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Councillor Sarah Whitelock, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Communities, Culture, Leisure and Tourism, introduced report ES/2759 which related to a new core funding programme for significant arts cultural organisations.
Councillor Whitelock stated that East Suffolk had a rich and diverse cultural sector, with over 400 creative businesses in the district. In 2024, 2.61 million visits to East Suffolk were attributable to culture. However, many of the established arts cultural organizations had a constant challenge of meeting their core costs which impeded their delivery, potential expansion and wider socio-economic benefits. Investing in the resilience of experienced anchor institutions would provide a positive and broad economic, environmental, community and well-being impact and supported the delivery of the council strategic plan. This proposal would establish an initial one-year pilot program of £120,000 which would support a minimum of four local arts cultural organizations with their core costs. If successful the Arts Core Grant Program would be opened again for organizations to apply for the 2-year grant.
Councillor Candy asked for clarification on the type of organisations that could apply and what criteria would be. Councillor Whitelock stated that the funding was aimed at established organisations that had the capacity to grow. The Head of Economic Development and Regeneration highlighted the definition in the report of ‘significant, strategic, art, organisations'. The aim was to support organisations to grow and enable them to access additional funding, for example by enabling them to access long term Arts Council funding.
Councillor Whitelock confirmed that since the paper had been published it had been confirmed that organisations could apply for 20% of their yearly income rather than 10%. This would enable successful arts organisations some longer term security to grow.
Councillor Langdon-Morris stated the social value benefits of the investment would outweigh the costs and shared the example of the investment in Greenlight Trust which for every pound invested over the next four years, there would be an £11 return. There was a need for society to invest in these kind of organisations and to recognise the good work and value they provided.
The Leader agreed that it was important for the Council to be able to show the social value of its investments and of grants to cultural organisations to show the benefit to the wider community. The Head of Economic Development and Regeneration stated that social value could be included in the KPIs of the project.
The Leader highlighted section 1.4 of the report which summarised the economic impact the creative sector had on the economy of East Suffolk. Without this funding the organisations that underpinned this would be in jeopardy.
Councillor Graham thanked officers for their work and agreed with the previous comments on social value and the importance of these organisations to the area.
Councillor Byatt stated his support for the funding proposal. The report referred to support for Lowestoft Rising which had now finished, and Councillor Byatt asked what would replace this. The Head of Economic Development and Regeneration stated this was an old reference and would be amended. There was still ongoing cultural education partnership.
On the proposal of Councillor Whitelock, seconded by Councillor Candy it was
RESOLVED
That Cabinet:
1. Approved the use of £120,000 allocated in the 2026/27 budget to support the delivery of the pilot Arts Organisations Core Grant Programme.
2. Approved the use of £120,000 per annum allocated in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) to support the delivery of Arts Organisations Core Grant Programme for 2027/28 and 2028/29 on the basis that the pilot programme was successful.