Council says sector will have a say in cultural development

Belfast City Council has issued a new three year Culture and Arts Plan called ‘Culture and Arts…the spirit of the city’. It is promoting it as the product of one of the widest cultural consultation exercises undertaken by any local council.

The document cites the existing knowledge and expertise of community arts practitioners and cultural groups as one of the foundations of the plan, as well as the experience of bidding for the European Captial of Culture title. It has been generally welcomed by community arts groups and the voluntary sector, despite a fractious relationship with City Council since it cut funding to major organisations by 20% late last year.

The Plan emphasises the importance of a continuing relationship with these existing bodies saying “partnership underpins everything that the plan is about, the council is very aware that everything in this plan relies on partnership with all those working in arts and heritage-based organisations throughout Belfast, with out whom the cultural development of the city would not be possible”.

The strategy includes consultation with the voluntary and community sector at various stages of the three year process so as to:

• establish a Consortium by April 2004 with public, private and statutory bodies to develop a cultural strategy
• hold nine cultural consortium meetings per year to develop strong relationships with arts, heritage and community groups
• build on the existing strengths of Belfast’s festivals and develop a festival policy
• encourage cultural activity that is inclusive of all Belfast’s people, promoting respect of their many identities
• liaise with community, arts and heritage organisations, as well as outreach and development project deliverers, about the barriers to access in deprived communities, and the development of programmes which breakdown barriers and increase access and sense of ownership of City Hall, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall
• build sustainable cultural infrastructure to create space for dialogue and skills transfer between those that define themselves as ‘community’, ‘voluntary’ and ‘professional’.

Councillor O’ Broin said he considered arts and culture to be crucial for Belfast’s future,“Arts and heritage can contribute to a more vibrant social, economic and personal experience of Belfast: they stand alongside the many other important aspects of Belfast’s development - such as social inclusion, education, health , housing and employment .”

To read the full document visit www.belfastcapitalcity.com . The site also has a recording of the feedback received when the document was still in draft phase at www.belfastcapitalcity.com/Press/feedback23603.htm