MD2791 Culture and Creative Industries 2021-22 Recovery Programmes

1.1. COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on London’s economy and society. The Mayor has responded by establishing a London Recovery Board, supported by a London Recovery Taskforce. The GLA and London Recovery Taskforce have committed to taking a missions-based approach to the London Recovery Programme. The GLA’s programmes and associated budgets have been reviewed and restructured to support the London Recovery Missions and the GLA’s Recovery Foundations.

1.2. London’s culture and the creative and night time industries will play an essential part in London’s recovery, delivering jobs, growth and community support. These sectors have been amongst the hardest hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19 and the changes brought about by Brexit. Lockdowns, tier restrictions, social distancing measures and new regulations have significantly reduced income. Some organisations, like nightclubs, still remain closed after nearly a year. Research commissioned in 2020 by the GLA and Oxford Economics showed that London’s creative industries stood to lose £16.5bn and 152,500 jobs by the end of 2020 due to the pandemic.

1.3. But these are also London’s growth industries, with the potential to significantly drive economic and social recovery. Prior to COVID-19 and Brexit, the creative industries were London’s fastest-growing sector, contributing £58.4bn to the economy annually, and accounting for one in six jobs in the capital.

1.4. The Mayor is committed to ensuring that more Londoners, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can access the positive benefits of arts and culture. London must retain its status as a world-leading capital for culture and creativity. These goals are even more urgent in the context of London’s recovery from COVID-19 and of Brexit.

1.5. The impacts of COVID-19 have magnified the challenges identified in the Culture Strategy ‘Culture for All Londoners’. The policies and programmes which seek to address these issues are now even more vital. These challenges include the impact of austerity on public funding, local authorities' declining ability to support culture, stark losses of cultural infrastructure over the past ten years, a lack of diversity in London’s creative workforce, international competition and the impact of Brexit. Continuity of policies and programmes which seek to address these issues are now even more important.

1.6. An urgent decision is needed on several funding streams to provide resilience now, during continued transition out of lockdown. This decision seeks approval for expenditure of up to £3,324,000 from the Culture and Creative Industries Unit revenue budget for 2021-22. These programmes contribute to a range of key Recovery Missions and Foundations as outlined below. Given the timing of this decision, flexibility for an incoming Mayor in 2021 will be created via terms in subsequent contracts and agreements arising.

Creative Industries Growth Programme

1.7. Since 2010, the GLA and subsequent Mayors have funded the British Fashion Council, Games London, London Design Festival and Film London. MD2110 and MD2261 approved £2.849m investment per year in this portfolio (referred to as the Creative Industries Growth Programme). These organisations generated £737m of orders and trade in 2018-19 and £1,172m in 2019-20.

1.8. The Creative Industries Growth Programme will help deliver the Mayor’s Recovery Missions by:

• supporting creative businesses across film, television, animation, visual effects, games, fashion and design to trade, export and make new sales;

• delivering new inward investment and employment opportunities;

• increasing workforce diversity through the Equal Access Network, and showcasing diverse talent through the London Games Festival, London Fashion Week, London Film Festival, and London Design Festival; and

• maintaining London’s global reputation as a world leader in the creative industries.

1.9. The GLA investment of £2,678m will deliver Film London’s London Filming Partnership, Business Engagement and Inward Investment programmes; annual trade shows and festival events: London Fashion Week, London Games Festival, London Design Festival and London Film Festival; sales support schemes for fashion businesses; export schemes for film and games: diversity schemes: Equal Access Network and London Games Festival ‘Ensemble’ scheme.

1.10. Delay in approving the grant funding could trigger redundancies in the organisations; jobs could be lost, activity curtailed and economic output in the sector reduced. Reductions in strategic activities to support the wider sector could result, in the long term, in skilled workers and creative businesses leaving the capital for London’s international rival cities.

1.11. A breakdown of the funded organisations and amounts are shown in the table below. This represents a reduction of 6% on grant levels in 2020-21. These reductions have been necessary to manage the significantly reduced income of the GLA in 2021-22 due to COVID-19. All options have been explored to keep these reductions as low as possible and to mitigate impact on the organisations.

24 Hour London

1.12. The Mayor’s ‘Vision for London as a 24 Hour City’, published in July 2017, sets out ten principles for the safe, sustainable development of London as a 24-hour city. The London Night Time Commission published recommendations on how to implement the Vision in 2019, which are detailed in MD2246.

1.13. Prior to COVID-19, London’s night time economy was worth £26bn a year and 1.6m Londoners worked at night. But it has been devastated by the pandemic, with many culture and hospitality businesses being the first to close and amongst the last to open from lockdown and restrictions. It requires ongoing urgent responsive, strategic and coordinated support from Government, the GLA and other agencies to support it through reopening and a successful recovery.

1.14. In response to significant demand and need, the Night Czar and 24 Hour London team provide advice, advocacy, guidance and resources for the public and private sectors. These focus on building resilience and growth in high streets and the post-6pm economy. Since the onset of COVID-19, the GLA and 24 Hour London team have developed a knowledge transfer and capacity building programme for local authorities, BIDs, enforcement officers, night time businesses, workers and communities. 23 workshops, seminars and virtual roundtables have enabled intelligence gathering, problem solving and policy development to ensure a coordinated approach throughout the capital during lockdown and transition.

1.15. The 24 Hour London team has worked with Regeneration, Economic Development and other GLA teams to coordinate the GLA’s emergency business impact response. It is running the High Street Reopening Group, helped deliver the Mayor’s £2.3m Culture at Risk Business Support Fund and carries out casework for the Culture at Risk Office.

1.16. To accelerate the safe recovery of the post-6pm economy, the GLA intends to commission specialist night time policy consultants via a competitive procurement process up to a contract value of £85,000. They will support the High Streets Recovery Mission and Supporting Business, Jobs and Growth foundation by providing specialised expertise, and by planning and delivering a full programme of training, workshops, seminars and engagement for local authorities, BIDs, night time businesses, night time workers and communities. This will help stakeholders to:

• develop Night Time Recovery Plans and Strategies;

• support night time businesses at risk of closure;

• use the Night Time Data Observatory and latest research in policy and strategy making;

• develop proposals for Night Time Enterprise Zones and the High Street Challenge Fund; and

• support greater collaborative working between the licensing, planning and regulatory regimes and regeneration, business development and town centre management teams.

1.17. The specialist night time policy consultants will develop resources, produce presentations and deliver events either online or in person, as COVID-19 regulations allow. They will also monitor the impact of the programme. The consultants will have access to a small budget for event costs such as venue hire.

1.18. Safety, equality and inclusion are key to the success of London’s economy after 6pm. The GLA’s Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot project report shows that safety is Londoners’ top priority for making high streets accessible after dark. GLA opinion research revealed that Londoners’ top priority for the Night Czar is to make London feel safer for women at night. It is also important to protect London’s diverse night time offer, ensuring continued access to safe and welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. The GLA will provide grant funding of up to £50,000 to the Safer Business Network – a community interest company and MOPAC-backed Business Crime Reduction Partnership – to:

• deliver the Mayor’s Women’s Night Safety Charter as the city reopens, increasing the number of organisations (currently 400) that have adopted the charter, delivering events and running a new training programme to minimise the vulnerability of women at night;

• deliver the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum and Charter, providing vital capacity building, data collection and support for London’s LGBTQ+ venues and extending the roll-out of the charter to include LGBTQ+ ‘ally’ organisations, helping communities to reconnect and find support as lockdown eases;

• deliver training and support to licensed and night time business, particularly at the grassroots, to reduce vulnerability, increasing the safety and wellbeing of customers, staff and the community; and

• support local authorities to ensure that London’s high streets and licensed premises recover quickly and safely from COVID-19.

World Cities Culture Forum

1.19. The World Cities Culture Forum is a global network of currently 40 cities, convened by the Mayor of London and chaired by Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries. Its members – senior leaders from city governments – are influential officials, advocating for culture as a vital part of urban policy, as well as being key to building a city’s quality of life, reputation and economic prosperity. The programme delivers to the GLA’s Supporting Business, Jobs and Growth foundation and its activity.

1.20. This international network is providing an important platform during the pandemic to share experiences and learn about policies and funding to support culture, creative industries and creative workers and night time economies impacted by COVID-19. For example, through the Forum, the GLA is learning from the exit strategies of member cities across the world who are beginning to come out of COVID-19 lockdown scenarios, feeding directly into London's transition and recovery strategy and planning. It is also focusing on impacts on diverse communities through a strand of knowledge sharing on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

1.21. The Forum appoints a consultant, through a concessionary agreement, to deliver some of the activities of the network, take membership fees from participating members and develop research. Approval of £10,000 is required now to extend the concessionary agreement to continue to deliver the programme from April 2021 for up to one year. This agreement will be contracted to cease once the new governance model referred to below is established.

1.22. During 2021-22 the GLA will begin the transition towards a new governance model for the Forum. The goal is to ensure the long-term financial and organisational sustainability of the Forum. Activity will include establishing a transition team, developing a business plan and seeking legal and financial advice. These steps are designed to minimise risks and costs to the GLA in the long term, with the GLA tapering and reducing its financial commitment over time. A funding decision is needed now to ensure this activity can continue, and that the city membership can continue to be stewarded by the consultancy during this time.

1.23. Funding of £86,000 (in addition to the £10,000 described above) will also cover the costs of one 12 month fixed term contract post at up to a grade 12, subject to approval through the GLA’s HR processes, to deliver the transition programme and outcomes.

Culture and Community Spaces at Risk

1.24. The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the vital role that London’s diverse grassroots organisations, including those in the culture sector, play in the resilience of the city. They will be essential in recovery, bringing Londoners together, enabling participation and tackling inequality.

1.25. London’s culture and community infrastructure faces sustained threats from Brexit, long-term impacts of COVID-19, shifting planning regulations, high land values and business rates and funding reductions.

1.26. Evidence shows that this threat is most acutely felt by underrepresented groups. Marginalised communities consistently raise issues around accessing, retaining and securing new spaces for community use and enterprise. Inc Art’s report on COVID-19 and its impact on the UK’s Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse Workforce found that BAME applicants for Arts Council England (ACE) funding are three times more likely than white applicants to have their applications rejected at the first round. This has been made worse by the pandemic, with diverse-led and serving organisations missing out on Government support. Arts Council England’s first round of emergency grant support was targeted at those who usually receive their funding; only 23% of diverse-led organisations on the Culture at Risk Office database received this relief.

1.27. The Culture at Risk Business Support Fund (MD2629) and the Community Spaces at Risk Fund (MD2715) have been delivering vital support to protect cultural and community spaces at acute risk of closure, particularly those led by underrepresented groups. To date they have supported 301 culture and creative businesses, 11,500 artists and will support more than 90 community organisations.

1.28. The Culture at Risk Office has supported over 715 at-risk cultural spaces and organisations since the beginning of the pandemic compared to a previous average of 150 Culture at Risk Office cases a year. The office was also instrumental in providing evidence for the culture at risk business support fund of £2.3m, secured in May 2020 – to assist grassroots music and LGBTQ+ venues independent cinemas and artists workspaces, as well the 750K community spaces at risk fund secured in November 2020.

1.29. The demand for an expanded Culture at Risk Office will increase as Government emergency funding and the furlough scheme ends, the moratorium on evictions expires on 31 March 2021, and as radical planning reforms loosen protections for culture and community infrastructure. It is vital that this support service does not pause and can continue to support its live case load through the first quarter of 2021-22 and beyond, when impacts are likely to be hardest felt.

1.30. Data has been integral to targeting the GLA’s response to COVID-19, and to successfully lobbying for funding for London from Government and other funders; for example, strong evidence of the £3.6bn spent in the UK on film and television production supported the case for more infrastructure to support the industry. This enabled the GLA to secure £8m for film from Government’s Getting Building Fund. Past GLA research also identified a decade of devastating decline in cultural infrastructure which helped shaped a range of policies through London’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan, resulting in the stabilisation of London’s cultural infrastructure in 2019 (following previous net losses of 61% of LGBTQ+ venues, 35% of grassroots music venues since 2007 and 27% of pubs since 2001). It is essential to continue to collect and publish cultural and community infrastructure data annually. Given the severe impact of COVID-19 and the need to inform recovery planning and the funding strategies of the GLA and other investors in London now, delaying data collection would undermine the ability to prioritise and put in place urgent and targeted support for vulnerable assets that are essential to recovery and to ensure they are not permanently lost.

1.31. Approval is sought for expenditure of £415,000 to:

• deliver support for at risk cultural and community infrastructure. This will include delivering case work alongside advocacy, training, business feasibility and continuity guidance, access to professional services and guidance to stakeholders. This will be delivered using a tested ‘triage’ process that works with at risk organisations to co-design a programme of support based on their needs. If all other avenues are exhausted, a small fund will support emergency strategic grants to help organisation secure at-risk spaces;

• appoint a specialist consultant who will deliver in-depth business support to at-risk cases to help underpin future sustainability. This £50,000 contract will be tendered competitively;

• fund two new fixed term contracts for two years (one Grade 9 and one Grade 8 post – subject to approval through the GLA’s HR processes) to undertake case work, due to the continued increase in demand on the Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office, with the goal of improving equality of access to space and maintaining asset supply in London; and

• collect data to track the impact of COVID-19 on cultural and community infrastructure and inform policy and delivery responses.

Creative Industries grants portfolio

2.1. The objectives of this investment are to:

• support creative businesses across film, television, animation, visual effects, games, fashion and design to trade, export and make new sales;

• deliver new inward investment and employment opportunities;

• increase workforce diversity through the Equal Access Network, and showcase diverse talent through the London Games Festival, London Fashion Week, London Film Festival, and London Design Festival; and

• maintain London’s global reputation as a world leader in the creative industries.

2.2. The GLA investment of £2,678m will deliver the following outputs:

• inward investment in film/TV/animation: Film London’s London Filming Partnership, Business Engagement and Inward Investment programmes;

• annual trade shows and festival events: London Fashion Week, London Games Festival, London Design Festival and London Film Festival;

• sales support schemes for fashion businesses: London Fashion Showcasing Fund and NEWGEN;

• export schemes for film and games: London Screenings, Film Production Finance Market, Games Production Finance Market; and

• diversity schemes: Equal Access Network and London Games Festival ‘Ensemble’ scheme.

2.3. This will support the funded organisations to achieve quantified outcomes regarding inward investment, jobs and training:

• up to £13 million in sales and exports for up to 600 design businesses;

• up to £15 million in games inward investment;

• up to £60 million in fashion sales;

• up to £300 million in film investment;

• up to 3,500 film/TV crew employment opportunities;

• 90 games jobs; and

• 200 training and employment opportunities through the Equal Access Network (with at least

40% of beneficiaries from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds).



2.4. To note: Film production and games inward investment activities continued in full throughout much of the pandemic. However, the trade festivals in film, games and design were impacted by social distancing and travel restrictions; targets for 2021-22 will be set through contracts as the loosening of restrictions becomes clearer and may need to be amended in year.

24 Hour London

2.5. The objectives of this investment are to:

• run a programme of knowledge exchange and capacity building, delivered by specialist consultants;

• provide expert night time policy advice and support to stakeholders, helping them to:

 develop Night Time Recovery Plans and Strategies;

 use the Night Time Data Observatory and the latest night-time research in policy making;

 develop proposals for Night T-time Enterprise Zones and secure funding;

 support greater collaborative working between the licensing, planning and regulatory regimes and regeneration, business development and town centre management teams;

• support the Safer Business Network through grant funding of £50,000 to:

 increase the number of Women’s Night Safety Charter signatories;

 devise and deliver a new training programme for Charter signatories;

 manage the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum and Charter;

 extend the roll-out of the Charter to include LGBTQ+ ‘ally’ organisations;

 deliver vulnerability training to licensed and night-time business; and

 provide support to local authorities and night-time businesses to ensure that the safety of staff and customers is a top priority for licensed premises as they reopen and recover.

2.6. The GLA investment of £135,000 will deliver the following outputs by March 2022:

• 12 boroughs with recovery plans or strategies in place for their high streets after 6pm;

• 12 boroughs using the Night Time Data Observatory to inform their strategies and plans;

• 3 boroughs supported to develop plans for a Night Time Enterprise Zone / or the High Street Challenge Fund;

• 12 boroughs reporting greater collaborative working across departments to improve planning and delivery of night time activity;

• 4 Women’s Night Safety Charter training sessions delivered, with the number of signatories increasing by 50%;

• 4 meetings of the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum;

• 10 vulnerability training sessions delivered to night time and licensed businesses; and

• 10 local authorities supported with training, resources and advice for their local businesses.

2.7. This will achieve the following outcomes:

• more resilient high streets and post-6pm economies;

• stronger and evidence-based policy making, informed by night time data and research;

• increased skills and expertise in night time policy across local authorities and place management organisations;

• night time policy embedded in the work of local authorities and place managers;

• London local authorities with night time strategies in place or COVID recovery plans that specifically address the recovery of high streets after 6pm;

• reduced friction between regulatory regimes and economic development plans;

• increased confidence in the recovery of London’s key night time economic sectors;

• increased feeling of safety amongst women working and going out at night;

• increased resilience of LGBTQ+ venues; and

• raised awareness amongst night time venues of how to reduce the vulnerability of staff and customers.

World Cities Culture Forum

2.8. The objectives of this investment are to:

• achieve policy impact through knowledge sharing;

• benefit London’s culture and creative sector and creative workers by putting into place learning from international cities’ responses to COVID-19;

• benefit Londoners by learning from other cities on best practice and embedding these findings into the GLA’s work;

• demonstrate London’s leadership to international peers, building London’s reputation on the global stage at a key point when the UK has left the EU; and

• help transition the Forum into a new governance structure, less reliant on the GLA for future funding.



2.9. The GLA investment of £96,000 will support delivery of the following outputs through the extension of a concessionary agreement with an external consultant:

• nine international webinars;

• four global bulletins relating to COVID-19 Recovery and the culture sector;

• research development of World Cities Culture Report (to be delivered in 2022-23);

• an international Summit bringing together world cities to discuss future of culture and recovery; and

• a transition roadmap to set up a new governance structure.

2.10. This will achieve the following outcomes:

• stronger and evidenced based policy-making at the GLA, particularly in response to COVID-19, across policy teams including Culture and Creative Industries, International, Economic Development and Communities and Social Policy, developed through accessing learning and evidence from international case studies;

• demonstration of London’s best practice and collaboration with other cities to help inform policy internationally and strengthen London’s global reputation; and

• a more sustainable governance model for the Forum in the future.

Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office

2.11. The objectives of this investment are to:

• safeguard at-risk cultural and community assets that are under threat and move them towards long-term sustainability;

• secure spaces operated by user-led grassroots organisations who are delivering vital support to those most at risk during the crisis through recovery;

• 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 development; and

• increase ownership and future pipeline of robust new cultural and community infrastructure.

2.12. The GLA investment of £415,000 will deliver the following outputs:

• responsive crisis support, capacity building, training, fundraising, business feasibility and planning support, access to professional services for current and future operators of culture and community infrastructure;

• increased staffing resource to protect community infrastructure alongside cultural infrastructure;

• appointment of a specialist consultant who will deliver in-depth business support to at-risk cases to help underpin future sustainability. This contract will be tendered competitively;

• collection and monitoring of data and evidence on culture and community infrastructure; the impact of the pandemic; and work of the office to inform policy;

• cultural and community asset data incorporated into planning, night time and high streets data digitalisation tools; and

• best practice guidance and toolkit for local authorities, communities and other key stakeholders on key approaches and models for safeguarding assets valued by local communities.

2.13. This will achieve the following outcomes:

• decreased immediate and long-term risk to cultural and community infrastructure;

• venues and spaces which serve local communities, and the cultural and creative industries ecosystem secured within development;

• identification of structural barriers faced by underrepresented groups in having their assets protected and strategies employed for improved and equitable access to space;

• improved models of inclusive regeneration as part of Good Growth; and

• maintained and increased ownership and supply of robust new cultural and community infrastructure which serves communities and the cultural and creative industries for the future.

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 as well as 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 the main body of this report will enable the continued creation of opportunities for Londoners, creating positive social and economic impact in the capital, as well as helping to ensure maximum support to those particularly vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. 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 World Cities Culture Forum will run a specific Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy strand sharing examples of good practice.

3.4. The 24 Hour London programme helps to protect the vulnerable LGBTQ+ community, increase protection of women’s safety at night and ensure safe access to high streets for all. The 24 Hour London team also support the Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office.

3.5. The Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office will prioritise support for groups who have historically been unable to access secure space; identify work to mitigate structural challenges that limit the protection of cultural heritage assets held by underrepresented groups; and support inclusive regeneration through the planning process. This will include protection of spaces which vulnerable and marginalised communities are using, for example cultural venues such as libraries, LGBTQ+ venues and community centres. In the first cohort of the Community Spaces at Risk Fund 51% of the spaces supported are in the 20% most deprived areas in England, and 87% are led by underrepresented groups.

3.6. The GLA’s creative industries funding will help to increase diversity in the creative workforce and showcase diverse talent. Film London’s Equal Access Network is creating new training and employment opportunities for diverse Londoners; the London Games Festival is running an annual programme for diverse talent; British Fashion Council provides funding and showcasing opportunities to new and emerging designers from diverse backgrounds; the London Design Festival and the London Film Festival showcase diverse design and film talent.

3.7. The Culture and Creative Industries Unit will ensure that all organisations who are in receipt of GLA grant funding or who are contracted by the GLA have equality policies in place and are committed to proactively applying the principles of the Equality Act 2010, and to regularly refresh their equality and diversity policies and practices.

4.1. In June 2020, the Mayor and GLA established the London Recovery Board. It is supported by a Recovery Taskforce, which will coordinate actions to meet these challenges.

4.2. The London Recovery Taskforce has committed to taking a missions-based approach to the London Recovery Programme. These missions are:

• A Green New Deal;

• A Robust Safety Net;

• High Streets for All;

• A New Deal for Young People;

• Helping Londoners into Good Work;

• Health & Wellbeing;

• Digital Access for All;

• Health Food, Healthy Weight; and

• Building Strong Communities.

4.3. The programmes and activities outlined in this decision play an important role in supporting London’s Recovery Missions and the GLA’s Recovery Foundations, to help Londoners recover from COVID-19.

4.4. The programmes and policies outlined in this decision also link to the following Mayoral strategies:

• A City for All Londoners, wherein culture is seen as the golden thread, key to our future success, both for integrating and strengthening communities and supporting more liveable and successful places;

• 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 vision 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’;

• 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 Summit); the new London Plan (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);

• Inclusive London, the Mayor’s equality, diversity and inclusion 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, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or whether they are pregnant or on maternity leave; and

• 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.

Impact assessments and consultations

4.5. The GLA’s Cultural Strategy Group for London (known as the Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board) is a statutory group comprising of senior leaders from across the creative and cultural industries. These ambassadors shape the Mayor’s Culture Strategy and represent diverse voices across the industry. The Board has continued to meet over the past year to advise on the GLA’s recovery response.

4.6. The GLA has held over 12 culture roundtables during the pandemic as well as 29 workshops and roundtables with 24 Hour London stakeholders to ensure its response is industry and local authority led. These meetings have helped shape recovery activity in relation to culture.

4.7. During 2018-19, the Mayor’s Culture Strategy was subject to a 12-week consultation with stakeholders and the public. Feedback was gathered through events, roadshows, written feedback and via Talk London. The Culture Strategy also underwent an Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) during the initial drafting, and a further review following consultation feedback. Some of the key positive findings from the strategy consultation included that:

• arts and culture have a positive influence on health and wellbeing. This link should be promoted and better facilitated; and

• participation in culture supports social cohesion, inclusion and sense of identity, and creates vibrant places and communities.

4.8. The London Night Time Commission’s Think Night report and recommendations were informed by

specialist evidence sessions and consultation responses from 83 individuals and organisations representing public authorities, residents, businesses and community groups.



Risks

4.9. Risks and issues related to this decision are set out below:

5.1. Approval is being sought for expenditure of up to £3,324,000 upon Culture & Creative Industries recovery related workstreams for the 2021-22 Financial-Year (as detailed above).

5.2. The proposed expenditure of £3,324,000 will be funded from the GLA’s Culture & Creative Programme budget as approved as part of the Authority’s 2021-22 budget setting process. A summary of expenditure is detailed below:

5.3. It should be noted that the Culture & Creative 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. Sections 1 and 2 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 which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

• pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people; and

• 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; and 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 between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (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. Officers have indicated in paragraph 1 and 2 that the large proportion of the proposed expenditure in relation to the Culture and Creative Industries 2021-22 Recovery Programmes will amount to the provision of grant funding. Officers must ensure that:

• the funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities and in manner which affords value for money in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code; and

• appropriate funding agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and the recipient of the funding before any commitment to fund is made.

6.4. All other services or supplies required must be procured by Transport for London Procurement (who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted) in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must liaise with Transport for London Procurement in this regard and ensure that appropriate contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and the successful bidders before the commencement of any such services or supplies.

6.5. Officers must ensure that they comply fully with all GLA HR/Head of Paid Service protocols in respect of any staffing proposals, in particular the need to gain all necessary approvals for the creation of any new posts.

6.6. The GLA may seek sponsorship when exercising its section 30 general power under its power to charge third parties for discretionary services under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003 provided that the charges levied do not exceed the costs of provision.

6.7. Officers must ensure that sponsorship is sought in accordance with the sponsorship policy and appropriate sponsorship agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and sponsor(s) before any reliance is placed on the sponsorship income and/benefits in kind.

6.8. If the delegation proposed in this MD be approved, the entry into such sponsorship arrangements may be approved by the Executive Director of Good Growth and the Executive Director of Resources may agree and execute sponsorship agreements governing those arrangements without the need for further DD/MD approvals.