DD2563 Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Programme 2022-23

1.1.    The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Delivery Plan approved in June 2018 sets out an ambitious programme of investment to accelerate the regeneration of the Royal Docks into a successful international business and visitor destination. Thousands of new homes, amenities, workspaces and jobs are projected to come forward over the next 20 years. These will deliver significant benefits for local residential and business communities; and support the ambitions of Mayor of London, the Mayor of Newham and LEAP regarding housing delivery and inclusive economic growth. The Mayor of London and the Mayor of Newham are jointly leading the regeneration of the area through its Enterprise Zone status, which is funded through the ringfencing of business rate income collected within the Zone.
1.2.    The Mayor of London has identified culture as a key priority in the context of London’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19, and in the long term. Culture and the creative industries are part of a fast-growing sector that, pre-pandemic, generated £58.4bn in London and provided one in six jobs. London’s cultural offer is a key driver of tourism and of its hospitality sector. 
1.3.    The Mayor of London has also identified that culture plays a key role in enabling Londoners to come together and forge a sense of belonging, generating civic pride. The Mayor of London is committed to ensuring that more Londoners can access the positive benefits of taking part in cultural activities, and that London retains its status as a world-leading capital for culture and creativity.
1.4.    Culture is a key component of The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Delivery Plan. A budget of £14.7m was approved to invest over 10 years from 2018, to support the creation of a transformational cultural placemaking programme that will support regeneration and Royal Docks communities. The Delivery Plan Cultural Placemaking objectives are to:
•    position the Royal Docks internationally as a distinct location for unique, ambitious events
•    engage local communities in their changing place 
•    create lively, attractive and cohesive neighbourhoods 
•    increase visitor and local footfall 
•    maximise cultural programming opportunities and impact through local partnerships.
1.5.    In 2022-23, the Royal Docks team aims to support recovery from the impact of Covid-19 locally, and help to maintain London as a global cultural capital through its Cultural Placemaking Programme by: 
•    investing in local artists and cultural organisations, and helping local freelancer creatives and event staff to sustain work and generate new employment
•    supporting strong and cohesive communities through the cultural programme
•    providing creative opportunities for young people that help counter the negative impacts of the pandemic
•    partnering with local independent venues recovering after long periods of closure, contributing to their long-term sustainability. 

1.6.    Further detail on how the programme will support recovery are detailed in paragraph 2.2, below.

Embedding our Cultural Placemaking Strategy in 2022-23

1.7.    On 3 March 2021, the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone adopted the Royal Docks’ Cultural Placemaking Strategy; and approved a two-year business plan for 2021-23 that responds to this strategy, and includes plans to assist recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on local communities and businesses; on London’s culture; and on the creative industries. 
1.8.    Year one of the two-year business plan commenced in April 2021. Despite the impact of Covid-19 restrictions, progress has been made in all areas of the strategy. Highlights include:
•    the launch of the Cultural Placemaking Strategy attended by over 190 people, including key stakeholders, residents, developers, politicians and strategic bodies
•    Royal Docks Originals – a new programme of work made in the Royal Docks, and co-created with local artists and residents
•    Creative Connectors, a new open-access group for local people 
•    presentations of Inside Out (by French street artist JR) and Future Cargo at the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
•    Grime Pays course for 10 young people led by local artists, the Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation.
1.9.    In year two of the two-year business plan (2022-23), the Royal Docks team will:
•    expand on mechanisms established in 2021 to involve local communities and artists in the development and delivery of its programme; and expand its engagement with educational establishments and local groups
•    continue to grow four key programming strands, developed in response to feedback from residents and other key stakeholders
•    ensure that the regeneration of the area embraces all cultural opportunities.
1.10.    It is anticipated that Covid-19 may continue to impact programme delivery in 2022, and Covid-safety measures will be factored into planning. Projects will have rigorous risk assessment and contingency plans to allow for different scenarios. Plans for 2022 are outlined below.
People pillar
1.11.    The Cultural Placemaking Strategy aims to build a thriving evolving cultural scene that is open to everyone that lives or works in the Royal Docks and that exists long after the Enterprise Zone. Following the pandemic, the Royal Docks cultural programme and community engagement will help strengthen communities; support the re-emergence of the cultural and creative industries; and help young people establish their futures. 
1.12.    In 2022, the Cultural Placemaking Programme will develop and build on the following:
•    The Royal Docks Creative Connectors group. Piloted in 2021, the Creative Connectors group will be open to all adults and young people who live or work in the Royal Docks and wish to contribute programme ideas, help promote activities and get involved. A Dock Local Panel of Creative Connectors will act as an advisory group, directly participating in the Royal Docks Programme Panel (see final point, below).
•    An active Cultural Network for local creative organisations and individuals will include opportunities for cross-promotion, artistic exchange, collaboration, and capacity-building, plus inclusion of up to five Artistic Associates with specialist skills to support programme development.
•    A Programme Panel comprising a group of Creative Connectors via the Dock Local Panel, local creatives and Artistic Associates to support the development of the Royal Docks ambitious programme. A coordinator role will support these three groups.
1.13.    Being one of the youngest and most diverse boroughs in the UK, Newham offers a community with significant creative potential. However, following the pandemic, creative career opportunities for young people are sparse and challenging to access. To help counter this, the Cultural Placemaking Programme will provide participation and training opportunities to connect young people with professional creative practitioners. Building on work achieved to date, in 2022, a consultant will develop a two-year programme in partnership with local providers of cultural activities and skills development. 
1.14.    In December 2021, Arts Council England confirmed funding for Newham’s Creative People and Places project, ‘World on our Doorstep’. The Royal Docks Culture and Activation team is working with Community Links, Rosetta Arts and a partnership of local arts organisations on this three-year project, which will empower local people to access, participate and co-create arts in local spaces that celebrate Newham’s rich and diverse culture. 
1.15.    To ensure the sustainability of the Royal Docks’ long-term cultural vision, it needs to build its fundraising capacity. In 2021 the Culture and Activation team hosted an event to introduce key stakeholders to its Cultural Placemaking Strategy with the intention to enlist support going forwards. This event was attended by Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, developers, businesses and other potential sponsors and funders. The Culture and Activation team will build on these relationships seeking investment to enhance the 2022-23 Cultural Placemaking Programme and to support the programming going forwards.
Programme Pillar
1.16.    In 2022 the Cultural Placemaking programme will focus on the four key strands of work identified in our Cultural Placemaking Strategy.
Programming Strand – Royal Docks Originals 
1.17.    In 2021 the Culture and Activation team launched Royal Docks Originals as a brand through which it commissions, champions and showcases original and innovative works, spaces, exhibitions and experiences made in the Royal Docks. In 2021, its inaugural Royal Docks Originals Festival of 30 new works included ARRIVAL, a large-scale creative project that involved 500 local people. The 2021 Royal Docks Originals Festival generated coverage of 50 print and online media pieces including those in The Guardian, the Evening Standard and Time Out. 
1.18.    In 2022-23, two Royal Docks Originals commissions are planned. Dido’s Bar’, a new theatre production by Dash Arts, will be performed in The Factory, a new creative workspace that has been supported by the Royal Docks Good Growth Fund. Following the Royal Dock’s premiere, Dido’s Bar will tour three towns outside London, funded by Arts Council England. 

1.19.    The second Royal Docks Originals commission will be ‘Royal Docks meets East Bank: A Festival of Introductions and Innovations’ (working title). This project will deliver inspiring public engagement activities focused on sustainability and created with the cultural and academic institutions arriving into Stratford’s East Bank. East Bank’s impact on the regeneration of the area and opportunities for local people is central to the legacy of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. 

1.20.    Both projects will provide work for creatives and production staff, and will deliver on objectives to:
•    position the Royal Docks as a place of innovation, making, ideas and experimentation
•    actively involve Royal Docks’ young people
•    support the wider Royal Docks creative community through sharing and show-and-tell opportunities
•    be rooted in the people and place of the Royal Docks
•    be inclusive and connect diverse communities.
1.21.    The Culture and Activation team will build on its relationship with the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival to create new works that are relevant to local people and build the Royal Docks’ profile as a cultural destination. Projects in 2022 will include a festival event in Royal Victoria Gardens created with input from North Woolwich community groups; and the UK premiere of a large-scale international work that will attract audiences from across London. 
1.22.    Public art plays a critical role in establishing Royal Docks as a world-class cultural destination, bringing the public realm to life, and creating places full of interest, imagination and engagement. With freelance support, in 2022, the Culture and Activation team will continue to develop a strategic framework for public art, including commissioning guidelines and a three-year public art plan and programme. This framework will respond to the imperatives of the Mayor’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. In 2021-22, the Culture and Activation team will also continue to deliver public art projects with The Line and Making Space. 
Programming Strand – On the Royal Docks
1.23.    The Royal Docks were once the largest enclosed docks in the world, and the largest impounded water in Europe; the 250 acres of water remain the defining characteristic of the area. The Cultural Placemaking Strategy highlights the opportunity this provides for the Royal Docks to become a major centre of water-based arts and events known across the UK and the world. Investing in this highly ambitious vision will help underpin the cultural and commercial imperatives of the Royal Docks Delivery Plan and could make a significant contribution to London’s social and economic recovery from the impact of Covid-19. 
1.24.    In 2021, the Royal Docks team started to develop a comprehensive Water Activation Strategy. This work, which will continue into 2022, is identifying the required physical infrastructure to deliver the Royal Docks vision to become London’s primary destination for water-based events. It will create a three-year programme, a database of relevant artists, and a plan for generating income to support the strategy. A water-based project is planned for 2022, to gain insight and development to test learning from this strategy. 
Programming Strand – Our People and Stories 
1.25.    The Our People and Stories strand provides an opportunity to explore the Royal Docks’ rich and complex past; and directly responds to feedback received from local people who want heritage to be a key part of our programme. In 2022, the Culture and Activation team will develop a year-long programme documenting stories of the people and place of the Royal Docks in partnership with Royal Docks Learning and Activation Centre’s History Club. Outcomes will be hosted online, commencing an ongoing resource created with Newham Heritage Month. By involving communities in this programme, we aim to support community cohesion and pride in the area. 
1.26.    Building on the success of Newham Heritage Month, the Culture and Activation team is working with London Borough of Newham on a 2022 edition of the festival, which is receiving additional support from National Lottery Heritage Fund. 
1.27.    For London Open House in 2019, the Culture and Activation team worked with Boy Blue Entertainment to create a dance film called Untethered, set in Millennium Mills. In 2022, for the festival, the Royal Docks will select another local historic structure for a new commission. This work will build into a portfolio of creative interpretations of the Royal Docks complex history as the world’s largest enclosed docks during the British Empire.

Programme Strand – Dock Local
1.28.    The Royal Docks has relatively few cultural venues and activities. The Culture and Activation team plans to work with local people, venues, and traders to develop activities and social and cultural spaces. This programme will further support recovery locally. The 2022 Dock Local programme will focus on the projects listed below (at 1.28 to 1.34).
1.29.    Creative Connectors was launched in 2021 as an open-access group for local people supported by a coordinator role. In 2022, this project will expand to include a ‘Dock Local Panel’ that will be provided with a small budget to programme cultural activities in a ‘Creative Connectors takeover’. The Panel will be introduced to new projects and artists alongside ones they already know and will gain skills and experience to programme professional cultural activity. 
1.30.    The Royal Docks will work with local independent venues to test a new method of developing the organic growth of an everyday programme. This project will help support small venues and freelance creative practitioners recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
1.31.    Over the past two years, the Culture and Activation team has activated the area around Royal Victoria Dock with projects and events for local families, residents and workers, including the popular Kids’ Summer Splash and associated creative engagement projects. The team will build on this and on a small winter programme piloted in 2021, exploring how the area can be a source of family entertainment, and a testbed and showcase for innovative creative projects.
1.32.    For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, we are planning a large-scale event made up of smaller localised activities. For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on Sunday 5 June, we will invite communities in the Royal Docks to put forward proposals for their own inclusive street parties. On the same day we have successfully bid to host Queen’s Baton Relay, which is arriving into London from a tour of Commonwealth countries for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Baton Relay will arrive into the Royal Docks from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for its final day in London and will travelling around the docks by land, water and air (the Cable Car). 
1.33.    Building on projects in 2021 with local Bangladeshi communities, in 2022 the Cultural Placemaking Programme will include a project called, ‘Football, Fashion and Food: a celebration of Green Street’ (working title). Newham’s Green Street is a vibrant commercial district with a strong South Asian community and was home to West Ham United Football Club for many years. This project will focus on women’s health and fitness, and will mark the 2022 UEFA Women's Football Championship. We hope to involve West Ham United FC Women in this project.
1.34.    Both the Mayor of Newham and the Mayor of London are committed to tackling the climate emergency and global warming. In 2022, we are planning a commission that enables locals and visitors to engage in a creative, educational project that helps seek positive solutions to the climate emergency.
1.35.    Other projects and partnerships in development include:
•    an extension to recent heritage and schools’ projects with the Totally Thames Festival, including work with local communities of Bangladeshi heritage and early work on a film about building a new boat yard at Albert Island in the next five years
•    a continuation of our investment in Newham Word Festival’s work with local Royal Docks schools, in partnership with the Discover Centre.
Budget reallocation from DD2450 and DD2347
1.36.    This DD also requests reallocation of budget from DD2450 and DD2347 for four projects planned for the 2020 Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Programme prior to the pandemic. Some of these projects were delivered through Covid-safe methods with reduced expenditure, saving £321,161. But the projects also had reduced outputs, and the Unplugged Music Events could not be delivered. Budget savings to be reallocated are from the following approved projects:
•    DD2450: Key Royal Docks Partnerships – Formula E; Euro 2020: Cultural Projects; RD Poetry and Spoken Word with Spread the Word
•    DD2347: Royal Docks Unplugged Music Events.
The planned outputs of these projects included:
•    significant community engagement 
•    large-scale community celebrations 
•    local programming.
In 2022, the impact of Covid-19 on events and community celebrations has lifted a little. At the same time, the timeline for the Royal Docks Delivery Plan is moving forwards. Therefore, it is requested that the underspend on these budgets should be repurposed to support projects in 2022-23 that deliver the intended objectives of the funds, and progress the Delivery Plan, whilst assisting recovery from Covid-19. The planned 2022 projects are: 
•    Royal Docks Originals – local programme connected to the new commission of ‘Dido’s Bar’
•    Dock Local – ‘Bangladesh Tales’ (working title), a project by Mohammed Ali following the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence 
•    Community celebrations around the Queen’s Baton Relay.
Programme delivery support
1.37.    Three key functions are required in 2022 to ensure the efficient management and safe production of events and activities: a primary authority agreement with London Borough of Newham (Licensing and Regulatory Services); development of a Royal Docks Sustainability Policy and process; and continued freelance creative production, operational and management support focused on the non-traditional venues/meanwhile settings.
Place pillar
1.38.    In 2022, the Culture and Activation team will acquire some replacement production kit to support the delivery of arts in ‘meanwhile’ sites and non-traditional arts spaces. This kit will be made available to local community organisations for a peppercorn rent to help support local recovery, and it will be offered for hire to commercial operators to recoup some of the initial outlay.
Income, procurement and delivery
1.39.    Following this approval, the Culture and Activation team will commence procurement, provision of grant funding and full due diligence for the proposed projects, to ensure that: services are properly procured; and funding is distributed fairly and transparently in accordance with the GLA’s statutory equality duty and relevant policies, and subsidy control rules, and in a manner that ensures value for money in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code. This will be done in conjunction with TfL Procurement and TfL Legal, as applicable.
1.40.    Detailed budget information of the requested new approval is available in Part 2 of this Decision Form. Below is a summary.

1.41.    Detailed information regarding the requested movement of funds between project budgets, previously approved in DD2450 and DD2347, is available in Part 2 of this Decision Form. Below is a summary.

1.42.    The Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Strategy focuses on building a sustainable legacy, within the timeframe of the Delivery Plan, to achieve its vision to become a major cultural quarter with long-term community and economic benefits. The Culture and Activation team is developing plans for additional sources of income to support the programme now and in the future. Therefore sponsorship, funding, and other relevant and appropriate income and concessions and benefit in kind will be sought to support events in 2022-23. All external income sought will be in accordance with the GLA Sponsorship Policy. 

2.1    The Cultural Placemaking Programme will deliver against the following strategic objectives and outputs in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Delivery Plan:

2.2    The Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Programme has been refined to ensure that it is making a robust and holistic contribution to the Mayor of Newham and the Mayor of London’s Covid-19 recovery strategies. It will focus on:
•    young people – providing opportunities for career training, work experience, involvement in decision-making, and participation in professional arts and culture
•    strong communities – delivering creative and social opportunities; involvement in decisions about the cultural programme; creative participation; and projects that support community cohesion and civic pride
•    local independent venues – supporting the development of programmes including music, participation and cultural programmes local venues
•    freelance creatives and local business – creating employment for local artists; creative, production and event workers; and local suppliers, and supporting the London Living Wage
•    physical and mental wellbeing – providing stimulating and relevant things to do and see, social opportunities, and events that promote physical and mental health and wellbeing
•    the green economy – supporting Royal Docks teams and incoming projects with a strong green economy focus, and through adoption of environmental policies across all our work
•    a local world-class cultural centre – ensuring that the Cultural Placemaking programme provides an offer that is enriching and enjoyable for local people, enhancing their lives and offering opportunities.
2.3    Key quantitative outputs and relationship to Covid-19 recovery outcomes are as follows:

Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the need to: 
•    eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation
•    advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.
3.1    The implications of this proposal have been assessed against the Equality Duty. It is considered that it will have a positive impact because the programme will provide cultural activities and participation opportunities, co-designed with Newham communities, that are aimed at providing health and wellbeing outcomes and jobs, and supporting economic regeneration. Newham is among the 10 per cent most deprived boroughs in the UK, and one of the most culturally diverse. Poverty is at high levels, with 22 per cent of children living in low-income families. The pandemic has had significant impact in the borough, and the proposed programme aims to support recovery with a focus on young people, communities, local business, and freelance creative practitioners. No adverse implications for any group sharing a protected characteristic have been identified during this process.
3.2    The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Delivery Plan projects will deliver against a range of the Mayor’s policies (see 4.2) and is aligned with the Mayor’s Equalities Framework to consider the requirements of relevant equalities groups. Impact assessments will determine whether any persons with those characteristics will be unduly impacted by the activities described in this paper, and the course of action to mitigate any impacts.
3.3    The programme will be inclusive, with most of the programme free to attend/participate in. Inclusivity will be achieved through co-design, programme content, and a broad and targeted approach to marketing channels and access facilities. All the projects will work to bring different communities together, sharing cultures and supporting social integration.
 

The Cultural Placemaking Programme will contribute to the following priorities from the Mayor of London’s Culture Strategy:
•    Love London – more people experiencing and creating culture on their doorstep
•    Culture and Good Growth – supporting, saving and sustaining cultural places and spaces
•    Creative Londoners – investing in a diverse creative workforce for the future
•    World City – a global creative powerhouse today and in the future.
4.2    In addition, the Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Programme will help deliver the following Mayoral policies and strategies:
•    the Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan
•    the Mayor’s Vision for London as a 24-hour city, from good night to great night
•    the Mayor’s Response to the London Night Time Commission report
•    the Thames Estuary Production Corridor: the Case for Investment Report
•    the Case for a River Thames Cultural Vision 
•    the Mayor’s Skills for Londoners Strategy 
•    the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Inclusive London 
•    the Mayor’s London Health Inequalities Strategy
•    the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy for London
•    the London Plan
•    the Mayor’s London Environment Strategy
•    the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
4.3    There are no conflicts of interest to declare from anyone involved in the drafting or clearance of this Decision form. 
4.4    Key risks

4.5    A summary of the most significant project-level risks is reported to the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Programme Board on a quarterly basis. A risk register is maintained to continuously review programme delivery.

5.1    The decision is seeking approval for revenue expenditure of up to £1,080,500 for the Cultural Placemaking Programme.  The spending will be from the Royal Docks Culture and Activation budget of £14.7m, which was approved in MD2338.  A detailed breakdown of the activities and the associated costs are provided in part 2 to this Decision.  Approval is also sought to utilise the £321,161 underspend from budgets approved in DD2450 and DD2347, as detailed in paragraph 1.40. 
5.2    This decision requests delegation of authority to the Royal Docks Programme Director to approve future movements of budget (up to £50,000 per project without requiring a further Decision Form) between projects within the Cultural Placemaking Programmes.
5.3    This decision also requests delegation of authority to the Royal Docks Programme Director (to be exercised without the need for a further decision form) to receive and spend sponsorship, funding and other income from suitable partners, up to a maximum of £250,000 in total which will be used to enhance the development and delivery of the Cultural Placemaking programme in 2022-23.
 

The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Executive Director concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or that are facilitative of, conductive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment, in Greater London. 
6.2    In implementing the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers should comply with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:
•    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
•    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
•    consult with appropriate bodies.
6.3    In taking the decisions requested, the Executive Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation; and to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. To this end, the Executive Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.4    Section 1 of this report indicates that part of the sought budget will amount to the provision of grant funding and not payment for services. Officers must ensure that the funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equality policy and subsidy control rules, and in a manner that affords value for money in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must ensure that an appropriate funding agreement is put in place and executed by the GLA and the recipient before any commitment to funding is made.
6.5    Section 1 of this report indicates that the GLA intends to procure services. Section 9 of the GLA Contracts and Funding Code requires the GLA to engage with TfL Procurement and seek a call-off from a suitable framework where possible before the commencement of the services. 
6.6    Section 1 of this report indicates that the GLA intends to seek sponsorship. Section 13 of the GLA Contracts and Funding Code requires the GLA to abide by the GLA Sponsorship Policy before seeking sponsorship for an activity or event.
 

DD2563 Part 2