June 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This timely conference examines the next steps for arts and culture in England.
Stakeholders and policymakers will assess the Arts Council England strategy for the next decade - which came into effect in April - focusing on the impact and implementation of the strategy’s key elements:
- developing the creativity of individuals and communities across England,
- encouraging collaboration and innovation in the creative and cultural sector, and
- an investment strategy that targets ambition, the pursuit of quality, and the ability to successfully adapt to change, as well as diversity and environmental responsibility.
The conference will be an opportunity to consider priorities for the delivery plan for the strategy - and also how the strategy itself has have been received by stakeholders, and alternative proposals that have been put forward.
We expect discussion on priorities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic - including for the recently-appointed Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal, and his Cultural Renewal Taskforce that is bringing together key representatives from within the cultural sector.
Delegates will also assess what has been learned from the response to the crisis, and the thinking that can be taken forward on:
- the approaches that the sector will need to take in response to the restrictions resulting from social distancing and other rule, in the short term and as they develop,
- how marketing and other strategies will need to evolve and adapt,
- the support that might be required for organisations and individuals in the sector most affected by the crisis, and
- the delivery plan for the ACE strategy.
It also follows Arts Council England’s recently announced £160m emergency support package to provide financial relief for the sector, and the direct cash grants for self-employed individuals that was announced by the Chancellor.
Key areas for discussion:
- The ACE ten-year strategy - and priorities for its delivery, including:
- how well it addresses priorities for putting the cultural sector on a sustainable footing for the future, and
- what a fair regional distribution of investment looks like.
- Collaboration - how funders, local authorities, education, and organisations and individuals in the sector are successfully working together to widen local participation and engagement;
- Young people - what more can be done to enhance the role of arts and culture in schools, despite funding pressures reducing opportunities for cultural experiences;
- Innovation and digital engagement - latest thinking and practice on use of technology, immersive and interactive experiences, supporting creative experimentation, and its revenue potential;
- Innovation in traditional settings - use of immersive technologies such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality in areas such as theatre - and addressing adoption and commercialisation barriers;
- Fundraising - including ongoing debates around the ethics and public perception in areas such as climate, and to fundraising in the sector and the partners organisations choose to work with;
- Net zero - shaping the sector’s contribution to the drive to net zero, and the practicalities - looking a facilities, organisational practices and the way work is created; and
- International opportunities - the role of policy in maximising opportunities for England’s arts and culture globally as the UK looks to reposition itself within Europe and the wider world.
Developments that are relevant to the discussion:
The agenda:
- Key priorities and challenges for arts and culture in England;
- Developing creative and cultural communities throughout England - partnerships, participation and engagement, funding priorities, and options for alternative models of investment;
- Looking ahead - collaboration, risk-taking and innovation, and sustainability:
- Reducing costs and improving financial resilience - sharing knowledge and resources, developing innovative business models, and support for SMEs;
- Creating new audience experiences;
- Strengthening links between culture and technology - priorities for facilitating creative experimentation in the sector;
- Opportunities for widening participation and collaboration between England’s cultural and education sectors; and
- Improving environmental stewardship in the cultural sector.
- Maximising opportunities for England’s arts and culture internationally.
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders.
It’s certainly the case with this one. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the APPG for Children's Media and the Arts and officials from DCMS; BEIS; MHCLG; the Intellectual Property Office; the Department for International Trade; the Government Legal Department and the Wales Office.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
