A 10 year vision for culture
Published: 5 February 2020
Derby Feste
A vision for developing culture in Derby over the next 10 years will be outlined at the City Council’s Cabinet meeting on 12 February.
The strategy draws on both Derby’s industrial heritage and its current position as home to eight Arts Council National Portfolio organisations, as well as a range of independent theatre companies, games and software designers, artists and galleries, musicians, promoters and studios, museums and built heritage, and a year-round programme of festivals and outdoor arts.
Currently, the Arts Council’s eight National Portfolio organisations in Derby are already receiving funding worth £2.54 million a year from 2018 to 2022. On average, a further 17 Arts Council Project Grant awards, with a combined value of £453,000, are made to Derby applicants every year. The report says that having a Culture Strategy in place will pave the way for more investment.
It will also contribute to the city by making Derby a more desirable place to live, work and visit, as well as providing a strong background in which the creative industries, arts and cultural sectors can flourish. It also aims to support the development of creative skills and critical thinking within Derby’s young people, increasing their value as future employees across all industries.
Councillor Robin Wood, Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said:
This is an ambitious and wide-reaching strategy which puts the communities of Derby at its heart. The vision for 2030 is for Derby to be a location of choice for artists and creatives, with a vibrant cultural offering which reflects the experiences of the city’s residents as well as inspiring them and enriching their lives with new opportunities for learning.
Tony Butler, Executive Director of Derby Museums, said:
The strategy paints a picture of Derby as a place where people young and old can learn and fulfil their creative ambitions. It also seeks to create the conditions where cultural organisations such as theatres, museums and arts centres can thrive and attract external investment from both public and private sources. We want to create a city in which the arts are for the many and everyone feels entitled to participate in culture.
An action plan for the next two years includes developing the Strategic Culture Group made up of key organisations throughout the city. The role of culture will become an important consideration within city development and regeneration projects.