Issue - meetings

Purpose

To update the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Economic Development on the extensive work and activity which has been undertaken by Portsmouth Creates following their securing additional funding and to outline the monitoring of this work which has been put in place.

Recommendations

1.    That the work undertaken by Portsmouth Creates during the on-going pandemic be recognised as very significant in supporting the breadth and diversity of the creative industries across the city in these unprecedented times. 

2.    That the proposed Service Level Agreement is adapted to recognise that the  deliverables for the organisation have had to change in light of the pandemic circumstances.

The report was introduced by Claire Looney, Partnership and Commissioning Manager. Councillor Pitt added that they now have a staff member to support them who started a few weeks ago and who was seconded from Arts Council South East for the next year. 

In response to a question she explained that officers are talking to Arts Council England who are one of the other primary funders and they are both looking at detailed measures and the longer term impact to support the cultural infrastructure as well as the individuals.  As they are such a new organisation officers do not want to make the measurement process too onerous but they need to be accountable for the money that the authority have provided to them.  Officers hoped to have a SLA in place in January. 

Councillor Pitt said that even without a SLA Portsmouth Creates had managed to achieve a great deal.  He wished to put on record the Council's thanks to Tim Rusby, Pippa Bostock, Paul Gonella and Terri Hall as the Portsmouth Creates Trustees for their work over the last few months.  He asked Claire to write a formal letter of thanks to the trustees.

Members thanked Portsmouth Creates for what they have done this year under challenging circumstances.

DECISIONS:

(1) That the work undertaken by Portsmouth Creates during the on-going pandemic be recognised as very significant in supporting the breadth and diversity of the creative industries across the city in these unprecedented times.

(2) That the proposed Service Level Agreement is adapted to recognise that the deliverables for the organisation have had to change in light of the pandemic circumstances.