Consultation
There have been a number of consultation events that have reached over 500 people and organisations who are actively interested in the future of culture in the city. These include artists, young and older people, youth services, charities and support service providers. The results of the consultation process produced new ideas for cultural growth that have been incorporated into the strategy. The strategy will be kept alive and fresh by regular evaluation and on-going consultation with residents and their representative organisations.
Godiva Festival
The consultation process has included:
- Structured primary research carried out with households in Coventry. A household survey in summer 2016 got over 2,000 responses to questions related to their cultural preferences. In addition, individual one-to-one consultations also took place with a range of interested stakeholders as a precursor to developing the draft strategy
- Secondary research was carried out into resident demographics, education attainment, community groups and their activities, creative and cultural industries
- A steering group of key cultural leaders in the city
- Meetings with artists, councillors, community activists, businesses and universities. The meetings were closely documented to inform the development of the principles underpinning the strategy
- Over 12 hours of cultural strategy workshops and 20 hours of workshops linked to Coventry 2021 (including two strategy specific consultation workshops – May 2016 at Coventry Transport Museum and June 2016 at Coventry University. These partners have been consulted through two structured consultation sessions where an open call for delegates was made. Two further meetings have taken place with Coventry’s Youth Forum and Children Plan Group
- A film capturing aspirations and voices heard through the consultation process
- Social media and mobile video feeds from young people (240 responses)
- Blogs from a writer, musician, digital artist, young actor, cultural producer and property developer
- Research on demographics, audiences and household engagement
- A 12 month study on the potential of increasing cultural tourism (circa 2,000 responses to date) and audiences of cultural venues to the city)
- An in-depth analysis of audiences and the potential to increase attendance in arts events
- Extensive research into the cultures, people and neighbourhoods that make up the city
- An audit of the existing cultural and heritage resources in the city
- “The cultural strategy has been summed up extremely well. As someone working with smaller organisations, I am pleased to see mention of the challenges smaller organisations face and the need for capacity building. I sincerely hope that Coventry is also successful in its bid. Only good can come out of such an outcome.”
- “It is very pleasing to see recognition of the potential for Coventry to make its public art and medieval and post-war historic environment more visible and valued.”
- “I have read the draft of the Cultural Strategy and I think it is great and very ambitious – something for us all to join together to achieve. Exciting times ahead! best Cultural Strategy Coventry has had and one that is truly inclusive”
- “It is clear that the development of the draft strategy has benefitted from good partnership working between Coventry City Council, University of Warwick, Coventry University and supported by Arts Council England (ACE).”
- “It is great to have a comprehensive arts strategy developed for the city and this will help us steer our way to increasing the strength of the arts sector in the city. The strategy echos many priorities that I have been raising for a number of years and I expect (hope?) that significant resources (aside from those for city of culture) will be placed behind achieving these goals.”