Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19...2018/19 Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19 | 7 Our local history dates back thousands of years with Neolithic, Bronze age,

Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19

3Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19 | 2 | Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19

Bournemouth’s cultural offer continues to go from strength

to strength, from supporting grass-roots artists through to showcasing the most diverse range of interests and internationally recognised organisations.Cllr John Beesley, Leader of the Council

Bournemouth Council has a long-term commitment to support the development and growth of the cultural sector in Bournemouth and in the surrounding region.

We recognise that this sector helps create a vibrant sense of place, provides a sense of fulfilment, satisfaction and opportunity to current residents and visitors, and is a magnet to attract new investment, jobs and talent into our communities.

In this document, we outline Bournemouth Council’s aims and objectives around culture, and the cross cutting themes that underpin this strategy, which demonstrate our commitment to ensuring art and culture is at the forefront of strategic planning and development.

This is primarily a document for Bournemouth Council but it will also be of interest to our residents and a wide range of stakeholders and partners including local cultural organisations, creatives, community groups and education providers.

We realise that culture crosses boundaries just as our residents and visitors do, so this strategy references the value of working closely with our partners and neighbours in Poole, Christchurch and wider Dorset.

IntroductionExecutive summary


Content

3 Introduction/Executive summary

7 Context

9 What is Culture?

11 Vision

13 Cross-cutting themes

15 Aims and objectives

16 Aim 1: Maximise our current cultural offer

18 Aim 2: Increase and develop our cultural offer

to a world class standard

20 Aim 3: Lead in cultural place-making

22 Aim 4: Act as an advocate for culture

List of Appendices

24 Appendix 1

How this strategy was put together

25 Appendix 2

Data and statistics – the benefits of culture

27 Appendix 3

Data and statistics – Bournemouth

29 Appendix 4

Current cultural offer

31 Appendix 5

Partners

Contents & list of appendices

7Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19 | | Bournemouth Council Cultural Strategy 2018/19

Our local history dates back thousands of years with Neolithic, Bronze age, Iron age and Roman archaeology at Hengistbury Head, but Bournemouth itself is only around 200 years old. Capitalising on the spectacular coastline and benefitting from the arrival of the railway, Bournemouth developed as a spa resort devoted to ‘Beauty and Health’, which brought with it a rich mix of cultural entertainment venues and sporting amenities, now also hosting a thriving night-time economy.

With direct train links to London, access to Bournemouth and Southampton airports and proximity to the M3, Bournemouth is an easy place to reach and will always be recognised as a world-class tourist destination. Our warm weather, Blue Flag beaches, Grade II Listed Gardens, Green Flag open spaces, proximity to the New Forest, Stour Valley and the World Heritage Jurassic Coast, our conservation areas and high quality built environment with many Victorian and Art Deco buildings all contribute to the town’s distinctive sense of place. Our current cultural offer boasts a number of large and prestigious arts and cultural organisations and festivals, includes grass-roots and community activity and benefits

from a large education sector including two universities, all creating cultural activity reflecting the unique diversity of our population.

Our economy has now diversified from being centred around our appeal as a visitor destination, to include growing creative, digital, media and financial sectors. Providing an outstanding cultural offer for our residents is now even more vital to attract and retain talented people who will contribute to our economy and community. We aim to take advantage of the opportunities presented by our diversifying economy, retain and build on our unique identity so that Bournemouth is recognised as a leading cultural destination as well as a great place in which to live, work, visit and study.

The context


Culture is an integral part of our lives, important for its own sake and for the contribution it makes to learning, health and wellbeing, economic and social regeneration, place- making and community cohesion. It is an expression of ourselves, of our creativity and our imagination, whether through exhibitions, performances or crafts, on our own or in collaboration with others.

The definition of culture is wide-ranging, covering everything from visual and performing arts (including art, installations, street art, sculpture, music, theatre and dance) to architecture, artefacts and heritage, cinema and film, libraries and literature, museums, galleries, parks, landscape and open spaces. There are also links and influences between culture and sport.

Culture can be delivered through a variety of mechanisms including theatres, museums, libraries, galleries, festivals and education. We recognise that access to culture is not a privilege, it is a basic human right. It is a reflection of our lives and of ourselves and helps us understand each other,

the world around us and our place in it. It helps us define who we are, broadens our horizons and makes us feel alive, special and valued. Culture complements and works with the built and natural environment, underpins the quality of life in the community and therefore lies at the heart of any great place.

Art and culture enhance every part of

our lives. They bring us joy, and help us to make sense of our own experiences and to empathise with others. This is what we cherish. Arts Council England

What is culture?


Our vision

Bournemouth already has a vibrant cultural scene and we want to supercharge this with the power to inspire, enrich and transform the lives of all who live, work and visit our town.

We’ll play our part in nurturing Bournemouth’s distinctive cultural identity, helping to maximise Bournemouth’s assets and increasing and developing our offer. We have the aspiration for Bournemouth to be a leading regional cultural centre which champions participation in cultural activities and is renowned for creativity and excellence.

We aim for Bournemouth to be a town where our cultural assets are regionally respected, nationally admired and internationally sought out.

One of the best investments we can make

as a nation is in our extraordinary creative industries.

Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, 2015 (DCMS, The Culture White Paper 2016)


Cross-cutting themes

There are a number of themes underpinning Bournemouth Council’s priorities around the services we provide for residents and visitors, and these are also relevant to our aims and objectives around culture:

i. We value health and wellbeing, community cohesion, and aim to facilitate a high quality of life for our residents. Involvement in culture has recognised benefits in these areas. More information is provided in appendix 2 of this document.

ii. We value diversity and accessibility. We recognise the benefits a diverse society brings to Bournemouth and aim to facilitate a cultural offer that reflects and celebrates that diversity. Fostering an accessible cultural offer, and giving everyone the opportunity to experience and be

inspired by the arts is integral to our priorities around culture. Appendix 3 of this document provides more information on Bournemouth’s diverse communities.

iii. We value quality in Bournemouth’s cultural offer and aim to work with our partners across the conurbation to maximise the quality of that offer, contributing to Bournemouth’s regional, national and international reputation as a centre for excellence. Appendix 4 of this document provides information on our current cultural offer.

iv. We value quality experiences that boost our local economy. We recognise the direct and indirect positive impacts an outstanding cultural offer has on our economy, creating jobs and developing skills, attracting and retaining business, revitalising places and developing talent.

v. We value environmental and financial sustainability in the sector and will champion any efforts that aim to make cultural activity environmentally sustainable and financially resilient.


Aims and objectives

The current reality of diminishing public funds requires a more facilitative and inclusive approach to achieving our aims.

Along with the majority of other local authorities, Bournemouth Council is being challenged to manage the rising demand for services with significantly reduced budgets and achieving our aims around culture will require collaborative working with our partners and neighbouring authorities.

As a growing regional centre for enterprise and culture, we’ll continue to invest in key cultural activity and will aim to inject culture into physical development within the town. Our role will also include creating the right environment and conditions for artists and creative people to succeed, acting as a catalyst and enabler.

With strong cultural partnerships, we will create and support networks, and bring together the energy, creativity and resources of individuals, organisations, communities and businesses who are involved in delivering or promoting cultural services. We will provide leadership, drive innovation and co-ordinate delivery of this strategy.

With reference to Arts Council England’s ‘Great Art and Culture for Everyone 2010-2020’, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s ‘The Culture White Paper 2016’ and Bournemouth Council’s ‘Corporate Plan’, we detail our aims and objectives around culture below.


5. Support learning spaces and cultural activity in and around libraries, museums, galleries, heritage buildings and the public realm.

6. Publicise and encourage use of assets and facilities like heritage archives and other access paths into culture, including digital collections and e-borrowing.

7. Continue to recognise, value and support the contributions of voluntary groups to the cultural sector by providing and advertising volunteering opportunities.

Pavilion Dance SouthWest is proud to contribute

to Bournemouth’s cultural provision – bringing diverse, engaging and high quality dance companies to Bournemouth and giving thousands of residents and visitors every year the chance to dance.

Zannah Doan, CEO Pavilion Dance South West

Aim 1: Maximise Bournemouth’s current cultural offerWe recognise the improvement made to quality of life, physical and mental health and community cohesion through cultural activity and want to engage more people in that activity. We recognise the importance of putting education at the heart of the cultural offer, and we will promote the entitlement of everyone to a fully-rounded cultural and creative experience.

We will help maximise Bournemouth’s cultural assets by supporting the town’s emerging, developing and existing organisations, community events, creative individuals and groups, and by making the best use of the town’s physical assets.

We will continue to champion innovation, support artists and organisations in the creation of quality

work, encourage excellence, accessibility, and equality and diversity in our cultural sector.

Objectives1. Support talent development by fostering grass-roots

activity and emerging artists.

2. Support community cultural activity, in particular activity that celebrates the diversity of our local communities.

3. Support Bournemouth’s established cultural organisations in continuing to deliver excellence, including our Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations, helping them maximise and diversify their offer to meet the needs of our diverse population.

4. Support cultural activity by and through schools, colleges, language schools and universities, also promoting Bournemouth’s cultural offer to these education providers.


3. Facilitate and support collaboration between existing organisations, festivals and events, with the aim of providing a joined-up offer, creating larger funding opportunities and maximising exposure.

4. Facilitate and share opportunities for existing artists and developing organisations and events. By sharing networking opportunities, advertising commissions, signposting funding and training opportunities and highlighting partnership opportunities, we will help enable individuals and groups to develop and increase their own cultural activity.

5. Raise awareness of Bournemouth’s cultural offer to our residents and visitors, also aiming to improve accessibility, identify and help remove barriers to engagement in culture for under-engaged communities.

6. Identify, share opportunities for and support spaces for the development of new and existing cultural activity. This may include performance, exhibition, sales and maker-spaces where people can network, share resources and knowledge, collaborate and co-create.

We champion a diverse and inclusive cultural offer

with something for everyone, where children and families can experience something unique and above all fun, and where culture reflects and strengthens our local communities.

Cllr Pat Oakley, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and the Arts

Aim 2: Increase and develop Bournemouth’s cultural offer to a world class standardWe recognise the contribution culture makes to economic growth and job creation. As Bournemouth’s economy develops and the town attracts and retains more talented individuals into our population, we need an exciting and vibrant cultural offer to match.

We want to encourage sustainable growth and resilience of Bournemouth’s cultural industries, help create competitive business activity and encourage investment from funders.

We aspire for Bournemouth to have a multitude of cultural venues, organisations, festivals and events providing a diverse offer of exceptional quality, throughout the daytime and evening, across the

conurbation. With such a cultural offer, we will help Bournemouth build a reputation for cultural excellence on a national and international scale.

Objectives1. Help Bournemouth’s existing cultural organisations

develop world class programmes of excellence which capture the public imagination and positive attention of the media, regionally, nationally and internationally.

2. Working with partners, businesses and education providers across the conurbation, we will seek out and share opportunities to increase and diversify Bournemouth’s cultural offer, supporting cutting-edge and innovative work and injecting culture into other place-making and community strategies and projects.


Objectives1. Put culture at the heart of our place-making visions and

strategies.

2. Inject culture into place-making projects, including those specifically designed to develop the cultural offer or integration into other projects like transport schemes aimed at improving place. We aim to create iconic, world-class and inclusive facilities and public spaces in areas such as Lansdowne, the Winter Gardens and Pavilion Gardens sites, creating ‘destination’ areas, improving access and public realm.

3. Consult and involve artists, education providers and communities in the development and delivery of our place-making projects.

4. Identify and advertise opportunities for artists, and offer commissions where possible within existing and new programmes of physical place-making activity.

5. Support and facilitate the temporary utilisation of empty buildings and spaces by cultural providers to enhance the current offer.

6. Improve the quality of place and space by advocating excellent design within the planning process, sharing public art guidelines and standardised commissioning principles and practices, advocating community involvement and encouraging the use of these guidelines within every physical development in the town.

7. Protect our heritage assets within the planning process, balancing the need to evolve with the need for continuity, sustainability and retaining a sense of identity.

8. Support neighbourhoods and communities in retaining their own unique sense of character and identity by developing their own local cultural and heritage plans and strategies.

Aim 3: Lead in cultural place-makingWe recognise that a strong sense of place is important to developing Bournemouth’s resident and visitor economies, and that culture can play a key role in helping the town retain and develop its sense of uniqueness.

Bournemouth has a wealth of heritage assets – buildings, monuments, sites and landscape which may be designated or listed by the planning authority – which significantly contribute to our sense of identity, celebrate our history, create a distinctive sense of place and continuity, and increase a sense of social wellbeing.

We recognise the importance of taking these factors into account as the town evolves.

We aim to help build Bournemouth’s reputation as a Culture Capital, not only through the town’s changing offer but also by developing our physical spaces in a way that enhances the cosmopolitan feel and sense of creative lifestyle already present in Bournemouth.

By focussing on cultural place-making we aim to conserve our historic built environment, heritage assets and cultural property, address gaps in the cultural infrastructure, and enhance our natural spaces and changing built environment by putting culture at the heart.


Aim 4: Act as an advocate for cultureThe contribution culture makes to our nation’s soft power is clearer than ever. Every year, millions of people visit the UK to experience our cultural offering and in turn, our country benefits from the boost to our economy from visitor spend and employment opportunities. We want to help develop and define Bournemouth’s cultural identity, celebrate who we are and promote our town’s offer regionally, nationally and internationally, staking our claim as a national cultural centre.

We aim to lead in advocacy for culture, raising the profile of the arts, promoting the contribution culture makes to communities, education, health

& wellbeing as well as the economy. We will use our local and national networks to promote our cultural offer, giving emerging artists a wider platform and promoting global export of our nationally renowned talent. We will facilitate discussion and the sharing of ideas, promote networking, listen to community needs and encourage cultural organisations to invest in our vision for the town.

Objectives1. Promote and develop the role of culture in Bournemouth

Council policies.

2. Lead in being an advocate for culture, developing our role as connector, facilitator and networker.

3. Develop, promote and share opportunities for engagement, professional development, funding and commissions, and encourage our partner organisations to do the same.

4. Support cultural forums with the aim of facilitating discussion and involvement in and around our existing and evolving cultural offer. These forums may include key strategic organisations, local community groups, artists and audience members.

5. Promote events and encourage community participation in culture.

6. With reference to our overarching aims and objectives in this strategy, we will support local communities in developing their own cultural strategies and action-

plans reflecting the unique identity and activity within their community.

7. Utilise local, national and international marketing platforms to promote events nationally and internationally, giving the town’s cultural offer a wider reach.

A vibrant cultural scene underpins our growing

and diverse economy. Our vision is for Bournemouth to become a dynamic and cosmopolitan destination with an internationally recognised cultural identity.

Bill Cotton, Executive Director, Bournemouth Council


Appendix 2: Data and statistics – the benefits of cultureCulture has an inherent value that can be difficult to quantify in

numeric terms. Research by Arts Council England shows that culture

has a positive impact on enriching our lives – it contributes to learning,

health and wellbeing, economic and social regeneration, development

of talent and innovation, place making and community cohesion – but

there are still gaps in research into how this impact is felt. 1

EconomyThe economic value of the arts is well documented. Arts and culture

can directly boost local economies in five key ways, by creating

jobs and developing skills, attracting and retaining businesses,

revitalising places and developing talent. 2 Arts and culture also

generate significant indirect impacts into the local economy;

visitors not only spend their money on tickets and entrance fees but

also spend on meals in local restaurants, shops and hotels as part

of their visit. Arts and cultural organisations may also buy some

of their supplies from local firms and their staff may spend their

wages in the local area.

> In 2011, businesses in the UK arts and culture industry

generated an aggregate turnover of £12.4 billion, leading to

those businesses contributing an estimated £5.9 billion of GVA

to the UK economy. 3

> During the period 2008-11, the arts and culture industry

employed, on average 110,600 full-time equivalent employees

in the UK and 99,500 in England, representing about 0.45 per

cent of total employment in the UK.

> For every £1 of salary paid by the arts and culture industry, and

additional £2.01 is generated in the wider economy through

indirect and induced multiplier impacts.

> Research by the Centre for Economics Business Research

reveals the spillover impact of the arts and culture industry on

tourism. In 2011, 10 million inbound visits to the UK involved

engagement with the arts and culture, representing 32 per cent

of all visits to the UK and 42 per cent of all inbound tourism-

related expenditure and amounting to £7.6 billion.

> Visit Britain estimate that Britain’s cultural and heritage

attractions generate £4.5 billion worth of spending by inbound

visitors annually which is the equivalent to more than one

quarter of all spending by international visitors. These

attractions also sustain over 100,000 jobs across Britain. 4

> Overall in terms of culture, the UK is perceived to be the fourth

best nation in terms of having an exciting contemporary culture

(e.g. music, films, art and literature), seventh as a nation with a

rich cultural heritage and eighth as a nation excelling at sports. 5

> In 2012, music tourism generated £1.27 billion in direct

spending and an additional £914 million in indirect spending.

Music tourism also directly and indirectly sustained over 24,000

full time jobs. 6

Appendix 1: How this strategy was put together The development of this strategy was initially funded by the

National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA) to analyse cultural

activity as an integral component of the tourism offer and to

increase and diversify the number and range of visitors to an area

by developing routes to successful job creation and growth in the

visitor economy.

A number of consultations, workshops, smaller group sessions

and one to one meetings were held with a range of representatives

from the arts and culture sector, council officers and the Portfolio

Holder for Arts. A desktop review and analysis of various strategies

and other information was also undertaken including those

documents listed below.

Development and completion of this document has been

undertaken by Bournemouth Council’s Cultural Development

Manager in consultation with a range of Council Officers, Members

and local Cultural Partners. The aim has been not just to identify the

value of culture to the tourism economy but to our economy as a

whole, to our communities and to look at the value of cultural place-

making in enhancing our national and international reputation.

Documents consulted in the development of this strategy:

1. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Corporate Plan 2017/2018

2. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Cultural Strategy 2002-2007

3. Bournemouth Borough Council’s An Arts Strategy for

Bournemouth 2008-2012

4. Bournemouth Public Art Development Plan 2006

5. Bournemouth and Poole Councils’ Joint Arts Plan Bournemouth

& Poole 2004-2007

6. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Tourism Strategy 2011-2020

7. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Seafront Strategy 2013

8. Town Centre Vision

9. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Local Plan: Core Strategy 2012

10. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Local Plan: Town Centre Area

Action Plan 2013

11. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Public Realm Strategy 2013

12. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Green Space Strategy

2007-2011

13. Bournemouth Borough Council’s Boscombe and West

Howe Commitments

14. Dorset Culture and Tourism Action Plan 2015-2018

15. DCMS Culture White Paper 2016

16. Arts Council England: Great Art & Culture for Everyone

2010-2020

1 In this appendix we have referenced ‘The Value of Arts and Culture to People in Society – an evidence review’ published by Arts Council England, second edition March 2014.2 Report by the Local Government Association (LGA) in 2013 publishing case studies on how local investment in arts and culture impacts on local economies and economic

growth.3 ‘The contribution of the arts and culture to the national economy’ – Centre for Economics Business Research (CEBR) - commissioned by Arts Council England and the National

Museums Directors Council.4 ‘The Culture and Heritage Topic Profile’ – Visit Britain (2010).5 ‘The Culture and Heritage Topic Profile’ – Visit Britain (2010) – the Nation Brands Index (NBI).6 ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE’ (2013) – a collaborative study between UK Music and Visit Britain.


EducationResearch indicates that engaging in art and culture as a child is

positively associated with engaging in art and culture as an adult,

and that learning through art and culture improves attainment

across many aspects of the school curriculum and has a wealth of

other beneficial impacts on young people including the below: 12

> Taking part in drama and library activities improves attainment

in literacy.

> Taking part in structured music activities improves attainment

in maths, early language acquisition and early literacy.

> Participation in structured arts activities increases cognitive

abilities.

> Students from low income families who take part in arts

activities at school are three times more likely to get a degree

than children from low income families that do not engage in

arts activities at school.

> Employability of students who study arts subjects is higher and

they are more likely to stay in employment.

In addition:

> There is some evidence to suggest that participation in arts

activities facilitates discussion in children around topics such as

identity and citizenship. 13

> Research suggests that participation in the arts may build

inward-looking self-esteem and self-awareness and outward-

looking social confidence and connectedness. 14

Appendix 3: Data and statistics – BournemouthBournemouth has a complex character; the perception of a sleepy

retirement coastal town no longer prevails as the population grows

and demographics change. The 2011 Census records show that

Bournemouth had the highest population density of any Authority in

the south-west region and is at the heart of the largest conurbation

in the county of Dorset. Large segments of the population are made

up of students, young professionals and retirees.

Bournemouth has a resident population of 197,700, 66% of which

are of working age. 16% are aged 0 – 15 (compared to the national

average of 19%) and 18% are of retirement age (compared to the

national average of 18%). Trend-based population projections

suggest Bournemouth’s population will increase to 238,200 by

2039. Much of the population growth in the borough over the last

few years has been due to people moving to the area. Latest

annual figures suggest that international migration accounts for

more new residents (2,300) than national migration (500), and that

short-term migrants accounted for 1,438 new residents within the

2011 census (likely to include many language school students).

The largest net increase of migrants moving from elsewhere in

the UK is within 16-24 year olds, mainly due to the draw of the

conurbation’s two universities. 15

The diversity of Bournemouth’s population is also increasing.

Bournemouth has a lower proportion of residents describing

themselves as non-White British than across England as a whole.

White British accounts for 83% with a 16.2% minority ethnic

population. There are significant White Other, White Irish, and

SE Asian groups with increasing numbers from Eastern Europe

particularly Poland. There is an influx of foreign students over

Health & WellbeingResearch has indicated that a higher frequency of engagement

with arts and culture is associated with a higher level of subjective

wellbeing. A report by Scottish Government analysts, based on data

from the Scottish Household Survey 2011 identified a positive link

with wellbeing, even when other factors including age, economic

status, income, area deprivation, education, qualifications, disability

or long-standing illness and smoking are accounted for. 7

> In a survey involving nearly 10,000 respondents, those who had

attended a cultural place or event in the previous 12 months

were almost 60 per cent more likely to report good health

compared to those who had not. 8

> A number of studies have measured a positive impact on

specific health conditions including dementia, depression and

Parkinson’s disease. Arts and cultural activities can have a

positive impact on the symptoms of conditions, for example,

improved cognition, physical stability, self-esteem, changes in

behaviour and increased social contact.

> The arts have the power to facilitate social interaction, also

reducing loneliness and alleviating depression and anxiety

among those in social care situations.

SocietyArts and culture give added value to the wider society in complex

ways and in areas such as education, social inclusion, citizenship

and effects on crime. There is growing evidence that children and

young people’s engagement with the arts and culture has a knock-

on impact on their wider social and civic participation.

> Research indicates that youth cultural capital (attending or

participating in art and culture) had the largest and most

significant positive effect on youth volunteering. 9

> Research indicates that young people are motivated to engage

in volunteering and group activities because they perceive that

these activities help with developing skills, confidence and

career-building. 10

> In relation to the AV festival (an international Festival of

contemporary art, film and music, based in Newcastle upon

Tyne), the large majority of volunteers reported improvements

in their communication skills, their self-confidence and their

willingness to try new things. They also reported feeling that

they were making a useful contribution, that they had a chance

to make some useful contacts and to meet like-minded people,

and that as a result they were more employable. 11

> Perhaps the strongest, but one of the most hard to quantify

ways that arts and culture contribute towards citizenship

and social inclusion is by strengthening social relations

and interactions between people. This goes on to have a

number of positive effects, contributing towards community

cohesion, reducing social exclusion and isolation and making

communities feel safer and stronger.

12 As referenced in ‘The Value of Arts and Culture to People in Society – an evidence review’ published by Arts Council England, (2nd edition March 2014), this section refers to

information found in: ‘Understanding the drivers, impact and value of engagement in culture and sport: A systematic review of the learning impacts for young people’ (CASE

2010) – summarised via the Cultural Learning Alliance (2011).13 Images and Identity project funded by the European Commission 2008-2010 and studied by Collins (2012).14 Study by Atkinson and Robson (2012).15 Data from a report produced by Bournemouth Council in July 2017 (Research & Information, July 2017). Updated to 2016 based Mid-Year Population Estimates.

7 ‘Healthy Attendance: The Impact of Cultural Engagement and Sports Participation on Health and Satisfaction with life in Scotland 2013’8 ‘Healthy Attendance: The Impact of Cultural Engagement and Sports Participation on Health and Satisfaction with life in Scotland 2013’9 Research by Bennett and Parameshwaran (2013) using data from wave two of the Understanding Society survey dataset.10 Lee, Morrell and Marini (2012) – evidence based review for the Department of Education.11 Evaluation of the AV festival by BOP Consulting (2012).


Appendix 4: Current cultural offerThis appendix provides information on some of the current

cultural assets of Bournemouth but is not an exhaustive list.

Bournemouth has a thriving cultural offer and Bournemouth

Council supports culture directly and indirectly through financial

support or Council run activity. The area is home to a number

of large and prestigious arts and cultural organisations with

national and international reputations, and has a history of using

the fabric of the town and its open spaces to present large scale,

extraordinary and spectacular performances.

Arts Council England > Bournemouth and the surrounding area is home to six Arts

Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs):

(the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Pavilion Dance South

West, the Arts by the Sea Festival, Poole Museum, Activate

Performing Arts and the Lighthouse in Poole). ACE NPOs

represent some of the best arts practice in the world and

together they play a pivotal role in helping ACE meet their

mission of providing great art and culture for everyone. Taken

individually and together they make a substantial contribution

to local arts development and the cultural life of an area,

provide opportunities for artists and organisations to develop

their practice and more generally contribute to the local cultural

ecology. 17 Bournemouth Council financially supports:

> The Bournemouth Arts by the Sea festival. Produced by

Bournemouth Council’s Cultural Development team and

designed as an annual celebration of contemporary arts

and culture, the festival presents eight-days of extraordinary

performances in Bournemouth’s unique spaces.

> The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, based at the

Lighthouse in Poole, which celebrates its 120th anniversary

in 2018.

> Pavilion Dance South West (PDSW) – The Centre of Excellence

for Dance supporting dance across South West England. PDSW

creates and supports opportunities for people to make, present,

watch and participate in dance.

Museums, theatres and galleries> Bournemouth is home to:

> The historic Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, a charitable

trust with Bournemouth Council acting as Trustee.

> TheGallery at AUB, comprised of six exhibition spaces on and

off campus, showcases work by contemporary artists and

designers from around the world, including collections on loan

from major galleries and museums, also hosting a number of

collaborative one-off projects and events.

> The Shelley Theatre, a building with a unique history now

operated by the Shelley Theatre Trust and host to a wide variety

of performances.

> The Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom. Built in the 1920s and

Bournemouth’s traditional venue for year-round entertainment,

it is a regular home for West End stage shows, Opera, Ballet,

Pantomime and Comedy as well as for corporate presentations

and dinner dances.

the summer and increasing Korean, Chinese and Portuguese

communities. There is also one of the highest gay populations in the

UK. Bournemouth was ranked 102 out of 326 local authorities with

1 being the most deprived. This places the town in the top third of

the most deprived areas in England.

The town’s booming creative industry is having an impact on

the type of work available to residents. With strong tourism and

growing finance, insurance, digital and film industries making a

valuable contribution to the local economy, Bournemouth continues

to attract more young professionals moving to the area. The Tech

Nation report published in March 2015 16 listed Bournemouth as the

fastest growing creative hub in the UK with a 212% increase in the

size of the sector from 2010 to 2013 (twice the growth of London).

Research by the Audience Agency (commissioned to undertake a

market appraisal and produce an Area Profile Report in relation

to potential audiences for a Cultural Quarter development in

Bournemouth town centre) indicates:

> In summary, the statistics indicate that the population resident

in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is, on average, equally

likely to engage in all types of arts activity compared to the

English population as a whole.

> The data shows that although there is a propensity to attend

theatre and art galleries, frequency is not high over a 12 month

period potentially due to lack of provision (there is higher than

average propensity to attend classical music and jazz concerts

probably due to the opportunities on offer).

> Levels of museum and heritage site visiting are in line with

the population of England with an above average visiting

archaeological sites potentially driven by the nature of local

history and geology.

> The Audience Spectrum profile of the area indicates that,

compared to the rest of England, in the population residing

within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, there is

significant over-representation of the more highly and middle

culturally engaged indicating considerable potential for cultural

engagement in the area.

> It is possible to surmise that the differing levels of engagement

in cultural activity are shown by frequency rather than

engaging/ not engaging – which indicates that if there were

more opportunities across art forms, there would be more to

attract the cultural engaged and frequency of attendance

would increase.

> Research showed that the market place can accommodate

increased provision which offers more choice, diversity and

scale and showed that the market-place is varied in its level

of cultural engagement, encompassing a range of tastes and

interests so provision of a mixed programme is recommended.

> Recommendation is for flexibility in facilities to leave them open

to a variety of possible uses, and for plenty of eating/ drinking

provision and open space for activities.

> Given the current provision through organisations and festivals

it makes sense to consider how any new facilities can enhance

and support the existing offer, perhaps by reaching parts of the

community who are less culturally engaged.

> The majority of potential audiences are located outside

the urban area so other facilities such as car park provision

is crucial.

17 Through ACE’s investment, often partnered with local investment, the NPOs make a substantial contribution to the local cultural life of an area. Arts Council England have

recently renewed their National Portfolio (June 2016) and through the six NPOs listed above, have committed £4,031,969 per year from 2018-2022 to those organisations. Over

the period 01 April 2015 – 31 March 2016, ACE invested £416,233 through the National Lottery funded G4A programme in arts activities in Dorset (through organisations in the

local authorities of Bournemouth, Poole, North Dorset, East Dorset, West Dorset, Purbeck and Weymouth & Portland).

16 http://www.techcityuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Tech%20Nation%202015.pdf


> Through a number of Tourism initiatives, Bournemouth Council

supports the Air Festival Artist in Residence, Seafront Artist in

Residence and Seafront Musician in Residence.

> The Bournemouth library service organises the Mayor’s Poetry

Awards for Schools, provides public and online space for

local poets, and hosts creative writing workshops and groups

for adults. The library service supports the Poet Laureate for

Bournemouth initiative and the Shelley Frankenstein Festival.

The library service is a major partner in the South West Region

of Readers Arts Council funded literature and digital project.

> Bournemouth has a range of cinemas and film screenings, and

a burgeoning film industry. Both universities host a range of film

courses, the town is home to several film production companies

and also hosts the annual BFX Festival, designed to celebrate

and promote visual effects, computer games and animation

industry, raising the profile of the town as a centre of excellence

for the creative industries.

Heritage and open spaces> Bournemouth has a wealth of heritage sites including several

listed buildings and three Grade I listed churches (St Peters, St

Clements, St Stephens).

> Bournemouth has ten nature reserves, several Sites of Special

Scientific Interest including Hengistbury Head which also

provides an exhibition space in its visitor centre.

> Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens are listed and the town has 17

Green Flag Awards for our parks and gardens.

> The Bournemouth Local Plan: Town Centre Area Action Plan

and the developing Neighbourhood Plan in Boscombe both

identify sites for leisure and cultural use. The Bournemouth

Development Company (a Partnership with Morgan Sindall

Investments Ltd, created to develop Council owned sites) are

forming proposals to develop the Winter Gardens and Pavilion

Gardens sites, both intended to provide a significant amount of

leisure, cultural and entertainment use.

Appendix 5: PartnersThe better connected we are, the more powerful we can be in

bringing about positive changes. Our partners are other local

authorities, venues, cultural and heritage organisations, artists,

producers, creative businesses, funders, the education sector and

arts communities. We want to grow our partnerships and connect

with anyone who acts as an advocate of art and culture, to enable

the successful development of the sector. We also recognise

that there is an abiding relationship between the arts sector

and volunteering, the vast majority of cultural events relying on

passionate and dedicated volunteers to be sustainable.

Some of Bournemouth Council’s major partners are listed below.

Activate Performing ArtsArts Council EnglandArts Development CompanyArts University BournemouthBH LiveBorough of PooleBournemouth EchoBournemouth Natural Science Society & MuseumBournemouth and Poole CollegeBournemouth Development CompanyBournemouth & Poole LibrariesBournemouth & Poole Tourism Management BoardBournemouth Symphony OrchestraBournemouth UniversityChristchurch Borough CouncilCoastal BIDCultural HubDorset County CouncilDorset Local Enterprise PartnershipLighthouse PoolePavilion Dance South WestPoole MuseumRussell-Cotes MuseumTown Centre BIDWave and Soundstorm

> The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), an award-winning

premier conference, events and entertainment venue, situated at

the town’s centre and hosting conferences, exhibitions, meetings,

large music concerts, dance and comedy performances.

> O2 Academy Bournemouth, over 100 years old and a Grade II

listed building, the O2 is now primarily a live music venue also

hosting comedy, sporting and corporate events.

> Pavilion Dance South West, presenting dance performances, live

screenings, exhibitions and more than 40 dance classes every week.

> The Bournemouth Natural Science Society, formed in 1903

and now an accredited museum, the late Victorian Grade II

listed building houses a selection of natural history specimens,

geological and archaeological artefacts.

Education> Bournemouth Council financially supports the Cultural Hub,

a unique consortium of arts and cultural organisations and

schools in Bournemouth and Poole which promotes a direct

dialogue, sharing of skills, and a meaningful relationship

between the education and cultural sectors.

> Bournemouth Council financially supports Soundstorm, an

award-winning music education agency and lead partner for

the Bournemouth & Poole Music Education Hub.

> AUB (Arts University Bournemouth) is a leading arts university

for the creative industries and offers a wide range of courses in

many creative fields. It hosts five gallery and project spaces on

campus and one gallery space offsite, and showcases work by

artists and designers from around the world while providing an

exhibition space for students and alumni.

> Bournemouth University (BU) provides a range of creative

courses in areas including design and engineering, events

and leisure, creative technology and media production. They

are home to the National Centre for Computer Animation and

produce the annual BFX festival. A key priority for BU is the

value they can add to the wider community as well as to their

students and alumni.

> Bournemouth is home to one of the two campuses of

Bournemouth & Poole College, which presents the Dorset Arts

Prize - open to all Dorset artists and designers and awards cash

prizes, aiming to create a broader, more inclusive vision for the

arts and engaging all aspects of the local community.

Arts and cultural offer> Bournemouth Council works in partnership with BH Live,

a leisure and cultural trust and social enterprise. BH Live’s

social purpose is to provide and encourage participation for

all through a diverse programme of leisure, arts and cultural

activities. BH Live operates a number of key cultural and

entertainment venues in the town, including Bournemouth

International Centre, Bournemouth Pavilion and various sports

and leisure facilities.

> The area is home to a number of cultural and community festivals

including the Arts by the Sea festival produced by Bournemouth

Council, the Inside Out Dorset festival produced by Activate

Performing Arts, Bournemouth Jazz by the Sea festival, the

Pavilion Dance South West Discover, Play, Dream, Dance festival,

and smaller community events including Winton Carnival.

> The area is home to a wealth of grass-roots cultural activity

and community engagement at venues such as Factory

Studios and The Old Schoolhouse in Boscombe, and is home

to events including the Great Exhibition in Boscombe and the

Bournemouth Emerging Arts Fringe (BEAF).

> Bournemouth Council supports a number of public art initiatives

throughout the town developed and curated by local artists and

university students.