Agenda item

To seek approval to accept £1,695,000 grant funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority to enable the establishment of North Shields Cultural Quarter in line with the North Shields Master Plan aspiration and Our North Tyneside Plan; and to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement; and procure any goods, works of services to deliver to the investment plans detailed in the report.

Cabinet received a report seeking approval to accept £1,695,000 grant funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority in relation to Culture and Creative Zones for the North Shields Cultural Quarter; and to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement.

North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) approved investment of £1.7m of Culture and Creative Zones funding for North Tyneside Council at its Cabinet Meeting on 22^nd March 2022.

Funding had been approved to support the development of a Cultural and Creative Zone (CCZ) in North Shields which will be known as North Shields Cultural Quarter.

The North Shields Cultural Quarter would be located in and around Howard Street and Saville Street, in the heart of North Shields, creating a ‘cultural corridor’ and stronger connections between the town centre and the Fish Quay. The heart of the Cultural Quarter will be the cluster of buildings at the crossroads of Howard Street and Saville Street including The Exchange, the Globe Gallery, and the Business Centre, and would include the North Shields Customer First Centre.

Investment in a Cultural and Creative Zone provided the opportunity to stimulate the economy in North Shields town centre, this ‘cultural corridor’ would play a pivotal role in reinvigorating the place and creating social and economic benefits for the people who lived, worked and visited there - building social inclusion and helping to create a sense of pride.

The project would fund the internal building works within the Exchange building, to deliver affordable and fit for purpose spaces and installation of digital infrastructure across the CCZ area (in the Exchange, Business Centre, Globe Gallery and the Customer First Centre). These would be ‘quick wins’ delivered in the first 18 months, and it was anticipated that the majority of the outputs would be delivered from 2023/24 onwards.

The project was broken down into the following 5 work packages; 

·         WP1: Place

·         WP2: Support

·         WP3: Skills

·         WP4: Promotion

·         WP5: Community Engagement

Once the internal works were completed on The Exchange the Authority would undertake an expression of interest (EOI) process to identify an operator to manage the building going forward.

The opportunity to create a place-based approach to investing in the development, sustainability and growth of the culture and creative sector has been articulated in both ‘Our North Tyneside Plan’ and the Ambition for North Shields and the Fish Quay. The focus of the proposal was predominantly within the music, performance and visual arts sub-sector to meet the following key requirements;

•       Work and performance space - which was accessible, bespoke, affordable and fit for purpose.

•       Shared facilities and resources – including rehearsal space, making space, social and networking space, exhibition space, digital equipment, green screen and editing facilities, dark room, printing and framing facilities.

•       Skills development opportunities – skills needs focused particularly on the skills needs of the music, performance and visual arts sub sector (e.g musicians, music producers, theatre producers, dance and theatrical studies, painting, sculpting, photography and supporting skilled technicians).

•       Greater Diversity – of the people working within the sector, of the product, of participants, of audiences. There should be better access and greater cultural democracy.

•       New approach to money – Including a recognition that artists are professionals and should be treated and rewarded appropriately; would benefit from start-up and pre-start up support, Research and development investment, small grants and commissions; appropriate investment for the expected returns; support to develop their practice; access to finance- including loans.

•       Exemplary communication and promotion – Develop comprehensive, inclusive networks locally, regionally, nationally and internationally promote key assets and programmes; project a contemporary profile; ensure consultation and co-creation; develop consistent long-term relationships.

•       The environment of the Zone is important – the streetscape, the signage, the permeability, the navigability, the traffic. The historic buildings need to be turned from liabilities to assets; the street needs creative animation; environmental sustainability is paramount.

•       Professional development opportunities would be welcomed – including lectures, workshops, talks, seminars, career development and progression guidance, mentoring, critical friends, skills sharing, skill swaps and job shadowing.

Cabinet considered the following decision options: to accept the recommendations set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not approve the recommendations.

Resolved that (1) the Director of Regeneration and Economic Development, be authorised to accept the £1,695,000 grant funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority in relation to Culture and Creative Zones funding for the North Shields Cultural Quarter;

(2) The Director of Regeneration and Economic Development, in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive and Director of Resources, be authorised to enter into the Grant Funding Agreement and any other documentation as required to facilitate recommendation (1); and

(3) The Director of Regeneration and Economic Development, be authorised to procure any goods, works or services to deliver the outcomes set out in section 1.1 of the report.

(Reason for decision: Accepting this funding will enable the establishment of North Shields Cultural Quarter, in line with the North Shields Masterplan aspiration and Our North Tyneside Plan.)