts activity can impact on learning in other areas of the curriculum the Creative Partnerships initiative - on which the Creative Hampshire project is modelled is proving this point.

· Widening Participation in leisure activity - both direct Arts Service activities and the portfolio of funded arts organisations provide a county wide matrix of opportunities, particularly for young people.

· A stronger economy in rural areas - many of the independent craft makers live and work in rural areas and are predominantly women. It may be that these are businesses run as part of portfolio careers and as such may not appear on the indices.

· Reducing re-offending rates of young offenders - the Youth Arts Officer works alongside colleagues in Connexions, in pupil referral units and on estates in the target areas to create activity designed to support return to learning and constructive leisure time activity. There a models of good practice that can be learned from in developing arts interventions to work with those abusing drugs and alcohol.

· Healthy and Active Lifestyles - the classes programme in the arts centres and the work of Hampshire Dance Trust and other organisations funded by Hampshire County Council, provide a range of healthy activities for adults which address both physical health and through active participation can support good mental health.

· Vulnerable and older people - the programme of activities undertaken for Adult Services for vulnerable older people provides a regime of activity that has a preventative function in terms of admission to hospital and maintenance of physical and mental health and general well-being. In addition Arts Centre programme provide opportunities in town centre locations for this group.

· Increased participation in community activities - the arts centres provide an arena in which community activity takes place and Hog the Limelight rural touring scheme provides some 62 villages with community events and workshops for all ages.

Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA)

CPA was introduced in 2002 as the principle means of comparing the performance of local authorities in England and Wales. The assessments, which are compiled by the Audit Commission, are based on quantitative and qualitative evidence at a corporate and service level. This evidence is combined in functional or service based blocks to derive block scores. These are aggregated to arrive at an overall score for the authority. There has always been a "culture block" within the assessment, but this relied heavily on inspection scores. The move to a lighter touch inspection regime has forced changes in the CPA scoring process and, from 2006, this will be based entirely on performance indicator data. At the same time the Audit Commission has moved to give greater emphasis in CPA to value for money considerations and the extent to which an authority's performance is improving over time.

The CPA regime has a considerable influence on the behaviour of local authorities and how they order their priorities. For upper tier authorities much of the data used within the culture block will relate to the performance of their public library services. This is of concern to the arts sector, which is at present invisible to the CPA process.

South East England Cultural Consortium The fourteen objectives that address the challenges are complementary to Hampshire's own policy drivers.

· Promote a central role and coherent and integrated strategies, for the Cultural Sector in the region

· Ensure culture plays its full role in urban and rural renaissance

· Promote the role of cultural activities in securing sustainable development

· Work to ensure better public understanding of the cultural dividend..............demonstrating the contribution culture makes to economic, social and environmental well-being

· Promote and develop the use of cultural activities to combat social exclusion

· Strive to ensure al communities have access to good quality cultural sector provision and infrastructure

· Ensure culture plays its role in raising educational and achievement levels, in developing the knowledge economy, and contributing to the quality of life for individuals and communities across the region

· Develop and maintain and up-to-date understanding of regional cultural sector and training needs

· Advocate the social value of cultural sector volunteering and the development of transferable skills through volunteering

· Ensure that the region remains at the cutting edge of developments in practice and provision

· Promote excellence in new building and environmental design in regional projects and encourage the growth of a thriving architectural and design industry in the region

· Maintain and increase public and private resources needed for effective development of the cultural and creative industries in the region

· Promote better understanding of the business development needs of the cultural and creative industries and identify measures to address these

· Develop the relationship between the regional cultural sector and Europe.

Appendix 2 -

Arts Council England South East

Investment in Regularly Funded Organisations in Hampshire

Arts Council South West

Note between April 2003 - June 2005 ACE SE invested £1,700,000 in project grants and managed funds into Hampshire. It would not be unreasonable to expect a similar pattern of investment in future.