Culture, heritage and creativity are essential to our future
national prosperity, levelling up and recovery from crisis, according to a
Northumbria University professor.
Professor Katy Shaw, Director of Cultural Partnerships at
Northumbria University and Director of Creative Communities for UKRI/AHRC, is a
commissioner on the Local Government Agency’s (LGA’s) ‘Cornerstones of Culture’ report, launched today.
The final report of the LGA’s Independent Commission on
Culture and Local Government says that greater collaborative work between
councils and cultural partners, combined with streamlined place-based funding
from government, is crucial to supporting one of the fastest growing parts of
the economy.
The independent commission was launched in March, chaired by
Baroness Lola Young, exploring the role local culture can play in supporting
recovery from the pandemic through a programme of stakeholder engagement events
and a series of roundtable discussions across four themes: sustainable and
inclusive economic recovery; health inequalities; social mobility, cultural
education, and creative skills; and place.
Professor Shaw, who is a Professor in English and Creative
Writing at the University, was asked to be an independent commissioner for the
report and give her recommendations.
She said: “From Carlisle to Cornwall we have seen and heard
from individuals, communities and organisations who are tackling some of the
biggest challenges facing us all today – education and skills and to health and
wellbeing to civic pride and identity – using culture as a vehicle for change
making and boundary breaking.
“Covid created the biggest threat to culture in living memory
and our report outlines how we must now respond to the challenge of enhancing
resilience, sustainability, and support for publicly funded culture in the
years ahead.
“Our report makes clear asks to activate its evidence base
for future policy making: the value of culture does not begin and end at the
economic. When we invest in culture, we invest in ourselves.”
Seventy-five years after councils first invested in the arts
in our communities following World War II, the report says local culture can
now be used to support mental wellbeing, provide educational opportunity, and
boost the economy as part of our recovery from the pandemic and cost-of-living
crisis.
Local government invests £1.1 billion directly in cultural
services each year in England, but this funding is under significant strain
with the gap as calculated before the 2022 Autumn Statement standing at £2.4
billion.
Public funding is an essential part of the ecology of the
arts and culture in the UK, which underpins growth in the creative industries
and visitor economy. In 2019 the creative industries contributed £115.9
billion to the UK and accounted for 2.2 million jobs. These benefits can
only be secured in the long-term with a sustainable funding settlement for
local government.
It identifies four key ‘cornerstones’ essential to a healthy
local cultural ecosystem: capacity, leadership, funding and evidence, and sets
out detailed recommendations for securing the future of local publicly funded
culture.
Baroness Lola Young, Chair of the Independent Commission on
Culture and Local Government, said: “The pandemic was a powerful reminder that
people reach for culture in times of crisis, as wellof those of joy and
celebration. Access to culture and creativity provides hope and inspiration and
enriches people’s lives. That access must be fair for all.
“The publication of this report is not the end of the story.
I hope our findings and recommendations will help councils, regional bodies,
cultural arms-length bodies and national government to work together with
cultural organisations and communities to weather the latest storm and secure
the future of this vital community infrastructure.”
Professor Shaw also sat on a
commission led by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling for greater
devolution of power from London to the regions. Labour’s 'Commission on the
UK’s Future' report was also launched earlier this week, which recommends substantial
reforms to British politics, including handing economic powers over issues
including transport and culture to towns and cities.
