Worcestershire Arts Partnership Plan 27 05 15

 

 

Worcestershire Arts Partnership

 

Delivery Plan for 2015/16

 

Worcestershire Arts Partnership (WAP) brings organisations together to champion the arts in the county and to create a more sustainable future for the sector. It has made significant progress since its formation in 2009 to lead on the County Arts Strategy, ‘The Arts Matter’.  It now has over 200 followers on social media, has around 80 members who attend events and networking meetings and  includes individual artists, arts venues, festivals and larger arts organisations, health commissioners, schools, tourism and many more with a strong interest in what the arts can do for the county and how arts organisations can sustain into the future.  Led by a Steering Group, representing local authorities, the University, individual artists and large arts organisations WAP has 4 sub-groups who carry out innovative and exciting collaborative projects on cross-cutting subjects bringing the arts to people across the county.

 

Some highlights of WAP’s achievements last year include:

·         ‘Arts Chat’ – a county-wide project placing young people at the heart of creating, producing and curating art for themselves, led by the Children and Young People sub-group working together with Beatfreeks and supported by Arts Connect

·         ‘Art of Festivals’ – training session for arts organisations interested in developing arts festivals, that has led to the creation of a new festivals collaboration

·         ‘Arts in Health’ conference showcasing best practice in arts in health commissioning regionally and starting to broker links within Worcestershire between arts and health providers

·         ‘Moving on, Staying On’ – an event run in collaboration with the University of Worcester, providing advice and work opportunities to final year arts students

·         ‘Jump-start’ – performance showcases at The Cube, Malvern, featuring the work of local writers, directors and actors

 

Some tasters for the year to come include:

·         Working with Arts Connect and the county’s schools to create teacher and young people arts ambassadors to re-establish a new and exciting arts offer the county’s young people and schools, both grant maintained and academy.

·         Event with Worcester Live on developing business philanthropy for the arts

·         Development of  Ring arts project with the Canals and Rivers Trust

·         Improve WAP’s advocacy role; be a strong voice for the arts in Worcestershire

·         Work with the National Cultural Commissioning team to help broker public sector commissioning opportunities

·         Two performance showcases working with theatre practitioners in the county delivered through the Jump Start programme

 

This Delivery Plan takes the form of 6 action plans, which are:

  

1.    Developing a sustainable future for WAP

2.    Arts and Health and Well Being  

3.    Children and Young People

4.    Artists Networks

5.    Events and Festivals

6.    Promotion of the WAP

 

How do we work?

Each action plan has a lead representative, usually the relevant sub-group chair, who works with the WAP’s Vice-Chair to ensure the outcomes are regularly monitored and are being delivered. 

WAP is all about achieving positive outcomes through collaboration.  By working together we can raise the profile of the arts and the role the arts can play in all areas of public policy.  We have generated funding for a range of arts projects and we regularly provide the opportunity for those from non-arts sectors to come to one place and meet a range of arts organisations who can deliver their outcomes.  WAP celebrates high quality art and aims to nurture artists and arts organisations to develop a fantastic arts offer for the whole county.    We work in a non-hierarchical way with no organisation bigger than any other and we encourage discussions, networking and partnership working to be a true democracy with each voice as important as any other.

 

 

 

 

 

Developing a new, sustainable future for WAP
ITEM	DATE	Ongoing work
Research -Best practice through visits - Initial work on legal models Clarify purpose of new organisation -Review survey/WAP away day results -Confirm vision and role of new organisation - Cross-check with role of CAO Clarify resources needed to deliver purpose Develop clear Draft Plan Share Draft Plan with WAP	By 30th June 2015	-      Take forward the Options Appraisal recommendation to set up an independent Artist Led Worcestershire Arts Partnership -      Steer the Transition group of the Worcestershire Arts Partnership to create an independent WAP by March 2016 -      Attend Worcestershire Arts Partnership Steering Group, Advisory Group and Transition group meetings as required -      Report progress to the Worcestershire County Arts Officer on a regular basis and send in quarterly reports on the work undertaken. -      Assist the Vice Chair on reports to the Arts Council.
Resources -Develop plans for income generation, sustainability, partner development, ongoing project management as necessary Relationships -Clarify relations with WCC, County and District Arts services, Music Trust and Hub etc Governance -Plan how it will be Artist led, appointments etc Legalities -Work through legal issues in detail Share progress with WAP	By 30th Sept 2015
Rebranding -Identify name, digital presence, marketing plans, advocacy plans Work Plan for Y1 -Finalise work plan for year one of operation, align with Arts Strategy Final business case -What approvals are needed? Share progress with WAP	By 31st Dec 2015
Set up new organisation Launch new organisation – 1st April 2016	By 31st March 2016
Budget The budget is approximately £1,000 to include travel costs and any other subsistence that may occur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts and Health and well being
ITEM	DATE	Ongoing work
New Prescriptions meeting –  a themed event ‘Commissioning – Where Next’	21st April	Chair to attend at least one of each of variety of ‘health meetings’  such as the equivalents to the ‘Redditch Community Wellbeing Trust’  in each district  Plus the overarching county wide one to  build links/partnerships and promote work NP group. Continue liaisons with PH team at county ( Frances Howie/Liz Altay) Liaison with Steve Wilson , Debbie Birch  & John de la Cour re Cultural Commissioning Programme
New Prescriptions  planning event – considering issues including ethics	Mid May
New Prescriptions meeting –  a themed event A CPD event *	Mid July
New Prescriptions planning event regarding creating best practice report and case-study	Mid September
New Prescriptions meeting –  themed event *	Mid November
Micro- commissioning – sharing **	February  2016
Budget Budget for 2015/16 is £1636  to be allocated as follows:   * £300 ** £1000 to be allocated against 5 micro-commissions (plus sharing event). Plan: ·         draft briefs over summer ·         released September ·         commissions awarded October ·         requirement for recipients to take part in event in February 2016 for sharing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children and Young People
ITEM	DATE	Ongoing work
Planning of new Voices and Visions event as well as decision on future of The Arts Chat.	5th June	To investigate the changing landscape of arts education work both in and out of schools with the aim of creating a more sustainable future for schools and the broader arts sector.
Event taking place on future of Voices and Visions introducing a new membership based offer for schools. Objectives: bringing artists & schools together to launch Arts Ambassadors Scheme, link to Voices & Visions & Arts Chat, share skills applicable in the classroom. Opportunity for networking, workshops, practical support.	2nd July
Regular meeting, feedback on July event, planning / support for November and in particular looking at inclusion agenda Create best practice report and case-study	September
- CYP group to support “Arts Chat” event.	Sat 14th November
- Guest speaker event.	December
- Planning for 2016 events.	Feb 2016
Budget Budget for 2015/16 is £4,000  to be allocated as follows:   £1,000 for event £1,000 for micro commissions or larger scale work looking at wider sustainability of cyp work 2k set aside for possible inclusion/disability work

 

 

 

Artists Networks: Jump Start
ITEM	DATE	Ongoing work
Welcome to the Group. Piece on Open studios studio space update, Worcestershire arts partnership update, micro commissions, projects happening in Worcestershire and ideas for future meetings.	April 2016	To provide various artist opportunities across the county. To see and encourage cross sector work.  Be an update from the sector, lead on various initiatives
Jump Start performing arts showcase	19th April 2016
Jump Start performing arts networking meeting	21st April
Jump Start Visual arts meeting including introduction to the work and looking at open studios work	May 15
Guest Speaker on running studio spaces and micro commissioners work	June 15
Planning ahead for next performance showcase	June 15
Next performing arts showcase	October 15
Visual arts meeting on best practice working Create best practice report and case-study	Sept 15
Performing arts event run with Vamos	March 2016
Showcasing of visual arts initiatives	March 2016
Budget 2k for Visual arts 2k for performing arts

 

 

 

 

Events and Festivals
ITEM	DATE	Ongoing work
To focus on marketing/ audience development, and to sign off micro-commissions process	22nd May	To bring skills and on-going support and networking to the county’s festivals organisations
This will be a training session on Fundraising: focus on crowdfunding and Arts Council England Grants for the Arts	17th July
At this meeting we will invite shortlisted artists to present their ideas to us and select the piece we will commission   Create best practice report and case-study	11th September
Working with volunteers and community participation – sharing practice, experience and approaches   There will also be a presentation on data collection, monitoring and interpretation.	20th November
Symposium - programming and commissioning of outdoor work and festivals - sharing good practice from within the subgroup and beyond. Plus next steps for the group. This should be a longer event, perhaps 10-4.	16th March 16
Budget   £1000 commission pot £1000 for meetings and symposium speakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promotion of the WAP
ITEM	DATE	Ongoing work
Development of a wider press and media brief using Caroline Griffin’s earlier work including a detailed plan on how this is going to be achieved	Initially on going but will need a targeted group and action plan to achieve this	To raise the profile of the WAP and improve communication mechanisms: ·         externally (to make the case for the arts in the county - advocacy) ·         within wider arts community (to grow the reach of WAP) ·         to better share best practice/information between WAP members
Attendance at arts conferences to champion work of WAP regionally and nationally (Chair and Vice Chair and sub-group leads when appropriate)	On going
Review Newsletters including rebranding them and making them more specific; target more potential recipients for newsletter and Blog (to be undertaken through County Arts Service)	July 2015
Identification of target audiences for reports showing best practice -      Develop one best practice report for each sector (undertaken through sub group leads)	Initially first one by end of September then subsequently throughout the year
Development of case studies -      Develop one case study for each sector (through sub group leads)	Initially first one by end of September then subsequently throughout the year
Once new structure for WAP is clear, plan and hold launch event with positive promotional profile (Chair, Vice Chair, Development Manager)	Spring 2016
Regular articles in SLAP magazine by Vice Chair	Ongoing
Budget 2k