West of England Combined Authority – Culture and Devolution
Culture Devolution:
The West of England Devolution Deal makes no mention of culture, although the overview does note that the city region has significant industrial clusters in creative jobs.
Autumn 2024 Budget:
The government is extending 100% business rates retention arrangements for West of England Combined Authority for 2025-26.
Culture Strategy:
The West of England Cultural Compact aims to focus and amplify the role of culture in the region, as a driver for economic success, placemaking, community cohesion and personal wellbeing. The Compact is an agreement between local and regional government and Arts Council England. The West of England Cultural Plan has been developed as part of this. It has four areas of focus:
- Cultural and creative skills
- Creative freelancers, start-ups and SMEs
- Placemaking
- Wellbeing
Its three cross-cutting themes are:
- Environmental sustainability
- Digital technology and innovation
- Inclusion
Current Culture Projects:
- Culture West: Two-year £3.1 million programme (£1 million from Arts Council England, £1.5 million MCA match funding, and £640,000 from regional partners) to open up the creative sector to more diverse talent, ensure more communities take part and create art experiences, and build a resilient sector that will drive economic growth.
- Over 150 locally based creative and cultural organisations have worked with the MCA, local councils, health and education providers, and freelance artists to devise the programme.
- The investment will be used to provide more work for creative professionals and increase access to creative spaces, give mentoring and business advice for freelancers, start-ups, and established sector organisations, commission new festivals, and provide industry-led skills training and advice.
- As part of Culture West, funding and support to enable schools to organise trips to theatres, galleries and museums and “artist residencies” with local school pupils.
- Opening two new film studios – the £12 million Mayoral Combined Authority-funded Bottle Yard Studios expansion (TBY2) as well as the £1 million Box7 studio that doubles up as a nightclub.
