A cross-party group of Northern MPs are uniting to champion
culture in the North and drive the recovery and rebuilding of North’s arts and
culture offering in the wake of the pandemic.
MPs from the Northern Culture All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) are conducting an Inquiry into ‘What
Northern Culture needs to rebuild, rebalance and recover’. The group held its
first evidence session on Access to Culture today with industry experts including
Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director of Nations at the BBC; Syima Aslam, CEO at
Bradford Literature Festival; Nick Grimshaw, Head of Partnerships at the Creative
Industries Federation, and Kelly Allen, Executive Director for Social Justice,
Curious Minds.
The evidence gathered from cultural organisations across the North
will be used for a ‘State of the North’ report which will make recommendations
to Government on what needs to be done to help Northern Culture rebalance and recover
from the impact of the pandemic, including a ‘Post-Covid Action Plan’ to
rebuild Northern Culture.
Julie Elliott MP, Co-Chair of the APPG, said: “The North is home
to some of the UK’s most-loved cultural venues, and the creative industries in
the North have been responsible for many of our most famous musicians, artists
and actors. We have talent, diversity, innovation, creativity and enterprise in
culture, but it is an industry that has undoubtedly been hit hard by the
pandemic.
“We need investment in skills and opportunities to empower the
next generation of creatives, and by working together with those at the heart
of our cultural scene, we will ensure Northern voices are heard loud and clear
in Westminster.”
James Daly MP, Co-Chair, said: “The North is a diverse region
where culture is crucial to bringing together communities, whether that be in
our large cities or small towns. We have a longstanding reputation for
creativity and must not let the economic impact of the pandemic hinder future
generations.
“Northern Culture needs a voice in parliament and the APPG is here
to represent every single Northern theatre, museum, gallery, music or event
space and ensure they have what they need to prosper in the wake of the
pandemic.”
Speaking at the session Rhodri Talfan Davies reinforced the need to
better reflect, represent, and serve all parts of the country, he said: “By
2027/28 the BBC plans to be spending an extra £700m cumulatively across the UK
- generating an additional economic benefit of over £850 million. This will not
only dramatically increase opportunities for jobs and training for younger
people in the north, enabling them to pursue opportunities in culture close to
home, but improve representation on and off screen.”
Nick Grimshaw, Head of
Partnerships at the Creative Industries Federation, said: “As it stands young
people do not have the same opportunities in the North as their counterparts in
London and the South East, with those inequalities being further widened by the
pandemic, which has hit arts and culture hard.
“We must make
sure that young people across the North can access the arts from a young age
through experiences, teaching, careers advice and critically through paid
opportunities into the sector. There is huge creative potential in the North
and if we do not nurture our young people we will lose the next generation of
diverse, innovative creative talent.
The Northern Culture (APPG) brings together MPs from across the
region with a shared goal to level up spending, infrastructure and
opportunities for culture in the North. It is working in partnership with
Northumbria University to highlight the need to level-up investment to support
cultural growth in Northern towns and cities.
