Mayor's Cultural Leadership Board Minutes 13 December 2023

Ambassadors 

Moira Sinclair OBE, (Chair) Paul Hamlyn Foundation  

Amanda Parker, (Vice Chair) Creative Industries Representative  

Sharon Ament, Museum of London  

Sade Banks, The What If Experiment (Apologies) 

Alice Black, ArtULTRA,  

Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Royal Borough Kensington & Chelsea, 

Ajay Chhabra, Nutkhut  

Bernard Donoghue OBE, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) (Apologies) 

Stuart Hobley, The Linbury Trust (Apologies) 

Amy Lamé, Night Czar, (Apologies) 

John Newbigin OBE, Creative Industries Representative  

Amaarah Roze, Independent Facilitator, Performer & Producer (Apologies) 

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries (Apologies) 

Dr Jo Twist OBE, UKIE (Apologies) 

Nigel Twumasi, Mayamada  

Deborah Williams, Creative Diversity Network (Apologies) 

Claire Whitaker CBE, Southampton Culture Trust  

Other Attendees 

Sherry Dobbin, SRD Culture Ltd.  

Adriana Marques, Peabody  

Patrick Scally, Tower Hamlets Council 

Josh McTaggart, London Borough of Lambeth  

Martyn Evans, Landsec Uandi  

Bee Patel, Colour Factory  

Eline van der Vlist, Space Studios  

Juliet Can, Stour Trust  

Zerritha Brown, London Borough of Camden  

Neala Gautam, GLA Land and Development  

Sovina Vernon-White, Transport for London  

Senior Management Team and Policy Officers, Culture, Creative Industries and 24 Hour London Unit    

1. The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly guests (listed above). 
2. The Chair stated the recent unit name change from Culture and Creative Industries Unit to the Culture, Creative Industries and 24 Hour London Unit. 
3. The Chair noted ‘Apologies’ as above and stated some members were coincidently attending a conference on the same theme. 
4. The Chair noted one previous meeting outstanding action: 

5. The Chair stated that training will go ahead, hosted jointly with the Black on the Square Community Advisory Group. The Secretariat will come back with suggested dates. 
6. The Chair outlined the agenda items, ‘cultural infrastructure’: 
   • Item 1 - Scene-setting: Space for Culture team overview
   • Item 2 - Roundtable discussion (session one) 
   • Item 3 - Roundtable discussion (session two)
7. The Chair asked about any Conflicts of Interest regarding any outlined items - none were declared. 

1. The Space for Culture team manager delivered a presentation on cultural infrastructure work overview importance and challenges. 
2. The presentation outlined how the Space for Culture team works with internal and external stakeholders, making sure culture, creativity and community are hardwired into London's fabric while strengthening the city's identity as a rich, diverse and multifaceted cultural capital.  
3. The team manager stated that under this Mayor’s administration, London's first Cultural Infrastructure Plan, historic investments into new cultural spaces, and stronger support for cultural spaces at risk have been delivered. 
4. The presentation outlined some team achievements, including: 
   • accessing regeneration funding by making the case for affordable creative workspace, resulting in the Mayor being on track to fund 71000 square metres of long-term/permanent affordable creative workspace across the sector
   • gathering data on the amount and type of cultural infrastructure in London
   • learning how specific sectors are impacted over time, enabling the team to respond quickly during the pandemic 
   • helping organisations of all scales, including:
     • Horse Hospital in Camden
     • Royal Vauxhall Tavern in Lambeth
     • Chisenhale Arts Centre in Tower Hamlets
     • Flamboyan International Carnival Arts in Westminster
     • Queercircle in Greenwich
   • influencing and sharing across other cities facing similar challenges, including New York City, Sydney and Stockholm.
5. The presentation ended by setting out expanding and amplifying the team’s work is the next goal. This includes sharing knowledge and skills, making the case for small but significant national planning policy changes, putting together data and case studies for the next London Plan, replicating models like the Creative Enterprise Zones and building a coalition of informed champions who can embed cultural infrastructure in development, planning and high streets. The presenter emphasised all attendees in the room having a role to play in this scaling up. 

1. The Chair outlined the roundtable discussion exercise for each table, to hear reflections from two guests then a table-wide discussion facilitated by policy officers around three focused questions:  
   • How can we strategically amplify the successes of this work and the challenges facing culture space, so we can achieve more impact going forward?   
   • Other (national / international) cities and regions are increasingly developing their own cultural infrastructure policies and programmes:  
     • How can we showcase the value of planning for cultural space, demonstrating London’s leadership in this area?  
     • How can London’s cultural spaces and those who operate them best benefit from growing attention on cultural infrastructure planning?   
2. Notes were captured digitally. Following the discussions, each table summarised their conversation. Thoughts and suggestions included:  
   • A need to share data, case studies and learning with communities, planners and developers in London, the UK and internationally.  
   • Support stakeholders to make the case for culture spaces and improving storytelling for them, for example, educating new communities moving into the area to understand what the space is for, and why it’s important. 
   • The Cultural Infrastructure Plan for Thamesmead is a good example of demonstrating success to others. However, good plans or buy-in could be taken away at any point. A leadership change could remove the initial plan.  

1. After everyone changed tables, the second discussion round followed the structure of the first, hearing from and speaking to a new group (with new questions).  
   • How can the Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board help achieve further success in this area? What role does the Board see for itself? 
   • How should we work with others nationally, while advancing London’s expertise? 
2. Following these discussions, each table summarised their conversation. Thoughts and suggestions included: 
   • Get cross-GLA Group support to push needs. Transport for London asset management has used arches as leverage for art space, for example.
   • A need to create common-purpose space, with common language and co-design, knitting together cultural strategy and local plans to point toward a strategic direction. 
   • Move from meanwhile / rental to permanent, fit-for-purpose space within planning frameworks. Development plans must feature culture, and may not be taken forward if not in the plan. This must be provisioned across boroughs, as retrofitting is not preferable.  
   • Adding flexibility and a strategic framework with local planning community engagement - such consultation must be meaningful.  
   • Creating long-term, strategic frameworks so culture is on equal footing to transport and health. This needs public engagement, and broader public narrative. 
3. The Chair asked one Board member from each table to share a reflection on the theme, and potential Board role in supporting the agenda.  
4. The Chair thanked guests for their participation.  

1. The Chair asked the group if there was any other business to discuss - none was raised. 

2. The Chair reminded the Board that the next meeting was on 7 March 2024. 

3. The Chair closed the meeting.