Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD2126
Date signed:
Decision by: Martin Clarke, Executive Director of Resources
Executive summary
Totally Thames is a month long campaign taking place throughout September. With its theme ‘Take me to the river’ it celebrates the role of the Thames in the city, bringing the river to life via an exciting season of arts, cultural and river events throughout the 42-mile stretch in London. Totally Thames includes a variety of activities which align with Mayoral programmes and priorities such as community integration, education, the environment, river transport and riverside regeneration. GLA support enables Totally Thames to undertake events, education and outreach programmes during the festival period.
Decision
That the Executive Director of Resources approves expenditure of up to £50,000 as a contribution to the cost of delivering the Totally Thames Festival in September 2017.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 Under the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (GLA Act) the Mayor has a statutory duty to promote the economic and social development and improve the environment in London. Events have a profound potential to bring economic and social benefits to London, and major events in particular can raise the city’s profile and present a positive image to the world’s media.
1.2 The core events programme responds to the Mayor’s manifesto pledge to “Continue to back major cultural festivals to celebrate London’s religious and racial diversity”. These events mean that we are able to celebrate our diversity as a city, and be proud of the enormous range of different communities that call London their home.
1.3 Totally Thames is a month long campaign taking place throughout September. With its theme ‘Take me to the river’ it celebrates the role of the Thames in the city, bringing the river to life via an exciting season of arts, cultural and river events throughout the 42-mile stretch in London.
1.4 Totally Thames includes a variety of activities which align with Mayoral programmes and priorities such as community integration, education, the environment, river transport and riverside regeneration.
1.5 Totally Thames is organised and delivered by the Thames Festival Trust. The charitable trust has a 19 year track record in delivering high quality river and riverfront events including the Thames Festival and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Totally Thames is endorsed and supported by 17 London boroughs with a riverfront.
1.6 The month long festival in September 2017 costs almost £1million to deliver, with funding coming from a range of sources including Arts Council England, City of London, London First, Thames Water and variety of other sponsors. Thames Festival Trust is responsible for obtaining all sponsorship and grant funding and entering into all necessary agreements in relation thereto.
1.7 The Mayor of London has supported the Thames Festival annually since 2005 and this year proposes to contribute £50,000 towards the 2017 event via a funding agreement.
1.8 The funding contribution made by the GLA enables the festival team to undertake an education and outreach programme and to programme events during the festival in September on and around the River Thames between Hampton Court Bridge and the Queen Elizabeth II crossing.
Thames Festival Trust Budget (indicative)
2.1 Events bring economic and social benefits to London, and can raise the city’s profile, promote London as a leading global city encouraging investment and tourism, and present a positive image to the world’s media.
2.2 The Thames Festival Trust aims to present Totally Thames, an exciting season of events that brings London’s river to life from 1-30 September. The Trust estimates that the festival in 2017 will reach an audience across London of up to 2 million people.
2.3 As a guide to what to expect in 2017, the full 2016 programme can be accessed in the following link: http://totallythames.org/about/festivals/events/2016
2.4 The perceived impact of Totally Thames on Greater London and Londoners is:
• increased public appreciation of the River Thames and its environment
• increased perception of London as an exciting, dynamic and creative city
• increased public perception that the GLA provides activities of benefit to all
• increased awareness of river travel
• increase engagement in cultural activity
3.1 Totally Thames is planned to be inclusive and is aimed at all Londoners, culturally and socially. This is achieved through a broad based programme spread from east to west reaching communities along the length of the river.
4.1 Key risks
4.2 Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.2.1 In approving Totally Thames, this directly links to:
• Manifesto Commitment – Access to the arts: Continue to back major cultural festivals to celebrate London’s religious and racial diversity.
• Manifesto Commitment – Protecting and promoting our cultural riches: Build on London’s vital tourist industry by promoting the city’s cultural riches.
• Making London a fairer and more tolerant city open and accessible to all, and one in which we can all live and prosper free from prejudice.
4.3 Impact assessments and consultation
4.3.1 The Thames Festival Trust, which includes representatives from the cultural, business and community sectors, will engage and consult with a broad range of stakeholders and agencies in devising the programme, including representatives from the riverside boroughs, the Port of London Authority and the GLA. In addition the Trust will undertake research with stakeholders and audiences to assess outcomes of the programme.
4.4 Funding Agreement
4.4.1 The Thames Festival Trust are required to make a funding application to the GLA, and once approved will enter into a funding agreement, which will be subject to the GLA’s terms and conditions, and a payments schedule according to agreed milestones. The funding agreement will be administered by the Events for London team.
5.1 The GLA’s contribution of £50,000 will be made via way of grant agreement to the Thames Festival Trust and will be funded from the Events for London Programme budget for 2017-18. The grant will be administered in three instalments as follows:
• 1st Instalment - £10,000
• 2nd Instalment -£15,000
• 3rd Instalment -£25,000
5.2 It should be noted that the GLA contribution to this event will be capped at £50,000 and the funding for expenditure over and above the GLA contribution will be wholly the responsibility of the Thames Festival Trust (as indicated in the estimated budget table 1.9).
6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the mayor fall within the statutory powers of the GLA to promote and/or to do anything which is facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the promotion of social development in Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have set out above how they have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) 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; and
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 In taking the decisions requested of him, the mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the director should pay particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.3 The officers should ensure that the expenditure of the £50,000 contribution to the Totally Thames Festival be made in accordance with this requirements of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code.
Signed decision document
DD2126 Totally Thames (signed) PDF