Issue - meetings

The committee is requested to endorse the proposed Funding Agreements and monitoring arrangements for Chichester Festival Theatre and Pallant House Gallery.

The committee considered the report attached to the agenda. Mr D Hyland, Community and Partnerships Support Manager, presented the report.

Mrs Dignum, having declared a prejudicial interest in this item as the council’s representative on the Pallant House Gallery Trust and Company, withdrew from the room during consideration of this item.

An error in the report was pointed out - Page 52, para 6.1 fifth line should read “…. Chairman of the Festival Theatre Gallery….”.

The committee made the following comments and received answers to questions as follows:

·             Both organisations had had economic impact assessments prepared to inform the review of funding which had taken place in 2017, which demonstrated that they were contributing positively to the economy of the district.

·             Arts Council England funding levered in by both organisations as a result of the council’s contribution was requested. Mr Hansford advised that this was exempt information in the report considered by Cabinet and undertook to provide this to members outside of the meeting.

·             Queried the possibility of a change in Government earlier than 2022 and whether the funding organisations had considered this scenario and whether Arts Council funding would be available until 2022. Both organisations are Portfolio Organisations with funding agreements for a four year period.

·             Clarification of the monitoring process. As a result of restructuring Mrs Hotchkiss would take over responsibility for Cultural Grants and Mrs Peyman would be the monitoring officer. Both organisations would need to report twice yearly to the council; a half year oral update of performance would be provided to the monitoring officer with financial information; an annual written report will also be provided from both organisations. Should there be concerns about either organisation’s performance this would be flagged up to the portfolio holder.

·             Queried the Theatre’s purchase of a commercial site to provide accommodation for staff and actors and whether our grant covered this type of acquisition. Both the theatre and gallery were private organisations and as such we should not be concerned with their projects; only with the outcomes we are interested in them achieving as stated in the monitoring framework.

·             Concern that the monitoring framework for the Gallery was not included in the agenda report. Members were advised that they were being asked to endorse the monitoring arrangements for cultural grants, not to agree the framework agreements which were the remit of the portfolio holder. Mr Hyland undertook to forward this to the committee for information when it became available.

On the recommendation being put to the vote Mr Lloyd-Williams abstained with all other members in favour.

RESOLVED

1)      That the proposed Funding Agreements for Chichester Festival Theatre and Pallant House Gallery be endorsed.

2)      That, subject to the final agreed monitoring framework for the Pallant House Gallery being consistent with Chichester Festival Theatre’s proposed monitoring framework; and subject to the portfolio holder's agreement with this document, the monitoring arrangements for both organisations be endorsed.

Mrs P Dignum returned to the meeting.