MD3115 Culture and Creative Industries Unit Budget 2023-24

1.1.    The Culture and Creative Industries Unit (CCI Unit), including the 24-Hour London team, is responsible for the implementation of the Mayor’s Culture Strategy and the Mayor’s Vision for London as a 24-hour city. This includes policy and programmes to: increase diverse participation in London’s cultural offer; save and sustain critical cultural infrastructure; diversify the creative workforce and support London’s talent pipeline; support and grow the capital’s creative economy; improve the health and wellbeing of Londoners through cultural engagement; make London safer and fairer at night; support the 24-hour economy; and sustain London’s position as a world-leading cultural capital. 
1.2.    In doing so, it supports the Mayor’s priority to get London back on its feet, and a range of Mayoral missions and foundations. These include: Building Strong Communities; High Streets for All; A Green New Deal; Spatial Development; Mental Health and Wellbeing; Building Strong Communities; and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). 
1.3.    Over the past year the work of the CCI Unit has played a key role in accelerating recovery from COVID-19, supporting and protecting the culture sector and creative industries. Prior to the pandemic and Brexit, the creative industries comprised London’s fastest-growing sector, contributing £58.4bn  to the economy annually, and accounting for one in six jobs in the capital.
1.4.    Cultural and creative industries continue to play a major role in London’s economic and social recovery, delivering jobs, growth and community support; and working towards a fairer, more inclusive city. Engaging with culture improves the health and wellbeing of Londoners, and offers young people a positive life path. Culture revitalises London’s neighbourhoods and brings people together. It is a dynamic sector that will help accelerate economic recovery post-pandemic, acting as a draw to returning international tourists. Previously, four out of five people cited culture as their main reason for visiting London; therefore, support for the culture sector can play a key role in maintaining London’s status as a world-leading capital.
1.5.    Within the CCI Unit, the Night Czar’s 24-Hour London team delivers the Mayor’s Vision for London as a 24-hour city. The aim of the programme is to make to London a safer, fairer and more inclusive city at night. This means helping nocturnal businesses, workers and communities to flourish, and addressing barriers that prevent this. Before the pandemic the economy was growing faster at night than in the day. But major night-time industries, such as culture and hospitality, have been extremely hard hit in recent years, with over 200,000 night-time jobs lost in London between 2017 and 2022.  The increasing cost-of-doing-business crisis has drastically worsened an already difficult situation and exacerbated the impacts of widespread staff shortages, rising rents, and reduced footfall at certain locations and times of the week. 
1.6.    Expenditure outlined in this paper seeks approval for a total of £1.302m of the CCI revenue budget in 2023-24. This decision excludes long-term major and repeat-year programmes, such as London Borough of Culture (MD2450), amongst others, which have been approved by separate decisions. The proposed expenditure will contribute to a range of key recovery missions and GLA priorities as outlined below.

1.7.    The CCI Unit will complete procurement and full due diligence for all proposed projects, to ensure that services are properly procured; and that funding is distributed fairly and transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equality policy and legislative requirements and subsidy control rules, and in a manner that ensures value for money, in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code. This will be done in conjunction with TfL Procurement and TfL Legal. 

Culture, Health and Wellbeing programme 
2.1.    The Mayor’s Culture Strategy, Culture for All Londoners, outlines the benefits that arts and culture bring to health and wellbeing. Evidence shows that being creative, and taking part in arts and cultural activities, make a significant difference to people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. This is ever more important due to the increased pressures on people’s lives due to the cost-of-living crisis and recovery from the long-term societal impacts of COVID-19.
2.2.    In support of two missions set out by the London Recovery Programme (Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Building Strong Communities), the CCI Unit will work with the GLA Health team and other GLA teams to: 
•    support the sustainability of cultural social prescribing, which is currently under strain from increased demand
•    provide resources to deepen understanding and connections between the culture and health sectors.
2.3.    The GLA’s 2023-24 investment of £141,000 will deliver the following objectives: 
•    help cultural social prescribing become a routine and visible part of community support across London, ensuring equality of sustained access for Londoners
•    increase understanding of the benefits of culture in supporting children and young people experiencing mental ill health
•    demonstrate the social and economic benefits of improved connections between culture, health and social care. 
2.4.    This will achieve the following outputs: 
•    evaluation of a creative health and wellbeing pilot in South East London, establishing a template for scaling up to four other integrated care system regions for London
•    delivery of World Mental Health Day Festival; four professional networking meetings; and 2.8 Million Minds Live event supporting young Londoners experiencing mental ill health through cultural activities 
•    a series of four events developing a Creative Health City movement: Unconference for Creative Health and Wellbeing; Design Sprint; and two London Arts and Creative Health stakeholder group meetings, co-convened with Arts Council England, and London Arts and Health
•    two research reports on the scale of the creative health sector in London; and business development research exploring scaling up the 2.8 Million Minds Studio pilot across London.
2.5.    This work will deliver the following outcomes, ensuring that Londoners have improved access to cultural social prescribing across London; and that the cultural sector is enabled to deliver and develop its services for Londoners: 
•    support for the sustainability of cultural social prescribing across London, and develop partnerships that are hardwiring cultural engagement into city life through health
•    partnerships with integrated care system regions for London including a network of creative health champions within boroughs and integrated care system regions in London
•    leadership development in creative health and wellbeing with councils, creative practitioners and integrated care systems.
Culture and Community Spaces at Risk, and Making Space for Culture 
2.6.    The Mayor’s London Plan, the Culture Strategy and the Cultural Infrastructure Plan set out the Mayor’s agenda to protect and grow the city’s cultural assets – spaces that hold vital social and economic value to London’s residents, workers and visitors; and play a key role in London’s global reputation. This is delivered through the Culture and Community Spaces at Risk, and Making Space for Culture programmes. 
2.7.    The Mayor also has a range of manifesto commitments to grow cultural infrastructure. These include establishing more film and TV production studios; creating a world-class culture and education district at East Bank; supporting innovative creative and cultural production through the Thames Estuary Production Corridor; and developing an ICCI in London. 
2.8.    Collectively, London’s dynamic range of cultural and community-led spaces gives the city its character and authenticity as a global creative capital. These spaces require continued support to be sustained and developed, because London continues to face sustained and complex risks around the cost-of-living crisis, recovery from the pandemic, the ongoing impacts of Brexit, shifting planning regulations, high land values, high business rates, climate change and equitable access to opportunities. It is crucial to secure valued spaces that are at risk, and ensure the development of new, fit-for-purpose cultural infrastructure to support a growing and changing sector. 
2.9.    The Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme works to safeguard London’s well-loved cultural and community-led spaces, particularly those led by underrepresented groups. Last year, it protected 88 night-time cultural and community spaces through in-depth casework, with 80 per cent of cases led by underrepresented groups. It supported a further 44 diverse microenterprises through strategic projects; and reached 1,400 programme-registered spaces via regular communications sharing information about live funds, new resources and capacity-building opportunities.
2.10.    The Making Space for Culture programme will develop opportunities for new cultural spaces that address one of three strategic priorities: transition to net zero; increasing representation; and innovation.
2.11.    The objectives of the 2023-24 investment are to:
•    safeguard at-risk cultural and community assets and move them towards long-term sustainability, sharing solutions as part of an evidence base for stakeholders
•    maintain an up-to-date, strategic overview of issues and opportunities facing at-risk infrastructure across London, particularly those led by and for underrepresented groups, to help shape policy, programmes and lobbying
•    innovate new approaches to Good Growth, ensuring spaces that serve local communities, contribute to social integration and are part of the cultural and creative industries ecosystem are secured within the process of regeneration
•    pilot strategic projects that empower London’s cultural and community-led organisations to access and utilise data; build capacity on matters related to planning and regeneration; and access business development opportunities to support their sustainability
•    support communities to have increased understanding of, and influence on, the protection, planning, regeneration, management and ownership of culture and community-led spaces 
•    increase the provision of cultural infrastructure in high streets, town centres, strategic industrial land and opportunity areas
•    ensure the creation of new cultural premises supporting or led by diverse communities 
•    pilot and test specific policy and programme interventions that the Mayor can make in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including transition to zero-carbon and circular-economy practices.
2.12.    GLA investment of £218,000 will achieve the following outputs: 
•    10 case studies shared with boroughs/operators/local groups/funders, giving examples of innovative, transferrable solutions to protect and sustain infrastructure and empower communities through the process
•    an enhanced data-sharing and data-collection service that maintains up-to-date data from target groups, and ensures the data we hold is accessible and effective for grassroots cultural operators and community groups to harness 
•    round two of We Design for the Community and Skills Share Forum capacity-building activities
•    targeted business support, professional expertise, capacity-building and asset-based support provided for over 50 cases 
•    12 local authorities and public landowners engaged and supported to deliver best practice cultural infrastructure, placemaking and public realm projects 
•    guidance for the culture and creative industries to support transition to a decarbonised cultural sector, focusing on the theatre sector and retrofitting for existing cultural infrastructure.
2.13.    This will achieve the following outcomes:
•    the GLA maintains and shares up-to-date data that can influence GLA, local authority and stakeholder strategy, policy, projects and funding responses
•    a culture of collaborative work/mutual respect/capacity building is created with boroughs, partners and local groups/communities, which mitigates threats to spaces
•    venues and spaces that serve local communities, and the cultural and creative industries ecosystem, are secured within developments
•    improved models of inclusive regeneration are promoted as part of the Mayor’s Vision for Good Growth 
•    there is increased supply of robust new cultural and community infrastructure that serves and is owned by communities, and supports the cultural and creative industries, for the future
•    new cultural infrastructure typologies, including those that are more sustainable, are adopted in developments and by the industry.
International Centre for the Creative Industries
2.14.    London is coming under pressure, as a world city attracting trade and visitors, from competitive cities such as Barcelona, Hamburg and Dubai, as well as more established cities such as Paris, New York and Madrid. These cities are investing in new and upgraded showcase spaces and cultural infrastructure – with the potential for London to miss out and lose its reputational and commercial leadership.
2.15.    This workstream will support the development of a detailed business case and development brief for the ICCI as a strategic intervention to secure London’s global leadership in the creative industries and promote London’s international competitiveness, and fund a meanwhile use pilot project in the space. It will examine the case for a new world-class cultural facility within the City of London, aligning the City of London’s Destination City strategy, the Mayor’s Culture Strategy and the Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan; and working closely with the City of London Corporation, as well as key sector partners. It builds on existing evidence that the business model for the ICCI is sustainable and could benefit London’s economy by a total GVA of £2.3bn, and a total of 95,827 job years, over 30 years. Of this, a total of circa £1bn GVA and 37,250 job years would be added to the London economy.
2.16.    The activities associated with the budget allocation of £150,000 for the ICCI will focus on the following workstreams:
•    developing the vision (appraisal of project, further feasibility)
•    market testing and engagement (developing business case and consultation)
•    creative industries incubation and meanwhile uses (piloting and incubation) 
•    governance and administration. 
2.17.    The investment of £150,000 in 2023-24 will deliver the following objectives:
•    provide a strategic plan to support the future of London’s leading creative industries sector
•    support London to maintain its edge as a global economic leader and as an international thought leader in the culture and creative industries
•    convene key stakeholders and secure sector and political buy-in to investing in this sector for London
•    enable and incubate the creative industries in the West and East Smithfield Market buildings through meanwhile activity and workspace to develop and test the model
•    support the City of London Corporation to test the site at West Smithfield as new piece of cultural infrastructure in the heart of the city, with space for showcasing. 
2.18.    The investment will deliver the following outputs:
•    an updated business case and vision for the ICCI
•    a development brief for a proposal for a centre for the creative industries in London
•    2,700 sqm of creative industries workspace and showcase/event space as a meanwhile pilot project
•    four stakeholder events with key sector and policymakers.
2.19.    This will achieve the following outcomes:
•    a long-term strategic engagement with the City of London to ensure the continued success of London’s leading creative industries 
•    creative industry sector representation at a strategic level in London’s planning and development 
•    opportunities for artists and creative businesses to put down roots and develop their work, business and supply chains for a sustained period in the city. 
Creative Enterprise Zone programme
2.20.    The Mayor established London’s first six Creative Enterprise Zones in 2017 (MD2196); then expanded the programme to nine zones in 2021, and 12 zones in 2023 (MD2807), as part of his commitment to maintaining London’s position as a leading capital for cultural and creative industries. The Creative Enterprise Zones work to ensure that artists and small creative businesses can thrive in London, supporting the long-term provision of affordable workspace; enabling vital business support; providing a pro-culture policy environment; and developing skills and enterprise to create routes to employment.
2.21.    The first six Creative Enterprise Zones, designated in 2018, were in Croydon; Haringey; Hounslow; Lambeth; Lewisham; and Hackney and Tower Hamlets (with a single zone across both). During the first lockdown, these six zones leveraged an additional £1.6m, supported nearly 1,000 jobs and helped to sustain 300 creative businesses. They have proven their ability to host successful hyper-local networks of creative businesses, and enabled local partners to deploy support quickly and stimulate recovery. During the first lockdown, these six zones leveraged an additional £1.6m, supported nearly 1,000 jobs and helped to sustain 300 creative businesses.
2.22.    Six further zones have been agreed since 2021 as the programme has transitioned to an accreditation model, with Blackhorse Lane in Waltham Forest acting as the pilot. Hammersmith and Fulham, and North Acton and Park Royal, joined as the eighth and ninth zones. A further three zones are to be announced in Spring 2023, bringing the total to 12. 
2.23.    Having achieved the Mayor’s commitment to create 12 zones by May 2024, the programme will enter a phase of focused delivery to generate greater impact and scope new innovative practices – including to expand the retail training programme; drive the London Made Me stakeholder engagement plan; deliver and monitor sustainability grants; and increase the capacity and quality of its Knowledge Exchange Forum, which helps share key learning across zones and beyond. 
2.24.    The GLA’s investment of £209,000 will deliver the following objectives: 
•    support culture and the creative industries to recover post-COVID-19, and during the cost-of-living and cost-of-doing business crises
•    provide skills opportunities and partnerships that create routes to employment in the creative industries
•    provide places for Londoners to work, through the provision and protection of affordable creative workspace
•    develop policy that has a long-term impact on supporting Londoners, and the cultural and creative industries
•    engage communities with Creative Enterprise Zone activity
•    access investment for creative economic development within zones. 
2.25.    This will deliver the following outputs: 
•    12 boroughs supported with training, resources and advice to guide their Creative Enterprise Zone development and delivery
•    expansion and roll-out of the successful London Made Me Pop Up Retail training programme; and delivery of the London Made Me stakeholder engagement plan and strategy
•    Creative Enterprise Zone Exchange Forum events to promote learning and sharing of knowledge between participants
•    ongoing monitoring of, and data collection on, the Creative Enterprise Zones programme.
2.26.     This will achieve the following outcomes: 
•    Londoners develop skills that will support them to access employment or grow a business in the creative industries
•    artists and creative businesses can put down roots and develop their work, business and supply chains
•    freelancers and businesses within the Creative Enterprise Zone are more skilled and sustainable
•    local communities are engaged and actively participating in Creative Enterprise Zones
•    Londoners are aware of, and value, creative businesses and their role in communities.
Creative Workforce Diversity programme 
2.27.    London’s creative workforce does not reflect the diversity of Londoners. Ethnically diverse employees only hold 23 per cent of jobs in the creative economy, compared to 33 per cent in the economy as a whole. Ethnically diverse staff are excluded from leadership – across the museum sector, only 5 per cent of leaders are ethnically diverse.
2.28.    The GLA has successfully delivered a pilot with Film London and Jobcentre Plus to help unemployed Londoners get jobs in the screen industries, where there is a need to fill more than 25,000 vacancies. Jobcentre Plus staff saw the programme as timely and fresh, and felt that the Jobcentres’ status rose by association, in understanding the creative industries. The Jobcentre cohort felt empowered and supported, and can now find jobs in the film industry – an outcome that many felt was out of reach. As a result, 43 per cent of the participants gained jobs from the programme. Funding in 2023-24 will help to further promote and evaluate the education resources produced during the pilot. The GLA will also conclude and evaluate the pilot Diversity Accelerator project, started in 2022, which is working with chief executives and senior executives of major museums and galleries to accelerate progress in diversity within their institutions. The next iteration will work more extensively with boards to embed structural change.
2.29.    The GLA’s investment of £206,000 will deliver the following objectives:
•    pilot and test specific policy and programme interventions in partnership with relevant stakeholders – in particular the screen and fashion industries, and museums and galleries
•    establish programmes of work that will have the greatest impact in helping London’s creative workforce become more diverse
•    identify new links across GLA policy on workforce diversity, joining up programmes where relevant.
2.30.    The GLA investment of £206,000 will deliver the following outputs:
•    deliver capacity building and training within Jobcentre Plus for up to 150 participant jobseekers: new entrants to the job market, and those with transferable skills
•    a minimum of three boroughs participating in the Creative Jobcentre programme from boroughs with high unemployment percentages among Minority Ethnic residents
•    delivery of a mid-career coaching programme for up to 10 participants
•    production of two evaluation reports on the impact of the Creative Jobcentre Programme 
•    deliver a second iteration of the Diversity Accelerator Programme 
•    additional research, marketing, stakeholder engagement and training events.
2.31.    This will achieve the following outcomes:
•    a framework to extend the programme into one other creative industry sector
•    Jobcentre Plus staff and their candidates having increased awareness of creative industry employers in London, and greater awareness of how to access the industry
•    a reduction in existing barriers between Jobcentre Plus and creative industry employers in London
•    through the Jobcentre programme, Londoners from all backgrounds being able to apply for and gain jobs in the creative industries, to aid them with the cost of living; and an increase in the percentage of diverse Londoners attaining roles within the screen, TV and fashion industries
•    additional gaps identified through research in order to develop other interventions.
London Music Fund
2.32.    The Mayor is the Patron of the London Music Fund, which has a track record of achieving outstanding outcomes, and has helped over 10,000 young Londoners take part in music projects where they learn, create and perform music alongside professional musicians. Since 2011, the Fund has invested more than £3m in music education across the capital. It has given four-year music scholarships to 732 young instrumentalists from low-income families, 68 per cent of whom were from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
2.33.    The objective of this investment is to provide grant funding to the London Music Fund to enable young Londoners on the scholarships programme to learn a musical instrument and develop their musical talent.
2.34.    The GLA 2023-24 investment of £26,000 will deliver the following outputs:
•    enable instrumental lessons for 26 young London musicians
•    provide access to weekend music tuition and special projects.
2.35.    This will support the development of the musical and social skills of young Londoners from low-income families, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, through participation in instrumental tuition, projects and performances that have the potential to improve life chances.
24-Hour London
2.36.    The Mayor wants to make London a safe, fair and inclusive 24-hour city. But the needs of London’s night-time workers, businesses and communities are often overlooked. A narrow view of the night has, in the past, limited planning for the economic and social benefits of being a 24-hour city, and the opportunity for good growth and improved health and wellbeing at night. This is in part due to a lack of data and insights about economic and social activity at night to enable evidence-based policymaking.
2.37.    The Mayor has commissioned research and launched the High Street Data Service to better understand the value of night-time activity. Through the London Plan, the Mayor has asked every borough to create a night-time strategy, and provided guidance to help them. He has protected night-time businesses through his Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme. He has launched three Night Time Enterprise Zones to boost businesses activity at night. He has also launched a Business Friendly Licensing Fund that has helped five boroughs pilot innovative ways of helping night-time businesses. 
2.38.    The safety of Londoners at night, particularly of women and underrepresented groups, is of fundamental importance. Continued action is needed to ensure Londoners feel confident whilst out and about in the capital. The Women’s Night Safety Charter has over 1,200 signatories, and regular training and events are taking place. Through the Safer Sounds Partnership, thousands of venue staff have received welfare and vulnerability engagement training.
2.39.    To help unlock the potential of London’s boroughs, businesses and communities at night, the GLA will appoint consultants to deliver: the Night Time Strategy support programme for boroughs; the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum; the Business Friendly Licensing Fund; guidance on implementing the Night Test; evaluation of the Night Time Enterprise Zone programme; research to address gaps in knowledge about London’s economy and communities at night; the production and dissemination of case studies and exemplars of successful night time initiatives. The GLA will also provide grant funding to the Safer Business Network to deliver safety training for night-time businesses.
2.40.    The GLA’s investment of £233,000 will deliver the following objectives:
•    improve the quality and availability of data and evidence to support evidence-based night-time policymaking
•    support a more strategic, partnership-based approach to the planning and management of the city at night
•    support the testing and innovation of new ways of working to help businesses, workers and communities thrive at night
•    ensure London remains a safe city at night; and help boroughs, police, businesses and others address negative perceptions of safety after dark, particularly amongst groups that feel more vulnerable.
2.41.    The GLA investment of £233,000 will deliver the following outputs:
•    an updated London at Night Evidence Base
•    improved research and data on London at night
•    case studies and exemplars of night-time initiatives that are shared widely with stakeholders
•    guidance for GLA officers on how to implement the Night Test for GLA policies and programmes
•    eight boroughs have made significant progress in developing a night-time strategy
•    delivery of six night surgeries, six night time strategy workshops and 10 night time good practice sharing forums
•    a Night Time Enterprise Zone evaluation report
•    funding of three Business Friendly Licensing projects plus a final report
•    training for 1,600 night-time business staff, improving safety and reducing vulnerability at night
•    four meetings of the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum and an annual LGBTQ+ venues survey.
2.42.    This will achieve the following outcomes:
•    businesses, community organisations and the public sector are actively working towards a shared vision for their area after 6pm
•    priorities identified for improving the economy, the public realm, and civic and public life after 6pm
•    boroughs and their partners kept abreast of the latest developments in global 24-hour-city policy through sharing innovative practice
•    improved understanding across the GLA, local authorities, TfL and business groups of the issues affecting the economy and communities at night and actions that could address them.
World Cities Culture Forum
2.43.    The World Cities Culture Forum was set up in London in 2012 as a network of global cities that value the importance of culture. The Forum was run through the GLA for 10 years, and grew from eight to 40 cities. Through MD2903 the GLA supported the transition of the World Cities Culture Forum into an independent, not-for-profit organisation. WCCF Ltd was established in 2022 and the Mayor is patron of the new organisation.
2.44.    Before transition, the GLA ran the World Cities Culture Forum as a project with the support of a part-time 0.6 FTE Programme Manager based in the CCI Unit; this post ended in March 2023. Now that WCCF Ltd has been established, and has started to grow its own staff team, there is a need to continue support of programme development throughout the crucial second year of the start up’s life. Investment of a grant of £39,000 for one year, to deliver this second phase of transition away from GLA support, will help to secure the ongoing success of the newly established WCCF Ltd by enabling it to employ a Programme Manager directly, for three days a week, for one year.
2.45.    In year one of operation, WCCF Ltd raised over £250,000 in city fees and £100,000 in fundraising against the GLA grant of £65,000. In 2023-24, WCCF Ltd has a target of £270,000 in City fees and aims to exceed the fundraising achieved in 2022-23. Therefore, the strategic support of a Programme Manager who will create the high-quality packages of support against which WCCF Ltd can attract cities and funders is crucial, and will have a significant impact. It is not possible for WCCF Ltd to recruit this post without funding support; this support from the GLA is crucial to helping WCCF Ltd to reach its fundraising targets.
2.46.    This investment will enable WCCF Ltd to grow and offer higher-quality services to its member cities, including London. This will ensure that the GLA can continue to benefit from the charity’s work and the advantages of the network for London. These include:
•    data and leadership development to support stronger, evidence-based policymaking at the GLA, across policy teams including Culture, International, Economic Development and Communities and Social Policy, developed through accessing learning and evidence from international case studies and learning opportunities
•    demonstration of London’s best practice and collaboration with other cities to help inform policy internationally and strengthen London’s global reputation.
Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board and Culture Strategy
2.47.    The Mayor has a statutory duty to deliver a culture strategy and to appoint a Culture Strategy Group, the MCLB, to advise him on the strategy, and its continual development and delivery.
2.48.    The MCLB provides advice to the Mayor on a range of issues to ensure the needs of culture, the creative industries and a 24-hour London are accounted for across all of his strategies. The MCLB helps support the development of priorities for the Mayor and the CCI Unit; and provides evidence-led advice that is informed by Londoners, cultural organisations and businesses in the creative industries.
2.49.    To achieve this, the CCI Unit will, on behalf of the MCLB and with their guidance, commission external research into key areas where there is currently a lack of evidence and intelligence to support the case for future investment or modes of investment, impact and delivery in support of London’s culture, creative industries and 24-hour London policy areas.
2.50.    This investment of £80,000 will deliver the following objectives:
•    ensure that the Mayor’s statutory duties are met, including keeping the Culture Strategy under review, with the support of the MCLB
•    ensure policy and strategy are underpinned by a breadth of up-to-date research on sectors
•    maximise opportunities, such as collaborative working, that benefit culture, 24-hour London and the creative industries, informing policy, programme development and advocacy.
2.51.    The investment will deliver the following outputs:
•    research into the post-pandemic needs of the culture and creative industries sector, and 24-hour London; the investment will also cover the publication, communication and dissemination of research
•    support for the statutory MCLB including meetings and events; research and initiatives to support the Board; and an allowance to retain freelance members of the Board, authorised through MD2946 and paid for in 2023-24 under cover of this decision. 
2.52.    The investment will deliver the following outcomes:
•    ongoing and future cultural strategy and policy that is underpinned by up-to-date research and evidence
•    communication of new research and policy to stakeholders, including the culture and creative industries sector, London boroughs and national government
•    expanded network of advocates for culture, 24-hour London and the creative industries 
•    opportunities for policy and programme interventions that the Mayor can make in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, funders, and industry associations and organisations for the sector, for the benefit of businesses and the workforce.
Funding profile
2.53.    The table below sets out the proposed spending in this Mayoral Decision, for which approval is being sought.

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who have a ‘protected characteristic’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and those who do not. 
3.2.    The proposed programmes outlined in this decision form will enable the continued creation of opportunities for Londoners, providing social and economic benefits in the capital. The programmes and projects seek to ensure that all Londoners – regardless of whether they have protected characteristics or not – are able to enjoy, experience and benefit from being creative and taking part in London’s cultural offering.
3.3.    The Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme provides priority support to organisations led by and/or serving groups that have been, and continue to be, underrepresented in the built environment. At present, 80 per cent of priority casework carried out by the team concerns spaces led by underrepresented groups. 
3.4.    The ICCI has a core mission to ensure that the creative industries prosper and provide opportunities for all Londoners. The creative industries are currently less diverse than London’s population, and projects such as the ICCI will create targeted investment to bring more people into the sector. Specifically, the meanwhile project has a focus on providing business incubation to creative businesses, in particular SMEs, micro-enterprises and freelancers, from underrepresented groups. Furthermore, all activities related to the ICCI will go through stringent EDI challenge, with representation and diversity core to delivering workstreams. This will be monitored throughout the project. 
3.5.    The Creative Enterprise Zone programme seeks to ensure that all Londoners, regardless of whether they have protected characteristics or not, are able to take part in London’s creative industries. Several programmes of business support operated by zones will specifically support diverse-led businesses, in particular SMEs, micro-enterprises and freelancers. The Knowledge Exchange Forum focuses on specific EDI policy, including representation in the local creative talent pipeline; social value contracts; and improving the local circular economy and wider sustainability. Creative Enterprise Zones are working alongside the Mayor’s Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme to protect spaces that are vulnerable and used by marginalised communities, for example cultural venues such as libraries, LGBTQ+ venues and community centres.
3.6.    The CCI Unit’s Creative Workforce Diversity programmes will specifically provide awareness of careers within the creative industries, with the aim of attracting a more diverse pipeline of talent. The Creative Jobcentre programme will increase awareness of the careers in the screen and fashion industries for entry-level jobseekers; and support jobseekers transferring from other sectors. This programme will operate in boroughs with a high percentage of ethnically diverse individuals that are unemployed. It will support the screen industries to recruit from a more diverse workforce, no matter their background, and will specifically support Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic mid-career professionals progressing into more senior roles.
3.7.    The London Music Fund specifically provides opportunities for young people from low-income backgrounds to realise and fulfil their potential through musical education, increasing their confidence and skills, and ensures they have an equal opportunity to nurture their musical talents and pursue musical aspirations. Currently, 68 per cent of past participants have been from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
3.8.    The 24-Hour London programme helps to tackle inequalities associated with working at night; running a business at night; or being part of an active night-time community. It helps to protect the vulnerable LGBTQ+ community, improve women’s safety at night, and ensure safe access to high streets for all. The 24-Hour London team also supports the Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme.
3.9.    WCCF Ltd actively promotes cultural diversity among all member cities in its network, sharing good practice and case studies around access and inclusion. The new entity is actively seeking to appoint a diverse staff team.
3.10.    To ensure the CCI Unit is embedding EDI across all policy areas, it will continuously look at how it diversifies the team’s workforce to become more representative of London, and factor EDI into the working practices of the Unit. The Unit has an active EDI working group and sub-groups looking at areas such as procurement, advocacy, recruitment and career development. 
3.11.    The CCI Unit is reviewing its procurement and funding processes, with the aim that all organisations that are in receipt of GLA grant funding, or are contracted by the GLA, have equality policies in place, and are committed to proactively applying the principles of the Equality Act 2010.
 

4.1.    In addition to supporting the Mayor’s missions and foundations, the programmes and policies outlined in this decision also link to the following Mayoral strategies: 
•    Culture for All Londoners, the Mayor’s landmark strategy for culture, which outlines an ambitious vision to ensure all Londoners can engage with and contribute to the capital’s rich cultural offering on their doorsteps. 
•    The Mayor’s objectives for Healthy Streets, which are more welcoming to people and encourage them to make active and sustainable travel choices – for example, by contributing to the Healthy Streets’ aspiration of ‘things to see and do’.
•    Inclusive London, the Mayor’s EDI Strategy, which sets out that a successful city needs to work well for all residents. Everyone should be able to share in its prosperity, culture and community life regardless of age, social class, disability, race, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or whether they are pregnant or on maternity leave.
•    The Mayor’s Health Inequalities Strategy and Health in All Policies approach, which supports Londoners to feel comfortable talking about mental health, reducing stigma as well as empowering people to improve their own and their community’s health and wellbeing.
•    The Mayor’s Social Integration Strategy, which aims to improve social integration in London. This means enabling people to have more opportunities to connect with each other positively and meaningfully; and supporting Londoners to play an active part in their communities and the decisions that affect them. It involves reducing barriers and inequalities, so that Londoners can relate to each other as equals.
•    The Mayor’s Vision for London as 24-Hour City (diversifying London’s night-time offer and making it more safe, welcoming and accessible for a wider range of people).
•    The Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan (Women’s Night Safety Charter).
•    The London Plan, which contains strategic policies for supporting London’s night-time economy and its diverse range of arts, cultural and entertainment enterprises; and the cultural, social and economic benefits they offer to its residents, workers and visitors.
•    The Cultural Infrastructure Plan, which sets out how London can support and grow cultural spaces in London for generations to come.
•    The Night Test, which is one of the Mayor’s cross-cutting policies.

Impact assessments and consultations

4.2.    The MCLB is a statutory group comprising senior leaders from across the creative and cultural industries. These ambassadors shape the Mayor’s Culture Strategy and represent diverse voices from the industry. Should the Mayor’s current culture strategy be updated or redrafted, the document would be sent for public consultation to the designated consultative body, key sector stakeholders and, through Talk London, Londoners. The Board continues to meet quarterly to offer advice on the ongoing policy and delivery programme. 
4.3.    The Mayor’s Culture and Community Spaces at Risk team surveyed 84 premise-based organisations in November 2022 – including arts centres, community spaces, artist workspaces and theatres – on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. The survey showed that: organisations led by ethnic minorities, children and young people, or low-income groups are twice as likely to be at risk of closure within three months; around half of organisations with less than £500,000 turnover are likely to close within a year, without further government relief for the energy crisis; and one in five organisations are likely to fall behind rent payments. The cost-of-living survey was prepared in a briefing for the Mayor in his conversation with the Secretary of State. The survey was also presented to Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), with a regular check-in set up between the Culture and Community Spaces at Risk team and the DCMS.
4.4.    The Culture Strategy underwent an Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) during initial drafting, and a further review following consultation feedback. The IIA comprised an Equality Impact Assessment, a Health Impact Assessment, a Community Safety Impact Assessment, and due regard for sustainable development in the capital.
Subsidy control
4.5.    In MD2963, the GLA agreed to fund Film London with an investment of up to £1.833m per annum in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, on delivery of the Creative Economy Growth Programme; and up to £100,000 on delivery of the Creative Workforce Diversity programme. This decision seeks approval for a grant of up to £70,000 to Film London in 2023-24 to continue and expand the scope of the Creative Workforce Diversity programme. 
4.6.    This does not constitute a subsidy control issue, because Film London is the only organisation of its kind and would not exist without the GLA’s support. Publicly funded film agencies similar to Film London exist across the UK’s nations and regions; they include Ffilm Cymru Wales, Creative England and Screen Yorkshire. Countries and cities all over the world fund public film agencies to attract inward investment to their territories. Film agencies provide production support, develop skills and talent, and run education and audience development programmes. They do not operate in a commercial market and are publicly funded. The beneficiaries of Film London’s work are thousands of businesses, freelancers, artists and crew – including those from across the UK and internationally who can use Film London’s services (free of charge) to help them shoot productions in the capital.

Risks 

Conflicts of interest 
4.7.    There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form. 
 

5.1.    Approval is being sought for expenditure of up to £1.302m in 2023-24 on workstreams within the CCI Unit.
5.2.    The proposed expenditure will be funded from the GLA’s CCI Unit Budget as approved as part of the GLA’s 2023-24 budget-setting process. A summary of expenditure by programme is detailed in paragprah 1.6.
5.3.    It should be noted that the CCI Unit will be seeking further third-party contributions to support these programmes. As part of this decision, authority is delegated to the Executive Director of Good Growth to approve the specific items of expenditure related to any sums secured from third parties, where such items of expenditure are equal to or exceed £150,000.
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:
•    the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further, or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the promotion of social development
•    in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to: 
o    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
o    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
o    consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty – namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion) and persons who do not (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.3.    If the Mayor makes the decisions sought, officers must ensure that:
•    to the extent that expenditure concerns the:
o    award of grant funding, it is distributed fairly, transparently, in manner that affords value for money, and in accordance with the requirements of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code; and grant-funding agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and recipients before any commitment to fund is made
o    payment for services, those services are procured in liaison with TfL Procurement, and in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code; and contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and contractors before commencement of such services
o    variation of current agreements, such variations are agreed, documented in accordance with the corresponding provisions of those agreements, and executed by the GLA and the counterparty (or counterparties) before any commitment to vary is made 
 

7.1.    The programmes will be delivered as outlined below: