Leading arts organisations have welcomed the launch of a new strategy to place culture and heritage at the heart of improving people’s lives in North Yorkshire’s communities.
North Yorkshire Council’s new plan, which is being funded by Arts Council England and has been developed with input from the sector and communities, is the first countywide blueprint to boost participation, nurture creative talent, use accessible spaces and maximise the value of cultural assets.
The initiative is aimed at bringing together communities and partner organisations and creative groups to engage people of all ages, backgrounds and locations to make cultural experiences accessible, inclusive, and integral to the public’s wellbeing.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture and the arts, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “The launch will see creatives come together to discuss how we can work collaboratively to maximise the county’s rich cultural assets.
“This strategy is about involving the community on all levels whether our larger market towns or the smallest villages. We want to create accessible cultural experiences for all.”
The cultural strategy was launched last week at the Milton Rooms in Malton, when councillors were joined by 150 representatives from leading organisations and creative groups to learn more about what is planned.
The creation of a digital creative hub and a regional symposium will support resource sharing, collaboration, and improvement across the cultural sector.
The strategy recognises the importance of culture to the health and wellbeing of communities and the county’s economy, with an ambition to create equal access for all to culture, arts and heritage.
North Yorkshire has a wide-ranging cultural offer from world class museums, cutting-edge exhibitions, libraries and innovative theatre to festivals, events and opportunities to engage in everyday creativity from rural to urban communities.
The sector is growing at a rate over three times that of the national average, and there are 1.8 million people across the UK employed in culture-related jobs with the industry contributing £125 billion to the economy.
Creative and cultural engagement is essential for people’s health and has powerful potential in both preventative healthcare and treatment of health conditions.
The strategy includes plans for more collaborative work with City of York Council and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The director for the North and northern economy and partnerships for Arts Council England, Pete Massey, said: “We’re very pleased to have supported the d velopment of North Yorkshire Council’s cultural strategy and it’s great to see that it has been shaped in consultation with local people, visitors and cultural organisations.
“We know that creativity and culture can make such a difference to people’s health and wellbeing, encourage economic growth and regeneration, as well as foster a sense of pride in the local area.
“We want our investment to attract people to live, work and thrive in rural communities across the North, not just in towns and cities.
“Working with local partners, we’re making sure that everyone across North Yorkshire will be able to enjoy and take part in high quality arts and culture on their doorsteps, wherever they live.”
The ARCADE charity, which has a base in Scarborough and has been involved in promoting arts and culture to communities across North Yorkshire, was involved in the consultations to draw up the new strategy.
The executive producer for ARCADE, Hannah Davies, said: “ARCADE was really pleased to work closely with North Yorkshire Council and the wider sector and community groups on the new cultural strategy.
“It’s so important for organisations, artists and creatives to have the opportunity to feed into this important vision for the region, and we welcome this collaborative approach.
“We were very happy to further support the consultation process by holding accessible workshops for artists and community members to engage, and we look forward to delivering the cultural strategy in our work, and to seeing the cultural sector in North Yorkshire continue to thrive.”
The Thirsk-based charity, Rural Arts, was founded in 1993 and works across North Yorkshire to promote creativity in the county’s communities.
The chief executive officer for Rural Arts, Ian Read, said: “With a joined-up approach across the county, we’re excited to support North Yorkshire Council in making excellent culture and creativity more geographically equitable, giving all residents and communities a real desire to live happier and healthier lives as a result, in what is largely a rural county.”
The joint chief executive for the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, Caroline Routh, welcomed the new strategy and was keen to see it evolve. Annual reviews are due to take place to ensure the plan is adapted to promote the arts, culture and heritage as effectively as possible.
She said: “With less than half of England’s local authorities having a published cultural strategy, it is brilliant to see North Yorkshire Council making such a strong commitment to placing culture and creativity at the heart of its plans.
“Here at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, we see first-hand the impact that culture can have on well-being and health and how it can drive economic growth and regeneration.
“This strategy will help us to make that case more widely and will support us in raising the funds we need to carry on delivering our programmes of work with our communities.”
In the past year, North Yorkshire Council has been awarded an Arts Council England grant of £1.2 million as part of a national programme to provide high-quality music education for all children and young people.
The £1 million Now Then! project, which is funded by North Yorkshire Council and Arts Council England, is delivering cultural and creative schemes to develop a community-led approach to arts development for people of all ages and backgrounds, especially young people and children. The initiative is focused on the areas of Selby, Tadcaster and Sherburn in Elmet.
Craven Museum at Skipton Town Hall was awarded £15,000 as one of five finalists for the National Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024, the largest museum prize in the world.
The North Yorkshire coast has also been the focus of several cultural festivals, including the Scarborough Fair programme which has seen events such as Scarborough Lights, Scarborough Art and Scarborough Fringe staged.
The Mercer Gallery in Harrogate also showcased bold creations from female filmmakers earlier this year, with the exhibition featuring a diverse range of video film and digital works. The event was made possible after the council invested in more than £7,000 for new technology.
The cultural strategy can be accessed via www.northyorks.gov.uk/cultural-strategy online.
Be the first to comment