MD2814 Increasing Diversity in the Public Realm

1.1.    On 9 June 2020, the Mayor of London announced the establishment of a commission to review and improve diversity across London’s public realm (“the commission”), co-chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice (Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard) and the Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries (Justine Simons OBE). 
1.2.    London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with more than 300 languages spoken, yet currently our public realm does not reflect this diversity fully. The commission’s aim is therefore to ensure the capital better reflects London’s achievements and diversity, and in particular increases representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, women, the LGBTQ+ community and disabled Londoners. An initial programme of work, including the recruitment of the commission itself, was set out in MD2689. 
1.3.    Since then, 14 members of the commission have been recruited representing a range of leaders from the art, architecture, community engagement and business sectors (“the Commissioners”). 
1.4.    The commission works alongside a Borough Working Group of local councils, and a Partners Board, whose members include: ActionSpace, Art Fund, English Heritage and Shape Arts, Arts Council England, Black Cultural Archives, Foundation for Jewish Heritage, Historic England, Queer Britain and Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts).
1.5.    The commission will develop partnerships across London’s local authorities, strategic agencies, and its arts, civil society, and faith and community organisations, to offer opportunities for communities to be involved in the programme. A key aim of these partnerships will be to ensure that activities are complementary, avoiding duplication, and to share and recommend best practice across these stakeholders.
1.6.    This is a shared programme between the GLA Communities and Social Policy Unit and the Culture and Creative Industries Unit, who will work collaboratively to achieve the programme objectives and outcomes. It will also link to other GLA programmes, including supporting the London Plan’s objectives to deliver development that is socially and economically inclusive. 
1.7.    The programme has been agreed by the Commissioners and will be delivered by working with stakeholders including the Partners Board, the Borough Working Group, community groups, universities and other national partners. It also builds on a network of global cities working on similar projects, including New York, San Francisco and Sydney.
 

2.1.    There are three elements to the proposed programme and the overall objectives are to
•    improve representation through new large and small-scale commissions that celebrate, commemorate and highlight London’s diverse histories and achievements
•    support a London-wide, positive debate about the diverse nature of the city 
•    Create long-term change by embedding best practice among local authorities, developers, art commissioners and the built environment sector to ensure representation continues to improve
•    build a greater understanding of London’s multifaceted histories, and gather findings from local, national and international sister cities and institutions
•    develop high-profile, emblematic projects across the city that show a commitment to improving diversity in London’s public spaces
•    support cross-collaboration between boroughs
•    develop skills, knowledge and capacity in London’s communities to inform the public realm.
2.2.    First, the GLA is proposing a £1m Community Commissioning Fund (to include the £110,000 previously allocated in MD2689 to a programme of this kind) which will be co-designed by the commission in consultation with the Partners Board and the Borough Working Group. This grant fund will support a series of small-scale, community-led projects that increase diversity and improve visibility of under-represented groups in the public realm across London. The grants process and criteria will be set in consultation with the commission and in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code. The proposed fund will provide:
•    80-200 grants within the range of £3,000-£25,000, reaching every London borough
•    a programme of advice, guidance and networking for smaller and/or under-represented groups to enable them to access funding
•    a series of murals, plaques, public artworks/objects and participatory projects across London.
2.3.    Second, larger-scale, emblematic commissions that represent aspects of London’s diverse heritage, which will be delivered in partnership with interest groups. The allocation of £750,000 will deliver up to three site-specific commissions of this kind across London, developed in partnership with the commission, the Partners Board, local stakeholders, collaborators and artists. It is expected that these commissions will require external partners and additional funding to be realised, depending on the scale, location and extent of development of each project. The nature and details of each collaboration will be identified on a case-by-case basis and subject to a Director’s Decision as set out in 2.12, below. This delegation will only apply where the programme remains as described in this decision and results in no net cost to the GLA, and where no significant additional resource implications arise.
2.4.    Third, the GLA will work with partners to deliver an engagement programme that will give boroughs the important support they need as key decision makers in the public realm, will involve Londoners and other partners in the work of the commission, and will embed good practice for the long term across the built environment. Expenditure of £684,500 (including £205,000 fixed term project costs outlined below) will deliver:
•    a programme of borough support will create a clear picture of how impactful current policies are and will support best practice by London’s boroughs
•    the launch of research mapping existing statues and memorials across London in partnership with Art UK
•    engagement activity including a series of public conversations about London’s history and community through published blogs, panel discussions and podcasts. Including Bridging Histories, a free digital resource helping Londoners to delve into their own pasts and the histories of their local area. Managed by the community engagement team.
•    a range of research and case studies that offer a pan-London, UK and global perspective – identifying existing gaps, and offering recommendations and best-practice guidance
•    at least four meetings per annum of the Partners Board, the Borough Working Group and the commission, respectively
•    recommendations from the commission to support fairer and more diverse representation across the GLA family and other partners
2.5.    Certain areas of work will be delivered by specialist service providers and consultants, particularly research and engagement activities for targeted groups. Where services are being procured support will be sought from TfL procurement, and the GLA Contracts and Funding Code will apply.
2.6.    This overall programme will achieve the following outcomes across the three areas outlined in sections 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4:
•    public engagement and debate that builds on a greater understanding of London’s multifaceted histories
•    greater transparency of how decisions that affect the public realm are made
•    support for Londoners to feel involved in shaping and influencing public spaces
•    greater access and ownership of public spaces for Londoners
•    greater awareness of under-represented groups, their histories and their contributions to the city
•    identified common ground of contested history
•    embedded good practice that considers diverse representations across the public realm and the built environment, including local authorities and place managers
•    increased skills and shared knowledge within local authorities relating to the commissioning of public art that represents London’s diversity.
Governance, access and delivery
2.7.    The programme and work of the commission will be fully accessible. Provision has been made in the budget for disabled access and British Sign Language translation, expenses and remuneration as relevant for participants and Commissioners in accordance with the commission terms of reference.
2.8.    The Community Commissioning Fund will build on the learning from grants programmes that have been recently developed and delivered by the GLA, including Culture Seeds and the Culture at Risk Fund, and will include workshops and an information roadshow. It will be delivered with grants management support to ensure that all grant applications are managed in an efficient and user-friendly way for a programme of this scale. The final criteria and grants process will be set in consultation with the commission and in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code.
2.9.    All grant recipients will have access to resources, workshops and support from commission members, Partners Board members and the Borough Working Group.
2.10.    A set of key performance indicators will track the impact and deliverables for the programme. Metrics include tracking the direct and indirect beneficiaries and audiences, the number of commissions awarded, and the number of events produced.
2.11.    A budget of £204,000 (contained within section 2.4 above) over two years has been allocated to cover the costs of creating two fixed-term project delivery posts, to support successful delivery of the programme. These are: Programme Manager and Community Engagement Officer. The establishment of a Programme Manager post was covered in MD2689, supported by £22,000 for four months within the 2020-21 financial year, and this budget covers the continuation of that role. The other post required to deliver the programme and contained within this budget has been approved via the Head of Paid Service.
2.12.    Further third-party contributions will be sought to support the Community Commissioning Fund and the emblematic projects elements of this programme. As part of this decision, a delegation of authority to the Executive Director, Communities and Skills, is requested to approve the specific items of income, expenditure and conditions related to any sums secured from third parties for these elements.
2.13.    The table below sets out the proposed expenditure on the programme:

3.1.    Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 provides that, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED); that is, the need to: 
•    eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
•    advance equality of opportunity
•    foster relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not. 
3.2.    The commission has been developed to review and improve diversity across London’s public realm, to ensure it suitably reflects London’s achievements, and to celebrate the contribution and legacies that London’s diverse communities make to the cultural fabric of its capital. Achieving greater diversity and representation in the public realm is the foundation of the commission’s work and will reflect the Public Sector Equality Duty objectives of advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations. Commission members were recruited to reflect London’s diversity through an open recruitment process, and they have taken an active role in designing the programmes outlined above. The GLA delivered a series of engagement events throughout 2020-21 to involve London’s diverse communities in shaping the commission and its work.  
3.3.    A key purpose of the commission is to increase the presence and visibility of under-represented groups in London’s public realm. The commission will work in cooperation with external stakeholder agencies to consider a diverse range of perspectives, which will help to deliver the Mayor’s vision to improve diversity across our public realm and tell a more accurate story of our city’s rich cultural offer. Compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty will be kept under review as the commission develops its work.
3.4.    The Community Commissioning Fund will be open to all individuals and organisations meeting the specified criteria and wishing to apply for grant funding. The funding will be issued fairly and transparently, with all applications being scored against equal criteria.
3.5.    The Culture and Creative Industries Unit and the Communities and Social Policy Unit will ensure that any organisations that engage in projects relating to diversity in the public realm have robust equality policies in place and are committed to proactively applying the principles of the Equality Act 2010 and regularly refreshing their equality and diversity policies and practices. This will be enshrined in funding agreements where any grants are made to support projects. 
3.6.    Delivery will consider inclusive communication approaches (including but not limited to pictures, photos, graphics, symbols, speech functions and interactive communication tools).
 

Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.1.    The programmes and activities outlined in this decision play an important role in supporting London’s Recovery Missions and the GLA’s Recovery Foundations, to help Londoners recover from Covid-19, specifically Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; High Streets for All; Building Strong Communities; and Engaging Londoners.
4.2.    The programmes and policies outlined in this decision also link to the following Mayoral strategies: 
•    A City for All Londoners, wherein culture is seen as the golden thread, key to the capital’s future success, for both integrating and strengthening communities, and supporting more liveable and successful places
•    Culture for all Londoners, the Mayor’s landmark strategy for culture, which outlines an ambitious vision to ensure all Londoners can engage with and contribute to the capital’s rich cultural offering on their doorsteps
•    the Mayor’s objectives for Healthy Streets, which are more welcoming to people and encourage them to make active and sustainable travel choices, for example, by contributing to the Healthy Streets’ aspiration of ‘things to see and do’
•    the Mayor’s vision for London as a 24-hour city (diversifying London’s night-time offer and making it more safe, welcoming and accessible for a wider range of people)
•    the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan (Women’s Night Safety Summit) and the new London Plan (strategic policies for supporting London’s night-time economy and its diverse range of artistic, cultural and entertainment enterprises, and the cultural, social and economic benefits they offer to its residents, workers and visitors)
•    Inclusive London, the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, which sets out that a successful city needs to work well for all residents; everyone should be able to share in its prosperity, culture and community life, regardless of age, social class, disability, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or whether they are pregnant or on maternity leave
•    the Mayor’s Social Integration Strategy, which aims to improve social integration in London. This means enabling people to have more opportunities to connect with each other positively and meaningfully, and supporting Londoners to play an active part in their communities and the decisions that affect them. It involves reducing barriers and inequalities so that Londoners can relate to each other as equals. 
4.3.    The commission’s proposed work programme includes a comprehensive process of community and stakeholder engagement that will inform the activities carried out by, and on behalf of, Commissioners. This includes multiple opportunities for consultation, including a community research programme and public engagement through a virtual roadshow and using the Talk London digital consultation platform.
4.4.    As part of the programme set-up, GLA officers have carried out scoping conversations with key stakeholders from the culture and creative industries, and the communities and social policy sectors across London.
4.5.    A Borough Working Group regularly convenes for ongoing consultation at local level. The Community Commissioning programme will be developed in consultation with the Commissioners, the Partners Board and the Borough Working Group to ensure that it is inclusive and reaches under-represented groups. A range of accessible application materials will be developed with application support and advice offered through a programme of workshops and events.
Impact assessments and consultations
4.6.    The GLA’s Cultural Strategy Group for London (known as the Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board) is a statutory group comprising senior leaders from across the creative and cultural industries. These ambassadors shape the Mayor’s Culture Strategy and represent diverse voices across the industry. The Board has continued to meet over the past year to advise on the GLA’s recovery response.
4.7.    The GLA has held 15 culture roundtables during the pandemic, as well as 29 workshops and roundtables with 24-Hour London stakeholders, to ensure its response is industry and local authority-led. These meetings have helped shape recovery activity in relation to culture.
4.8.    During 2018-19, the Mayor’s Culture Strategy was subject to a 12-week consultation with stakeholders and the public. Feedback was gathered through events, roadshows and written feedback, and via Talk London. The Culture Strategy also underwent an integrated impact assessment during the initial drafting, and a further review following consultation feedback. One of the key positive findings from the strategy consultation was that arts and culture have a positive influence on health and wellbeing, and this link should be promoted and better facilitated. The consultation also found that participation in culture supports social cohesion, inclusion and sense of identity, and creates vibrant places and communities. 
Conflicts of interest
4.9.    The commission members and partners declare conflicts of interest in accordance with the GLA’s policy and guidance for registering and declaring interests.
4.10.    There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.  
 

5.1.    Approval is being sought for expenditure of £2,434,000 for the Diversity in the Public Realm workstream, spanning three financial years as detailed in the below table:

5.2.    This expenditure will be funded from the Public Realm programme budget held within the Culture and Creative Industries Unit. Spend in 2021-22 is funded by budgets in place and approval is sought to carry forward unspent funds to 2022-23 (to be confirmed at year-end, currently estimated at £229,000) to ensure project continuation. This carry forward will supplement the budget proposed for 2022-23 and available carry forward of £ 460,000 previously approved in 2020-21. Part of this carry forward (£ 185,000) will be to fund 2022-23 expenditure with the remaining £ 275,000 used in 2023-24. Budgets for 2022-23 are yet to be confirmed and will be finalised as part of the budget setting process in the coming months.
5.3.    Approval is also being sought for delegated authority to the Executive Director Good Growth to approve any third-party income contributions and related expenditure to support these programmes. These approvals will be subject to further decision forms.
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:
6.1.1.    the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive 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 
6.1.2.    in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
• pay due regard to the principle that there should 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 toward the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
• consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, 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, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion) 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 Mayor should have regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.3.    Under the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (as amended), the Head of Paid Service (the “HoPS”) may, after consultation with the Mayor and the Assembly and having regard to the resources available and priorities of the Authority:
•    appoint such staff as the HoPS considers necessary for the proper discharge of the functions of the Authority (section 67(2)); and
•    make such appointments on such terms and conditions as the HoPS thinks fit (section 70(2)).
6.4.    Therefore, should this budget be approved, the matter should be referred to the HoPS in order that the HoPS may consider creating three fixed-term posts and extending one fixed-term post as set out at paragraph 2.11 above.
6.5.    The Mayor may, under section 38 of the Act, delegate the exercise of the GLA’s functions to the Executive Director, Communities and Skills as proposed.
6.6.    Paragraph 2.2 above indicates that the contribution of funding to the Community Commissioning Grant funding programme will amount to the provision of grant funding and not payment for services. Officers must ensure that appropriate funding agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and recipients before any commitment to fund is made.
6.7.    Any services required by the GLA described in this report must be procured with the assistance of the Transport for London procurement team in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and the GLA before the commencement of the services.