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The Cabinet considered
a report of the Director of Economy and Place, which sought to
update on the delivery and impact of the two year Strategic
Festival and Events programme. The report also sought approval of
the proposed outline programme and strategic approach to delivering
festivals and events.
 
The Head of Culture
and Placemaking was
in attendance to present the information and to address the
questions and the comments of the Cabinet Members.
 
Resolved:
1.   
That the progress on the delivery and socio-economic impact of the
two-year programme of Festival and Events 2023-2025 be noted;
2.   
That the proposed outline programme and strategic approach to
delivering festivals and events be approved;
3.   
That funding of £875K from the equalisation reserve across
five years to core fund the programme between 2025 and 2030 be
approved and that it be agreed that the RDA’s Culture and
Placemaking function co-ordinate and
maximise inward investment opportunities aligned to the development
of the Film Location Service;
4.   
That the proposed management of the Strategic Festival and Events
function as outlined in this report be approved;
5.   
That it be noted that the Head of
Culture and Placemaking report progress
and impacts to the portfolio holder for Communities and
Co-operation, Cabinet, RDA Executive Board and various investment
partners.
6.   
That it be agreed that £25k from the equalisation reserve for
25/26 to cover costs of security, stewarding and medical provision
for Civic ceremonial events to be addressed through budget setting
process or income in following years.
 
Reason for
decision:
Between 2023 and 2025,
the directly delivered Strategic Festival and Events programme
alone (excluding the partnership festival activity facilitated) had
delivered significant tangible socio-economic benefits. The
recommendations outlined in this report aimed to consolidate and
extend the impacts of the programme on the socio-economic life of
the borough.
 
Alternatives
considered and rejected:
Do nothing. Festival
and Events were not a statutory function of the Council, however to
do nothing would see the loss of significant benefits to the local
economy and the delivery and implementation of the Council Cultural
Policy framework. As an ACE Priority Place, Rochdale had secured
more than £3M in Arts Council Funding 2024/25 and an increase
in engagement form 31% to 82%, to do nothing could also damage the borough’s reputation and
impact on future inward investment.
 
There were no other
alternative investment programmes that had been
identified that would enable the delivery of the strategic
programme of activities outlined in this report.