The City Together is reviewing its Community Strategy, 2004-2014. We want to hear from you about one of the key areas which we believe will be essential to delivering a World Class City:
How we can help to support a World Class City which is vibrant and culturally rich?
Below, we set out some of the key facts and some of the challenges we will face over the coming years, as we see them. We are already working to address some of these issues and challenges, but we want your views on what else should be done.
Some facts
- The City of London Corporation committed £80million to arts and culture in 2006/07, including the Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra, and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
- The City has a varied arts and cultural offering, including the annual City of London Festival, free Winter Concerts in City venues and street entertainment.
- The City has award winning activities – from its open spaces to the London Metropolitan Archives.
- Arts festivals and institutions attracted over 10 million visitors in 2005, directly creating over £95 million in GDP and over 3,360 jobs.
- There was £600 million additional spending on food/drink, accommodation and transport.
The challenges we need to address
- Visitor numbers are predicted to increase across London.
- We should aim to maximise participation in - and benefit from – culture activities for all the City’s communities.
- We want to stimulate interest in the official handover to London at the 2008 Beijing Olympics & Paralympics.
- There should be greater coordination/ joint working between arts and culture providers.
What we are doing already
- Destination Strategy 2007-2010.
- The City’s Local Area Agreement (a key plan which focuses on ways in which service providers will work together to improve outcomes for local people) includes targets on educational opportunities through culture.
- Olympics Strategy.
- Publicising arts, culture and sport through websites, the free One square mile guide, City View magazine and the new visitor information centre at St Paul’s.
What else can we do?
We want to know what you think!
- Do you agree with the issues and challenges outlined above?
- Are some more important than others?
- Is there anything missing?
- What else can we do to tackle these issues and meet future challenges?
- What is the role of public sector organisations, and what is the role for individuals, businesses and communities in tackling some of these issues?
As someone who works in the City, I am constantly dismayed at the lack of awareness of the history that surrounds me and my fellow-workers. It is perhaps worth working with local businesses, both big and small, to get people to appreciate sites of historical interest- where William Wallace was executed, the scores of beautiful churches in and around the City, perhaps even promote taking some time out of the office to go to Evensong at St Pauls. It is amazing how little people realise the opportunities that surround them.