The ‘Cultural and Creative Economy Opportunities Framework’: a new resource being piloted in Kent

1. Kent Cultural Summit 19th April 2010 The ‘Cultural and Creative Economy Opportunities Framework’: a new resource being piloted in Kent

2. What is the Framework? “An online tool for gathering and sharing data that supports the cultural sector. It enables users to generate maps of cultural assets as well as download a wide variety of statistics, e.g. on arts engagement rates, lottery investment, demographics and economic performance.” • Developed by SEEDA and partners as a resource for the cultural sector in the South East • Addresses sectoral issues around data consistency, data reliability and data availability • Piloted in the Kent and Portsmouth and Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) sub-regions

3. How is the Framework being developed? 2009 January – April 2010 2010+ Inception Meeting Collate Data Software develop-ment (OBS) Dissemin-ation Input relevant data Prototype developed by SEEDA and partners Launch and roll-out across South East Formulate interrogation of data User testing Final report Interrogate data • Kent user input • 20 invited test users: Kent LAs and leading cultural organisations • Baseline survey, user testing exercises, user workshop • Recommendations for the Framework’s content and the design • Formative evaluation to capture the test user experience

4. What can the Framework do? 1 • Provide simple access to all the most consistent and robust data on culture, plus socio-economic and demographic data • Map and download over 40 datasets • Most of which are available at district level or Super Output Area level • Many of which are re-run and re-released each year, enabling trend analysis • Be a ‘one stop shop’ that reduces time spent gathering data

8. What can the Framework do? 2 • Plot maps showing the locations of over 450 cultural assets, overlaid onto other data, e.g. arts engagement within each district • Promote awareness of where the cultural strengths, weaknesses and areas of opportunity are, across Kent and the South East • Help the cultural sector to input to discussions over spatial planning, housing growth and infrastructure investment

12. What can the Framework do? 3 • Encourage collaboration and sharing of knowledge • Users export and import their own data • Design, save and share bespoke reports • Possibly in the future, be accompanied by an online forum or users group

15. How will the Framework support the Cultural Strategy? • Support Ambitious and Resourceful cultural planning • Encourage evidence-based planning • Stimulate thinking on patterns of demand and uptake • Facilitate discussions with partners outside the sector • Start to develop an informed user community • Host some of the indicators that monitor the Cultural Strategy’s progress

16. User perspective: Canterbury City Council • New Marlowe Theatre Development – capital project of regional importance • Completely refurbished theatre, with 1200 seat main auditorium, plus new Second Space • How to maximise the benefits to creative industries growth? Over what area? • Canterbury Arts Development and Marlowe Development teams are investigating the potential for an action plan

17. User perspective: Canterbury City Council The Framework could support the City Council to: • Map locations of neighbouring production/education facilities • Investigate patterns of infrastructure provision, creative industry performance and support schemes elsewhere (e.g. Folkestone) • Source baseline data, e.g. numbers of creative businesses and their employees, and local skills or employment levels • Link into Arts Council insight audience data to prepare profiles of the people likely to access creative product And, with further development of the interactive functions: • Give creative practitioners themselves access to the Framework, to enable them to understand the local context • Enable practitioners to interact with each other and with support centres such as the Marlowe

18. User perspective: the Creative Foundation The Creative Foundation promotes culture, creativity and the arts in Folkestone, transforming and regenerating the most deprived area of the old town into a new Creative Quarter, and making Folkestone a great place to live, learn, work, play and visit. The Folkestone Triennial is the largest and most ambitious recurring exhibition of newly commissioned public art in the UK, and the flagship event in the Foundation’s programme. • Cultural: To contribute to the development and retention of creative talent and cultivate the town’s cultural infrastructure. • Economic: To contribute to the economic regeneration of Folkestone; build the perception of Folkestone as an attractive place to visit. • Social: To contribute to the social regeneration of Folkestone, raise educational aspirations; challenge perceptions of outdoor art. • Environmental: To effect profound and sustainable improvements to the town’s public realm and built environment.

19. User perspective: the Creative Foundation Benchmarking and evaluation data Cultural indicators - largely gathered locally during and after the Triennial (e.g. quality of artworks; impact on visitors and residents). Economic - largely available via Framework (4 data sources, e.g. Experian) - other sources can be added to Framework - remaining indicators are very localised (e.g. footfall). Social - could be available from Framework (e.g. Active People Survey; GCSE results) - will supplement with locally gathered data. Environmental - much available from Framework (e.g. Place Survey) - will supplement with locally gathered data. Virtually all the Framework indicators can be tracked year on year, to monitor ongoing trends as well as any differences between Triennial and non-Triennial years. 

20. What happens next? “The Medway Masterplan” by Mark Barnes • Pilot phase completes April • Software platform fully developed • All datasets and Kent & PUSH assets loaded • Reports from Kent and PUSH pilots • South East England Information Network (SEE-IN) develops the Framework as a replacement for the existing South East data hub • South East Cultural Partnership inputs via the steering group • Local Authorities Cultural Improvement Forum inputs via the working group • Roll-out and launch schedule to be confirmed • Intended that Kent users continue to support SEE-IN to ensure the Framework contains updated, accurate and useful data

21. Thank You Please contact: Paul Owens on 020 7307 3090 or paul@bop.co.uk