Meeting Started 10.30 am at Electric Theatre Workshop, Munches St, Dumfries
Present:
Matt Baker (Chair)
Anne Barclay (Vice
Chair)
Sid Ambrose (Wigtownshire
Arts Hub Convenor)
Belle Doyle (Nithsdale
Arts Hub Convenor)
Cate Ross (Stewartry
Arts Hub Convenor)- Meeting notes
Alex McQuiston
Graham Main
Apologies:
Leah Black
Sara Lockwood
Late arrivals due to
DGU Board meeting clash:
Alan Thomson (Annan
and Eskdale Arts Hub Convenor/Policy and Development Coordinator),
Simon Davidson (Secretary)
Regional Arts Hub
Working Group (RAHWG) meeting notes:
The Chair welcomed those present; the meeting notes from
previous meeting were agreed.
Several points on the agenda were rescheduled because they relied
on input from Alan Thomson (AT).
The group expressed frustration that the RAHWG meeting was adversely
affected by the rescheduling of a D&G Chamber of the Arts (DGU) Board
meeting, which created a date/time clash. This was despite efforts by RAHWG to
arrange a date to allow input to the DGU Board (their meeting previously
planned for that afternoon).There was a sense of confusion about how and why
this could occur and because it was not the first time this had happened in the
planning and operation of the DGU Board. It was agreed that this would be
raised upon Simon Davidson (SD) and AT’s arrival. MB reported that he had raised the matter with
the DGU Board and informed them that AT’s non-attendance at RAHWG was
materially affecting our ability to progress the Regional Arts Strategy developments.
There was a noted lack of clarity on the role of Suzi Kenny (SK)as
she was anticipated by the RAHWG to be present to take minutes. (this has now
been clarified and SK is available to take minutes of RAHWG meeting – as long
as they take place in afternoons) Cate Ross (CR) was asked to take notes.
Agenda headings follow
with key Action Points (AP) noted in bold orange italics.
1. Working with the
DGU Board- Strategy for AGM
This was reserved until the arrival of AT. But agreement was
made that an informal ‘round table’ discussion prior to the DGU AGM was
absolutely essential to agree a joined up strategy with the DGU board.
AP: MB to invite DGU
Board to a round table meeting prior to AGM on agreed date of 20th
May at 10.30am at The Stove
2. Update on Regional
Strategy following previous meeting.
This was reserved until the
arrival of AT. MB tabled a draft document list of emerging ‘Proposed Regional Priorities’.
(See Appendix 1) CR tabled 4 papers:
Draft working documents- Digests from Pirnie report Gaps and Work in Progress;
Suggested amendments to the DGU Constitution and SAH recommendations for draft
Stewartry Arts Hub Plan and Regional Arts Hub Plan) (See Appendix 1a)
AP : Regional Strategy
development item put to the agenda for next
meeting as AT was held up at DGU Board meeting until 11.45.
3. Specialist Art
Form Groups- Priorities and Process
Discussion was held regarding the transparency and inclusive
approaches required for developing specialist art form groups.
Cate Ross (CR) expressed concern that there had been a meeting
scheduled between Wigtown Festival Company, Spring Fling, The Stove Network and
Big Burns Supper representatives about Youth Arts.. She noted that this was not
inclusive of all the Youth Arts sector representatives and recommended that an
Arts Hub Convenor participate in each specialist art form group (by skill base)..
MB and GM responded that a) that the meeting referred to had been in order to
discuss an approach to Youth Arts to bring to the RAHWG for discussion and b)
that RAHWG was the place for the sharing of information and learning and that
by sitting on the RAHWG Convenors would get information to share with the
sector in their areas. CR wished to seek assurance that there would be no perceived
or real ‘carving up’ of the process/potential budgets that would reduce opportunities
for the sector at large.
Further discussion ensued to allow RAHWG members to nominate
themselves/others for specialist art form groups, but final decisions were held
over until a full membership of the RAHWG was present as all needed to express
their interest and agree on who would convene the groups, to discuss the format
(e.g.: - by catchment or region wide etc.).
The suggestions for group convenors so far are:
·
Music:
Alex McQuiston and Sid Ambrose
·
Youth
Arts: Anne Barclay, Graham Main,
·
Film:
Belle Doyle, Simon Davidson (nominated in
absentia)
·
Dance,
Performance and Live Art: Graham
Main, Cate Ross, Sara Lockwood (nominated
in absentia)
Literature and
Visual/Environmental Art were not on this list because a) Literature has an
existing sector forum hosted by Wigtown Festival Company and b) both are
existing strengths within our region and not requiring priority support from
RAHWG at this time.
SD arrived during the discussion and raised a query about
the term Youth Arts and commented that the RAHWG might best decide on whether the
term be applied as an age group separately (limited funding opportunities for
this bracket) or as an aspect of discipline per specialist art form. Further he
suggested that each focus group could identify gaps in provision, collate info.
raise recommendations per specialist art form via broad round table discussions
and bring these back to the RAHWG. GM commented that these focus group meetings
needed to be documented to allow transparency and inclusion to the sector.
AP: Put this item to
the agenda of the next meeting for final agreement.
4. Developing a Charter
for events regionally including a ‘Clash diary’
Belle Doyle (BD) and GM proposed to invite relevant groups
and individuals to a forum discussion leading to developing a possible Charter for events regionally. This may
include support for event safety management planning, sector developments regarding
programme, time frames etc., licensing, to support engagement with Police Scotland
and regarding health and safety (fire, risk assessment etc.)
A clash diary was also proposed. BD has initiated a Google Calendar
as an experimental step in this direction and requested that Dumfries and
Galloway Council (DGC), Police Scotland and the arts sector where invited to
use it in the first instance. BD also agreed to share the document she and
Ailsa Watson (the Stove Network) created after their meeting recently with the
Licensing Board. Sid Ambrose (SA) noted that lobbying may be required ‘at the
highest level’ to ensure fairness and parity for the region in the face of
Police Scotland’s newly centralised provision as opposed to the previous region-based
control. SA was nominated to participate in the Charter development forum.
AP: GM and BD to
convene a Regional Events Charter Forum
AT Arrived at 11.45am
5. Regional Focus-
Area Arts Convenor’s bullet point reports (held over from previous meeting)
·
Wigtownshire, Sid Ambrose-see Appendix 2
·
Stewartry, Cate Ross-see Appendix 3
·
Annan and Eskdale, Alan Thomson-see Appendix 4
·
Nithsdale, Belle Doyle-see Appendix 5
6. Date and Format of
next meeting
AT was informed of the request for a round table discussion
meeting between RAHWG and DGU Board. This was presented as a RAHWG approach to
item 1 of the agenda: Working with the
DGU Board- Strategy for AGM. A date was proposed for the 20th
May at 10.30am at The Stove in Dumfries.
It was also suggested that a post AGM discussion could be
held on the morning of 27th May and could include the wider DGU membership
and sector.
AP: MB to invite DGU Board to meet on 20th
May and MB to arrange post AGM discussion forum for DGU members and sector
engagement.
7. Proposal to co-opt
Peter Renwick to the RAHWG
Unanimously agreed
AP: PR to be
formally invited by MB to the next meeting.
Rescheduled Item
2. Update on Regional
Strategy following previous meeting.
AT reported that he had not received the requested ‘3 point-
key aims’ from all organisations represented on the RAHWG in sufficient time
for him to collate the information. Wigtown Festival Company, Spring Fling, Big
Burns Supper and The Stove Network had provided the information so far.
AP: AT will chase other RAHWG organisations for
info and present findings to next the meeting
AT requested examples of best practice regarding regional
strategic planning from those present. The Public Arts Strategy for Bristol was
cited as one example. Out of The Blue (Arts and Education Trust in Edinburgh) was
cited as another line of enquiry regarding good strategic planning and
partnership work for a grassroots approach.
AP: All agreed to
research best practice examples of regional strategic planning and feed back to
the next meeting.
AT reported from the
DGU Board regarding strategic planning developments: -
The DGU Board and Area Arts Hub Convenors are conducting a
preliminary assessment and report on the successes and challenges of the last
year, the commissions and the work to date. Findings will be shared with RAHWG
as soon as possible leading to recommendations regarding future ‘direction of
travel’ to be raised and agreed by August 2015. This will include recommended priorities
for the use of the DGC cultural budget (£150,000) and any other proposed partnership
funding the organisation may be able to secure.
AT reported the proposal by the DGU Board that nominations for
Trustees be brought forward per catchment for seats on the DGU Board and that
members are proposed to vote for their catchment Charity Trustees only. Concern
was raised about who was currently a member, applicants have not received
confirmation and a list of DGU Members was requested. .
AP: AT to make
enquiries regarding membership confirmation with SK and to request that she provide
a list of DGU members to the next meeting.
AT reported that the issue of amending the DG Constitution
to include for example Co-option of Regional Arts Hub Chair and Vice chair to
the DGU Board of Charity Trustees, Vote by Proxy and other amendments will be
proposed but will require an adjournment of the AGM to allow the proposed amendments
to be agreed including the proposed proxy voters. There was some concern at the
complexity of this proposal, concerns will be raised at the DGU Board/RAHWG
round table meeting.
AP: Research into
the options and legal requirements to amend the DGU Constitution to be
conducted by members of RAHWG as deemed necessary by individual volition and
brought to the next meeting.
AT commented that the requirement for SK to service the
RAHWG with administrative support at their meetings would be raised with her
directly and he would report back to the RAHWG as soon as possible on this.
AP: AT to ask SK to
build RAHWG into her remit.
AT reported that the DGU Board had intimated a need to
engage more with the DGC Major Events Strategy Fund committee and Event
Scotland organisation to help support arts sector developments.
8. Any Other Competent
Business (AOCB)
GM requested that AOCB be provided prior to each meeting as a
matter of course. CR commented that AOCB was specifically for the competent
business arising from the meeting and for items that had arisen too recently to
be added to the agenda items. It was agreed that were ever possible items to be
raised would be put on the agenda via the Secretary up to a week prior to the
scheduled meeting and that AOCB would be for issues and queries arising after
the agenda had been set. Queries in AOCB may be put to the next agenda unless
time/situation required immediate discussion.
The meeting was
adjourned at 12.45pm
