Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture
FINAL REPORT ON THE FIFE CULTURAL PATHFINDER: September 08 'Expanding Horizons… A ticket to ride' This working title evolved over the lifetime of the Programme into 'Culture Talk' - Building the Future for Fife's Culture Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 2 1.0 Background and a brief description of the Fife Cultural Pathfinder: The challenge for cultural services in Fife, as the nature of Local Government delivery shifts from direct provision to long arm support for delivery through trusts and the third sector, has been how to work with all our stakeholders involved in the provision or utilisation of cultural services and all of our citizens - current users and non users of cultural services and resources - to plan for 'culture' effectively and to ensure that our community planning processes become integrated meaningfully into cultural planning for the area. We originally set out to: - • Examine the current 'state' of cultural resources in Fife - and what those resources are currently delivering to Fifers • Look at how Fife measures up against other areas in Scotland • Best identify and articulate what 'culture' means to Fifers • Identify what the key 'cultural entitlement' priorities are for Fifers • Identify how we might better identify, support and nurture creative talent in Fife • Identify and agree on ways that Cultural Services and Community Planning Partners can work together better to implement shared cultural goals and aspirations for and with our communities. 2.0 The overall aim of the Pathfinder: The Fife Pathfinders' long-term aim was to develop a "grass root" informed cultural manifesto, cultural strategy and action plan, influencing (and influenced by) the Fife Community Plan and Fife Councils 'Big 8' priorities. This was to be a committed manifesto for cultural life in Fife. Additionally the Pathfinder sought to encourage and deliver the development of a package of complementary resources ('Fife's Cultural Passport'), so that the lives of Fife's citizens will be improved through cultural participation and opportunities relevant to their needs. 3.0 Fife Cultural Pathfinder Activity Fife Cultural Pathfinder Activity has focused on piloting and developing both generic and targeted creative campaigning and consultation processes, activities and resources that have sought to raise awareness of the cultural entitlement agenda, ensuring grass roots participation and engagement of our citizens in the creation of Fife's first Cultural Strategy and Plan and in developing a new planning and review process for culture in Fife. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 3 Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 4 4.0 Challenges: Original Timeline The original timeline for the Programme was set for September 06 to run till the December 07. Planning, research and consultation with Community Planning strategists, key personnel within Fife Councils research and media teams, Elected Members and Chief Officers began in earnest in September 06. However most of the key active elements of the public and professional 'Culture Talk' campaign to promote participation, consultation and decision-making did not begin until after the national and local elections held in May 2007 and the resultant bedding in period required by the new national and local administrations. Swift progress was hampered by these changes in Government in 2007 and changes in Government Policy in relation to culture which redefined the context within which the Pathfinder was set at a Fife level, e.g. cultural entitlements no longer on the government agenda, Single Outcome Agreements between local authorities and government, previously 'ring-fenced' monies for regeneration (Fairer Fife) and 'Quality of Life' now part of the overall settlement for Local Government Progress was also delayed by the change in Administration at a Fife level (Labour controlled to an SNP/Lib Dem Alliance in May 2007) with changes to strategic committees and the creation of 7 new area committees resulting in the requirement that the consultation process planned should be further scrutinised by new Elected Members in order to secure 'buy-in' to the Pathfinder approach from the new Administration. Further to this Fife's Pathfinder ambitions and original timescale were impacted upon by significant changes within Fife's developing cultural and leisure sectors. Radical changes to the environment and context locally within which the Pathfinder was operating included: • Fife Council's 4 Theatres and it's Arts Development Service becoming reborn and redeveloped as Fife's new 'Arts and Theatres Trust (AttFife) • The St Andrews based Crawford Arts Centre being redeveloped and restructured - becoming the new Fife Contemporary Art and Craft Trust with a Fife wide remit. • Change of Directorship and Board at the Byre Theatre • The restructuring of Fife Council Libraries and Museums Services into one Service Department • Fife Council's sports services being reborn and redeveloped as the new Fife Leisure Trust • Change of funding support and re-structuring of Fife Councils Creative Links Programme • The new strategic focus in Fife Education Service regarding the delivery and implementation of the 'Curriculum for Excellence' across Fife schools • The determination of the new Administration of Fife Council to maximise the impact of Pathfinder investment and activity beyond the status of a 'pilot' project into the 'real life' building of Fife's first ever Cultural Strategy and supporting Action Plan for Fife. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 5 • The political determination that such a Strategy and Action Plan be clearly informed by local people, and that it's infrastructure, values, principles and direction is bought into and owned by citizens across Fifers of all experiences. Backgrounds and abilities and by a wide range of services and sectors, including, but not restricted to, Fife's cultural sector. 5.0 Impacts The resultant delay in launching the public campaign was necessary to ensure the Pathfinders aims continued to be congruent with the new national and local cultural policy developments and goals. Local elected members of Fife's new Administration had to be happy that a continued commitment to and investment in the Fife model fitted with their newly developed Big 8 Priorities for Fife. Key cultural stakeholders involved in managing and coping with massive change in their own organisations had to be in a position to be able to participate despite the challenging agendas facing all across this time. A significant time slippage of 9 months against the original time line has resulted - with the first 'on line' questionnaire being 'opened' to the public on Fife Direct as late as December 2007. 6.0 Refreshed Targets and scope of Pathfinder In light of the changes and challenges described above - along with some newly presented opportunities, the Fife Pathfinder activity, scope, timing and investment was extended and refined in the following areas • Co-ordination and Management As the scope of the Programme grew considerably more ambitious from the framework as presented originally to the Scottish Government, associated staffing requirements to manage and co-ordinate the different strands effectively also grew. Fife Council created a 'Cultural Pathfinder' team to take the Pathfinder forward on a temporary basis. • Age ranges targeted for consultation The original submission to Government outlined Fife's Pathfinder commitment to consulting with Fife's adult population. However, with extra support from the Scottish Arts Council secured through the Creative Links Programme (Community and Education Services partnership) the age range was extended to include 0 - 18 year olds. This allowed us to move forward with confidence that the resultant strategy would be informed by a fully representative range of voices. • Research, knowledge and information analysis Robust knowledge of Fife's cultural performance and achievement against the rest of Scotland has been sought to ensure that the resultant strategy is build upon solid information. Creative Services Scotland was appointed to undertake this and the scope of this has been ambitious. Further to this the Pathfinder has received - Text messaging and imaging feedback - Email feedback Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 6 - Postcard feedback - Feedback received through letters and phone calls - Feedback received through film and voting captured through Fife's 'Culture Booth' Tour - Feedback from 7 'Imagineering' projects and events - Feedback from 2 x on line questionnaires - Feedback from 1 to 1 interviews and professional focus groups - Feedback from workshops and inputs at conferences and events - Feedback from 1 large professional gathering (over 600 submissions) - Feedback from 4 public gathering events - Feedback from 1 youth gathering event - Feedback from participants targeted through attendances at a range of events, conferences and seminars The process of distilling and analysing the significant amount of information, the suggestions and aspirations offered to Fife Council through the Consultation has been extremely complex. It had required more resources to manage this and has taken longer than expected. The strategy finalisation process will now be completed following endorsement of the second draft strategy by the newly formed Fife Cultural Consortium in November 08. Fife's Cultural Pathfinder will now formally conclude at the point Fife's Administration ratifies the new Cultural Strategy in December 2008, 12 months after the first 'big' conversation with Fife's citizens began in earnest. This signifies 12 months of active, creative and highly innovative public and professional engagement through which the successful delivery of an ambitious, highly complex and creative programme of public and stakeholder consultation and local democratic decision-making has been achieved. This has now led to the successful development of significant new cultural and community planning synergies and partnerships, new policy, strategy and an associated community planning wide shared action plan developed from the ground up, that is now set to widen access to and participation in cultural activities and opportunities across Fife for the next 5 years. The Gathering
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 8 7.0 Performance to date against the specific aims of the Pathfinder Programme Aim 1.To review and analyse current cultural provision and arrangements for support of creative talent, and strategic cultural and community planning priorities in Fife. • How have we done? We have undertaken: - Wide ranging desktop research into the 'State of Culture' in Fife - One to one interviews and focus group research with 100 key professional and wider cultural leaders and stakeholders to review and analyse current cultural provision in Fife - Explored the strengths and needs of our current cultural environment - We have reminded ourselves of the historical cultural context within which Fifes cultural life moves forward against - We have explored the current arrangement for support of creative talent in this area. - We have successfully engaged with managers involved in strategic community planning processes and partnerships in Fife to identify options for where and how 'cultural planning' would fit with community planning processes and structures in Fife. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 9 Aim 2.To creatively engage with citizens from a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences and geographic areas to participate in identification ents, and identify an accepted de • How have press and media, placed prominently awareness ding specific r represented 'Culture Booth' Tour centres, public events etc, ll ages and ng themes relating to the the word 'culture' from a Fifers' per relating to cultural e of culture in Fife' articu rt 'Culture Talk - Fife Council's C and prioritisation of local cultural entitlemfinition of culture from a Fife perspective.we done? We have undertaken a Fife wide campaign, using text messaging, payslip messaging, postcards, posters and fliers, email and public sector payslip campaigning, web links on public use computers and promotion at public events/professional seminars and exhibitions to raise public of 'Culture Talk'. We have, through these means and a range of others inclu 'Imagineering Projects' with groups representing marginalised or unde citizens and communities and the Fife wide to shopping centres, schools, colleges, communityconsulted with 2986 members of the public of afrom a wide range of geographic areas across Fife. Through these processes we have identified strobroad meanings and understandings attributed to spective. We have also identified a range of strongly supported themes'entitlements' and the public priorities for 'the futurlated by its' citizens. (See attached repoultural Pathfinder)
Cultural 'Imagineering' work with parents/carers of early years children.
developed in partnership with Imaginate
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 13 Aim 6.To develop a Fife Cultural Passport Scheme and supporting package of complimentary resources informed by Fife citizens and stakeholder involvement, as a tool to enable greater uptake of cultural entitlements. • How have we done? We have identified and agreed the need for a cultural strategy commitment to develop new, better co-ordinated and more innovative approaches to promoting wider access to cultural opportunities and experiences based on the suggestions and guidance offered by consultees. These will be taken forward as part of the ongoing agenda being supported through the new Cultural Strategy and Plan 'Generations of Change' and driven forward by the broad membership of the Fife Cultural Consortium These resources will continue to grow and develop but, to date, those developed in line with feedback directly, or through linked organisations and services include: - A new 'Culture Grant' open to groups and individuals of all ages across Fife to promote creative learning, arts and heritage participation and access to wider experiences. - A new grant to support Artists in Fife developed in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council, Fife Contemporary Art and Craft (FCAC) and Arts and Theatres Trust (AttFife) - A new grant to support Craft Makers in Fife developed in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council, Fife Contemporary Art and Craft (FCAC) and Arts and Theatres Trust (AttFife) - A pilot seed corn support scheme to help schools and children's/youth groups to widen participation in cultural activity out with the school building itself in partnership with the Fife Cultural co-ordinators Programme (Creative Links) - A new 'Imagineering' website, toolkit and staff training scheme developed in partnership with Youth link and FC Community Learning and Development Service that now offers access to support and training in creative consultation approaches and methodologies to aid services and facilities responsiveness and improvement - A developing 'rough guides to culture' resource pack for children, teenagers and parents - A new commitment by Fife Council to develop many of the ideas and aspirations discovered through the public consultation process into a Festival of Fife's Culture 2010 - Widened access to events funding for local community and arts gala and festival groups and organisations Mock TV Studio - Interactive TV Quiz Show
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 15 Aim 7:To develop clear statements of intent and implementation pertaining to why we do what we do, what we (& others) will provide and how, who and where we will do it, that can be shared and understood by colleagues, clients, partners and consumers i.e. the Cultural Strategy for Fife. • How have we done? Central themes identified by the research and consultation undertaken through 'Culture Talk' up until May 08 were then taken for further consideration and examination to: - A professional cultural gathering of 164 cultural, political, other professional and community representatives - 4 community gatherings across Fife and further online opportunities for participation in this stage of the process involving 158 people - A children's and young persons specific gathering involving 67 people under the age of 18 years These events featured the utilisation of ICT electronic voting processes and systems that allowed those involved to prioritise the themes that had emerged from the wider consultation with both professionals and community members. A further event held in August 08 - the inaugural meeting of the new Cultural Consortium involved 30 key strategic leaders from across a wide range of cultural and other stakeholder sectors, services and organisations in studying the first draft of the new Cultural Strategy and Action Plan for Fife, 'Generations of Change' A broad consensus on 'the way forward' for Culture in Fife over the next 5 years was agreed by the inaugural membership of the Fife Cultural Consortium at his event. A new set of 5 key Commitments, 17 Key Objectives and 60 Specific Actions have now been drawn from the overall feedback received through 'Culture Talk' and organised into a new Cultural Strategy and Action Plan (Draft 2) for the time period 2009-2013 Ratification for the second draft of this Strategy and associated Plan for Culture will be sought in November 08 from the Consortium Membership. Once agreed these new commitments, the overall strategy and plan of action set within a 5-year time frame will be presented at Fife Council Housing and Communities Committee for adoption in December 2008. Agreements regarding progress-reporting lines to the appropriate Community Planning Partnership are currently being brokered. It is likely that all Cultural Planning and associated development will be reported against 'Improving Health and Wellbeing' targets contained in the current and future refreshed version of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Plan 'a healthier future for Fife' monitored on behalf of the Fife Community Planning Strategic Partnership by the Fife Health and Wellbeing Alliance. It is anticipated at this stage that this Community Planning Partnership Group may become the parent body through which Cultural Planning is progressed in Fife. The Strategy will be launched in early 2009. The Public Gatherings Glenrothes, Anstruther, Dunfermline & Kirkcaldy
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 17 8.0 Resources (inputs): 8.1 Funding The proposed original budget for the Fife Cultural Pathfinder was £192,000 • How have we done? The actual cost of the Pathfinder has been £211,719, therefore £19,719 has been overspent against the original budget. This overspend was caused by the additional 'in kind' costs of extending staff support from that identified in the original submission. The original scope of the programme was widened and therefore the time frame of the Pathfinder was extended, following changes to the original plan made after the Election of both the new Government and the new Administration for Fife Council. These changes at a political level brought new challenges and opportunities for this increasingly complex and ambitious Pathfinder Programme, resulting in a requirement for additional 'in kind' staffing/project support. The original projected budget was broken down as: - - Fife Council - £85,000 - Other sources - £48,000 - Scottish Government - £59,000 The actual costs have been covered as below: - - Fife Council - £125,869 56% of these costs are 'in kind' costs associated with the extended Pathfinder staffing, 16% of these costs represent new 'culture grant' resources, with the remaining 28% of FC funding being dedicated to active campaigning, researching, consultation processes and events involving 3549 people from a wide geographic spread and a range of diverse backgrounds, ages and experiences. This 28% equates to a cost to Fife Council of less than £1 per head for each consultees active input into the 'Culture Talk' process. - Other Investment/Sources - £26,850 Key financial partners - Scottish Arts Council, Youth link Scotland This figure represents an underachievement of £21,150 below target. The original budget overestimated potential interest in investment in Culture Talk for organisations external to Fife Council. While many services and organisations were keen to be involved - often on the basis that they wanted to explore and understand better why 'culture' should have any relevance to them in their business, lack of the perceived relevance of 'culture' to their core business was evident at every stage of the process. Therefore hard investment was difficult to achieve. However, the SAC funding was specifically linked to extending the Pathfinders reach to children and young people in the area. Their Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 18 investment ensured that 1547 children and young people were able to actively participate in cultural planning processes for Fife. These highly active participants aged from 2 - to 18 years were drawn from a wide range of communities, schools, youth and cultural facilities and services. The SAC's support for the Programme also ensured that the 'Culture Grants' scope was extended to include children and young people - with a special departure from previous Council Policy now allowing unconstituted groups of young people with creative, cultural ideas and aspirations to apply for small sums of cash support to turn those ideas into reality. Further to this the SAC investment in highly creative Imagineering work with children and young people has led to further investment and support for Imagineering as a process in Fife, with a new children and young person focused Imagineering website, resources and training package now available to all who work with our junior citizens. - Scottish Government - £59,000. This remains the figure the Scottish Government invested in the Fife Cultural Pathfinder Programme Fife Council Pathfinder Spend Jan 07/ Dec 08 Overall Co-ordination of Pathfinder £ 30,000 Project and Events Officer dedicated support £ 13,093 Administrative Support for Pathfinder £ 13,029 Desktop Research and Analysis on 'State of Culture in Fife' data £ 15,466 One to One and Focus group programme of research with stakeholders £ 9,250 Planning, prep, resourcing and leadership/delivery of Professional Gathering and consultation elements £ 7,200 Professional Cultural Gathering £ 6,480 Public Awareness Raising Campaign and Universal Consultation Processes (Including all Media and Paper awareness campaign, Online survey, Culture Booth, Text Campaign, Design costs/printing and co-ordination) £ 49,853 5 x Imagineering projects with more marginalized or discreet groups and development of Imagineering Tool kit/website £ 7,883 Focus Group and One to One Consultation Sessions with stakeholders £ 9,250 Public Cultural Pathfinder Gathering Events (held April/May 08) £ 7,880 Children's final Focus group gathering Event £ 1,016 Cultural Consortia Development Costs £ 1,419 Review, analysis of findings and Reporting Costs £ 7,200 New Culture Grant Resource Allocation - about to be launched £ 20,000 Imagineering website, toolkit, training - Phase 1 and 2 £ 4,000 Culture Guides resources allocation In development) £ 8,700 TOTAL Spend and allocation of funding to end of Pathfinder £ 211,719 Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 19 Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 20 8.2 People • Fife Cultural Partnership lead group (stakeholders) This was established and involved FC Head of Community Services, Senior Manager, Cultural Services, and the Cultural Partnerships Service Manager. Regular contact and communications re the progress of the Pathfinders life was undertaken by steering group members with key elected members, cultural leaders/managers from Arts and Theatres Trust Fife, Fife Contemporary Art and Craft, the Byre Theatre, Events Co-ordination, the Libraries and Museums Service and Community Learning and Development Service. Presentations on progress with staff groups were also undertaken. • Fife Cultural Partnerships (Pathfinder Co-ordinator) The Cultural Partnerships Service Manager was appointed to this role • Fife Cultural Partnerships Researcher/s Bryan Beattie, Creative Services Scotland was appointed to lead on the research elements of the Pathfinder. Research support was also provided through the in-house Culture Talk Staff Team. • Fife Cultural Partnership Administrative Support This was provided through Community Services staffing • Artists and professional arts organisations A range of artists and professional arts organisations, including Lunaria, Framed, The TASC Agency and Imaginate have been engaged through the programme across its lifetime to undertake or enhance Imagineering consultation projects/programmes, to creatively record and reflect consultees input to the process and to create engaging resources to reflect and best communicate our findings. • Creative ITC Consultation Development Company (private sector) AV Department Ltd, based in Dalgety Bay Fife, have provided and managed a range of innovative, integrated ICT based consultation tools and opportunities, facilitating broad public and professional positive engagement in the process resulting in many recorded articulate and expressive inputs . These included: - - The text messaging and email campaign tools taken advantage of by over 100 people - The innovative 'Culture Booth' travelling mock TV studio through which 1863 recorded views and inputs were gathered at 15 different sites across Fife - The messenger system used to facilitate and record 797 immediate inputs and responses to key consultation questions at one single Culture Talk Gathering event alone - The electronic voting system and immediate feedback tools utilised to creatively engage 225 people (including children and young people) in the 5 public gatherings undertaken across Fife ed from individuals at events/promotional oup research nch and training day s total and online final questionnaire s final focus group Cultural Consortium inaugural meeting
Young People's Focus Group Rothes Halls, Glenrothes
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 23 8.3 Premises The original submission for Fife's Pathfinder Programme included targets to utilise local premises in the process. • How have we done? Target: - Libraries x 3 - 2 Libraries hosted 'Moussa's Castle' Imagineering Events - St Andrews Library (34 children and 28 adults) and Rosyth Library (38 children and 32 adults). - Publicity materials were sent to all 56 Fife Council Libraries for display, at each stage of the consultation - Culture Talk Questionnaire was highlighted as 'Website of the Week' in libraries with Internet access - FC Libraries donated 200 Hessian bags to be used at the April Gathering for delegates' information packs Target - Theatres x 4 - All 4 AttFife Theatres carried publicity information and positively promoted the culture talk challenge through their networks - utilizing their websites, public spaces and email networks - The Rothes Halls, Glenrothes hosted the major Stakeholder Gathering event, and along with the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy, three of the public gathering events. - The Byre Theatre in St Andrews displayed publicity information on behalf of Culture Talk and promoted the Culture Talk challenge on their moving screen information boards. - The Byre Theatre also hosted the Culture Booth for one day and evening and promoted the Culture Talk Challenge through their networks. - Buckhaven Theatre, owned by the YMCA, also hosted Culture Booth. Target - Museums x 3 - All 15 of Fife Councils museums displayed publicity information at their venues Target - Schools x 3 - Culture Booth was hosted by the following schools: Glenwood High School, Lochgelly High School, Burntisland Primary School, Oakley and Inzievar Primary School, Duloch Primary School. - Pupils from Warout Primary School, Burntisland Primary School, Park Road Primary School, Auchmuty High School, St Ninians Primary School, Buckhaven High School, Lochgelly Primary School, Inverkeithing Primary School, St Pauls Primary School, and Benarty Primary School, all attended a young persons focus Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 24 group held at Rothes Halls on 21 May. There were a total of 67 Fife schools pupils in attendance at that event. - All 168 (100%) schools received posters, fliers, postcards and booklets promoting the campaign and opportunities for participation and teachers were targeted specifically through email campaigning and through 3 different high profile articles carried in 'Culture Bites', Fife's ezine dedicated to promoting cultural opportunities to and highlighting cultural achievements in Fife's schools and youth clubs. - Culture Talk and its key questions was also heavily promoted to 300 Parent Council Forum representatives at Area Forum meetings held in Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Cupar, Lochgelly and Levenmouth throughout March 2008 - Culture Booth was also hosted by Adam Smith College for 2 days. - Overall 43% of the total participants in 'Culture Booth' were children and young people. Pathfinder Process to date: Children and Young People's Participation figures Culture Booth Tour 1317 Imagineering Projects x 5 163 Children's/young peoples final focus group 67 TOTAL to date 1547 43% of total participants Target - Public Spaces x 6 - Publicity information at each key stage of the campaign was sent to and displayed by a wide variety of places across every community in Fife, including: Post Offices, doctors, dentists, shopping centres, police stations, leisure centres, community centres, arts organisations, colleges, schools, theatres, local offices, community education facilities, parks departments, social work centres, music shops, museums, libraries, health centres, voluntary arts networks, community councils, sheltered housing, residential homes, tenants and residents associations, churches, opportunity centres, community councils - Culture Booth was hosted at: Kingdom Shopping Centre, Kingsgate Shopping Centre, Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre, Buckhaven Theatre, Sandy Brae Centre, Cupar Corn Exchange and the Byre Theatre - Public focus groups/gathering events were hosted in Anstruther Town Hall and the City Chambers in Dunfermline and Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy - Outreach workers from Kinetic on the streets of Buckhaven and Methil undertook consultation with young people Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 26 8.4 Materials The original submission included a commitment to utilise 'Culture Talk' to create artistic and communication enhancing materials that would continue to raise awareness of the relevance of 'culture' in social development • Culture Talk has produced a range of DVD recordings of current cultural and arts activity in Fife, consultation events featuring young people, adults with disabilities, a new piece of drama created by adults with a learning disability, a giant mural created by the Fife Children's Parliament and a DVD reflecting some of the 'Culture Booth' moments gathered along the way. • Promotional material and key questions have also featured on the pay-slips of all Fife Council employees on 3 occasions throughout the consultation. • Mass email communications have been sent to all Fife Council, NHS Fife and Fife Constabulary staff members. • Press releases, adverts and articles on the Culture Talk challenge and Culture Booth have been featured in local press throughout the term of the consultation including: Glenrothes Gazette, Fife Free Press, The Courier, Lochgelly Times and The Dunfermline Press and articles have been carried in the Fife Health Alliance ezine/newsletter and 3 times across the lifetime of the Programme in Culture Bites ezine and Artsmart Ezine, send directly electronically to all schools and 1624 people and groups, with 3000 hard copies also distributed across Fife in schools, youth clubs, community centres, colleges and many other public places. 'Fife Life' Magazine • An article on the Culture Talk Consultation was accepted for printing in the community news publication 'FifeLife' distributed Fife-wide direct to every household in the region - 164,592 households. Consultation Web Page • The original online questionnaire ran between 3 December 2007 and 31 March 2008 and attracted 232 responses, with a further final 'voting' questionnaire open to the public between 26 May and 20 June 2008. • This second questionnaire hosted on FifeDirect ran in tandem with the Public Gatherings being rolled out across Fife. Together these facilitated the further participation of 158 people in the prioritisation of themes to be developed through the strategy, gathering 79 responses from the online questionnaire. • The Culture Talk Challenge was promoted from, and the 2 online questionnaires hosted by www.fifedirect.org.uk linked to, a variety of websites including Young Scot, Creative Fife, CVS Fife, AttFife, FCAC, Scottish Arts Council, Byre Theatre, The Alhambra Theatre and Fife Direct. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 27 Posters • A total of 8000 posters were distributed throughout the entire consultation period. These were sent to a wide range of venues including Post Offices, doctors, dentists, shopping centres, police stations, leisure centres, community centres, Arts organisations, colleges, schools, theatres, local offices, community education facilities, parks departments, social work centres, music shops, museums, libraries, health centres, voluntary arts networks, community councils, sheltered housing, residential homes, tenants and residents associations, churches and opportunity centres. Booklets/Postcards • Postcards encouraging answer to the Culture Talk 3 key questions formed part of a 16-page booklet created to also give wide background contextual information about the Culture Talk Challenge. • A total of 50,000 leaflets were produced and distributed throughout Fife to a wide range of venues including Post Offices, doctors, dentists, shopping centres, police stations, leisure centres, community centres, Arts organisations, colleges, schools, theatres, local offices, community education facilities, parks departments, social work centres, music shops, museums, libraries, health centres, voluntary arts networks, community councils, sheltered housing, residential homes, tenants and residents associations, churches, opportunity centres and community councils. Fliers • A total of 66,000 leaflets/fliers were produced to promote the Text campaign -Culture Booth and the Public gatherings. These were sent to a wide range of venues including Post Offices, doctors, dentists, shopping centres, police stations, leisure centres, community centres, Arts organizations, colleges, schools, theatres, local offices, community education facilities, parks departments, social work centres, music shops, museums, libraries, health centres, voluntary arts networks, community councils, sheltered housing, residential homes, tenants and residents associations, churches, opportunity centres and community councils. Publications and associated Web Information on Fife Direct • See 'Consultation web Page' section above. • Additionally, throughout the duration of the Culture Talk Challenge 12 separate features relating to the Culture Talk challenge were posted on Fife Direct. we would ithe key queand push button voting s • This was less succeperspective,posed. Futurprizes, or by • ICT MessenThese were used in the debate, priothe input an largest feed
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 30 9.0 Activities/services (outputs) The original submission outlined a number of key outputs from the Pathfinder • Establish a project and communications plan and use it to ensure ownership and involvement of key partners The project plan was created and overseen by the Pathfinder Steering Group. Commitments to specific approaches to processes for stakeholder and public communication were agreed at that time. • Review strengths/needs and strategic priorities re cultural access and participation levels across Community Planning services and sectors Creative Services Scotland undertook research that enabled Fife Council to achieve this as Phase One of the Cultural Pathfinder. • Establish a cultural partnership planning group, a plan for the pathfinder and involve key partners in 2 x creative seminars/cultural partnership gatherings before April 08 A new Cultural Consortium Partnership for Fife has now been formed. The role and remit of this group is still in draft and will be developed and agreed as part of the Consortiums work over the next few months. Key stakeholders have been invited to become members of this new cultural planning group drawn from the organisations and services represented at the key stakeholders gathering held in May 08. Additionally key members of the Consortium group have been working together to develop a vision and framework for the now confirmed and supported 2010 Festival of Fife's Culture. This major festival will be the first major cultural programme the Consortium members will collaborate on. The work of the Consortium will link to health and wellbeing targets contained within Fife's Community Plan and will report on progress through one of the key strategic community planning partnerships to the main Fife partners group, linking cultural and community planning together for the first time. • Plan and run a text message consultation project for three months before Autumn 2007 The text-messaging element ran for 5 months, not 3 months as originally planned. This was achieved at no extra cost and ensured that the different technological strands of the generic consultation process culminated at the same point. • Plan and hold at least 9 (ITC facilitated) focus/consultation experiences for the general public between summer and autumn 2007 There were two distinct approaches to the facilitation of focus group and consultation opportunities for the general public across the lifetime of the Pathfinder. These were: - 1) The Culture Booth - A travelling Mock TV Game Show, utilising big screen and key pad technology to promote debate and voting on key Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 31 issues across 15 different geographic areas in Fife, involving in total 1863 people 2) Four Public Gathering events involving 158 people in total, set in Glenrothes, Anstruther, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy at which giant screens carried keypad facilitated instant voting feedback to participants, allowing final consensus to be reached on the key public priorities and themes to be integrated into the developing Cultural Strategy. • Devise, Plan and hold at least 4 key 'Imagineering' consultation projects across the priority groups designed to encourage specific participation of target groups before December 2007 Imagineering projects and events were developed with 7 specific target groups across Fife. These were: - - Very young (early years) children and their parents/carers. Three different Imagineering events were held for this target group across Fife. - Members of Fife's LGBT community. Two different events were held for this target group - A dults who also have a learning disability Two different projects/events were developed with groups of people from this target group in different areas of Fife - Older Adults One Imagineering event was developed with this group - Children One major Imagineering Project was developed with Fife Children's Parliament - Teenagers - Outreach One Imagineering project was developed with this group - Teenagers with a disability One Imagineering project was developed with this group In total 11 Imagineering events were held involving 393 people from 7 specific target groups or communities Partner organisations and services supporting these events and projects included: • The Byre Theatre - Heydays • Kinetic Youth Outreach 'StreetLive' • Fife Libraries • Imaginate - International Children's Theatre Festival • Fife Children's Parliament • Quest Inclusive Theatre Company • West Fife Adult Supported Living Services (Social Work) • Fife Flags Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 32 • St Andrews University LGBT Society • The Fife Men Project • Mood Cafe • Adam Smith College Student Association LGBT Group • Develop articles to promote consultation phase in key council publications and local press There were 4 key marketing stages throughout the 'Culture Talk' Consultation and at each of these stages the 22 contacts from local and national media were sent press releases, photographs and quotes from a selection of key officials, participating groups and individuals connected to the Culture Talk Challenge. Cllr Brian Goodall, Chair of Fife Councils Housing and Communities Committee, along with other key local elected members provided clear commitment for the Pathfinder in local media releases at every stage. The Programme was successfully promoted and reported upon across all areas in Fife through this and other promotional means. • Develop and manage on line questionnaire to run on FIFEDIRECT till end October 2007 The original online questionnaire attracted 232 responses. A second questionnaire was hosted on www.Fifedirect.org.uk Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 33 Through this a wide range of professionals drawn from far beyond Fife Council Services alone were reached with information about the aims of the Cultural Pathfinder and the eventual hoped for outcomes. Information Materials were also carried in a wide range of professional cross sector newsletters, reaching Health, Education, Council and Community Safety colleagues. All staff members across Adam Smith College, Fife Council, Fife Constabulary and Fife Health Board were also personally emailed with core information about the process, the relevance of the Pathfinder across public services, the potential for involvement and the timescales related to the roll out of the Programme. • Establish working group to meet x 3 times to explore seed corn funding options re a 'ticket to ride' Key representatives from Community Services: - Community Grants, Creative Links Programme and Cultural Partnerships have met regularly with key representatives of Arts and Theatres Trust Fife (AttFife) and Fife Contemporary Art and Craft (FCAC) to develop a new 'suite' of community grants to promote access to and progression in the arts, and to support talent namely: - - The Culture Grant - Grant for Artists in Fife - Grant for Craft Makers in Fife The Scottish Arts Council has also supported two of these grants. These grants have now been established and form part of the actions being rolled forward through the new Cultural Strategy. Their impact will be reviewed as part of the review of the Cultural Strategy Action Plan. • Assimilate findings, match to findings from review/research and consultation This has been achieved and has come together to form the key leading themes of the Strategy and Action Plan • Assimilate findings and develop and promote Cultural Entitlements 'manifesto' While the term 'manifesto' has not been used, this has been achieved through the 5 key commitments contained within the new Cultural Strategy • Assimilate findings and develop a Fife definition of 'culture' through consultation with local people and stakeholders from across Community Planning Sectors This has been achieved and has been included in and will be promoted through the Strategy as the key shared understanding underpinning our new Plan of Action for Culture. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 34 'Culture', as it used in Fife's Cultural Strategy and Action Plan will describe: …The range of different means through which people create, explore, interpret, celebrate, enjoy, express, learn about, acknowledge and respect the diversity of our lives, communities and environments within which we have lived, do live and will live in the future - both locally and globally • Assimilate findings and develop clear 'signposting' to pathways to enable the identification, nurture and support of cultural talent in Fife This will be undertaken by appropriate members of the Cultural Consortium as part of the new Cultural Strategies Action plan • Assimilate findings and develop a Cultural Strategy for Fife Achieved. Strategy to be presented to the Fife Council Housing and Communities Committee Dec 08, with a public launch of the same in the New Year • Develop and promote a Rough Guide to culture - PDF and printed version/s This commitment will be reviewed in line with the wider commitments to promote and improve co-ordinated access to information on cultural opportunities in and across Fife and beyond. The principle of the 'Rough Guide to Culture' will be maintained - its final form may be changed depending on the outcomes of the review of this whole area being undertaken by appropriate members of the Cultural Consortium as part of the new Cultural Strategies Action Plan • Develop and promote a Cultural Passport to include a Map, the Rough Guide and other key resources Fife's 'Cultural Passport' vision has now been further developed through the consultation and decision making period and will form a key commitment for progression within the new Strategy. To date a range of new linked resources have been created under this umbrella title - with more being planned. These will be developed through the work of the new Cultural Consortium for Fife. New resources created to date are: - - A new 'Culture Grant' open to groups and individuals of all ages across Fife to promote creative learning, arts and heritage participation and access to wider experiences. - A new grant to support Artists in Fife developed in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council - A new grant to support Craft Makers in Fife developed in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council - A pilot seed corn funding scheme to help schools and children's/youth groups to widen participation in cultural activity out with the school building itself - A new 'Imagineering' website, toolkit and staff training scheme developed in partnership with Youth link and FC Community Learning and Development Service that now offers access to support and training in creative consultation approaches and methodologies to aid services and facilities responsiveness and improvement A developing 'guides to culture' resource pack foA new financial commitment by Fife Council to dspirations discovered through the puto a Festival of Fife's Culture 2010 Widened access to events funding for local comgroups and organisations gy in April 2008 The Cultural Strategy is currently on its second drmember stakeholder orgwho have come together to form the new culturalThe Cultural Consortium in Fife. The Strategy will be presented to Fife Council Housing and Communities Committee in December 08 and will be lau009. This signifies a time scale of 12 the public active participation in the ess. will now be launched in the first months of 2009.
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 36 10.0 Original Indicators set for key performance aspects • How have we done?ActivityWe will review strengths/needs re cultural access and participation levelsAchievement against this indicator: This achieved through 'Culture Talk' consultation undertaken with 3549 Fifers and the subsequent analysis of the feedback, which has informing the development of the draft Cultural Strategy for Fife. ActivityWe will use a variety of participative approaches to raise the awareness of and engage cultural and other professional stakeholders and members of the public in enjoyable consultation processes, including on-line questionnaire, focus groups and various consultation processesAchievement against this indicator: This achieved through 'Culture Talk' consultation with 3549 Fifers including public gatherings, 1-2-1 meetings with culture and community planning professionals, focus groups including a children and young people group, Imagineering Projects x 7, gatherings of cultural and community planning professionals, Culture Booth Tour, online questionnaires, email and text campaigns, postcards and letters received. ActivityWe will assimilate and analyse the findings from 'Culture Talk' and develop a Cultural Strategy for Fife, including an entitlements manifesto and associated package of resources (cultural passport) Findings been assimilated and analysed and have been presented to a new partnership group 'The Fife Cultural Consortium' on the 29th August 2008 for further development and feedback. The second draft of the strategy will be represented to this group in October 08 for consideration. The final strategy, including 5 key cultural commitments from Fife Council and it's partners to the people of Fife and outlining current, new and targets for develop other 'cultural passport' resources will be presented for approval at Fife Council's Housing and Communities Committee in December 2008. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 38 11.0 Participation targets • How have we done? We will seek to engage up to 2% of Fife's population in the Pathfinder consultation process (6988 citizens)Performance to date We did not achieve this level of participation. We did achieve slightly above a 1% engagement with a total of 3548 people involved We will specifically seek to ensure the involved participation of 50 parents/carers of 0-5 yr olds in Imagineering projectsPerformance to date Totals achieved amounted to 80 parents and carers in the Imagineering Project alone. Other early years parents and carers will also have been involved in other parts of the consultation process. We will seek to ensure the involved participation of 75 children of early years in Imagineering projectsPerformance to date There were 111 children of early years involved in the Imagineering project, 'Moussa's Castle' - developed and delivered in partnership with 'Imaginate' We will seek to ensure the involved participation of 50 people from black and minority ethnic communities in Fife in Imagineering projectsPerformance to date This was not achieved as we had planned. Facilitating active engagement with B+ME communities in an 'Imagineering Project' proved difficult. This was despite many attempts to connect to communities through agreed and formal routes. However, the Pathfinder Team were invited to and made very welcome at a number of related B+ME Celebratory events where materials about the process being undertaken were displayed and available to all attending. There was strong representation of Fife's B+ME Communities through the staff of Fairness, Race and Equality, Fife (FRAE Fife) at the Focus group stage, the professional gathering event and in the local public gathering events. There is a clear opportunity through these routes for the Cultural Strategy to maximise the building of better networks between cultural services, cultural facility providers and B+ME communities, artists and cultural organisations. We will seek to ensure the involved participation of 25 older, vulnerable adults in Imagineering projects in FifePerformance to date This was not wholly achieved through the Imagineering process as many of those older adults involved in the Imagineering sessions were active participants in the Byre Theatre's highly successful 'Heydays' Programme, and would not be identified as particularly 'vulnerable'. At least 25 vulnerable older adults were represented through work undertaken in local communities with Culture Booth, particularly within shopping centre environments and with other additional focus group activity, including adults with disabilities from St Claire Centre Quest Theatre Company, West Fife Adult Social Work Services and Dalgairn Resource Centre. A number of responses received through the Culture Talk postcards and through letters received came to us from older adults - with the voluntary arts sector being well represented in such responses We will seek to involve 5 partners from out with Fife's public sector in supporting the PathfinderPerformance to date The Scottish Arts Council and Youth link provided additional financial support to Fife's Pathfinder. Imaginate provided 'Moussa's Castle' as a stimulus for early years participation in consultation and delivered these performances in a highly flexible and bespoke way in challenging and non-traditional venues. Further creative support and encouragement has been received through the involvement of the Children's Parliament, Lunaria and Creative Artworks. Youth link provided support for the development of the Imagineering Toolkit website. The Challenge Factor and AV Dept Ltd encouraged the imaginative deployment of new technologies to enhance communication between stakeholders at every
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 40 12.0 Satisfaction • How have we done? Cultural Sector Stakeholders will be satisfied with the plan and processes identified for the Pathfinder Key cultural stakeholders have been kept informed of the Pathfinder process from the outset, with presentations and updates given to key groups, including Fife Council's Cultural Services Managers group, The Byre Theatre Board, Fife Contemporary Art and Craft Trust Board. Fife's artists have received presentations and updates through attendances at the Fife Artists Forums and through postings on the Fife Artists Communications Network. Other networks linking key stakeholders, including the new Arts and Theatres Trust 'AttFife', Creative Fife and the new Alhambra Theatre Trust have also provided network/information and support. The strong stakeholders engagement in the different available processes indicates an interest in and enthusiasm for the process, and work will shortly be underway to assess overall approval and satisfaction in the process and outcome. Community Planning sector representatives will be satisfied with the plan and processes identified for the Pathfinder Strategists within Fife Council were consulted at the outset on the Pathfinder Project in relation to its plan and the processes being utilised. This resulted in culture being identified as key component in the refreshed Fife Community Plan and in the identification of culture as important within strategic developments, including the Single Outcome Agreement with the Scottish Government and within the related Fairer Fife framework. Elected Members and key representatives and staff from the widest possible Community Planning partner mix were communicated with regularly throughout the Pathfinder process through email networks, website placement of information, articles placed in the joint community planning partner news sheets (Fife Life) which is delivered to every household in Fife, articles placed in 'Culture Bites Ezine' delivered to all leisure, library, community facilities and to all schools, and regular local news releases and updates. Following Consortium ratification of the new Strategy, Community Planning sector representatives will be polled to identify their views on the processes used in the birth of this new strategy. Staff participating in the awareness/training events will be satisfied with the content and delivery Satisfaction levels with the professional gathering and the Imagineering Website launch and training event are recorded as being very high. Public feedback is also highly positive. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 41 Local communities will be satisfied with the level of consultation with them that has been carried out - and targeted communities facing additional barriers are satisfied that meaningful links with them have been secured Feedback from the 158 who attended the public gathering events has been very positive along with the positive feedback from the 232 who responded to the on-line questionnaire, and many consultees who offered their views and opinions within the wider body of 'Culture Talk' were positive in their appreciation of the opportunities offered to contribute. Following Consortium ratification of the new Strategy, consultees who have allowed us to store their contact details for this purpose will be polled to identify their views on the processes used in the birth of this new strategy. Community Planning representatives will be satisfied with the delivery of the project This is yet to be achieved. The Cultural Strategy for Fife will be submitted to Fife Council's Housing and Communities Committee December 08 for approval. Community members will be satisfied with the delivery of the project This is yet to be achieved. Community feedback will be monitored as part of the implementation of the Cultural Strategy . Local communities will be satisfied that local culture is well represented in the Cultural Strategy for Fife. This is yet to be achieved. Community Planning representatives will participate in the Cultural Consortium and their satisfaction will be monitored as the strategy is implemented. This evaluation will be completed once the strategy is finalised. Early indications are that all partners have been very positive and complimentary on the process to date and have enjoyed being part of an innovative approach to strategy development. Other partners will be satisfied with the elements they supported, and with the value for money of their investment or support An evaluation of partner's - The Scottish Arts Council and Youth link - satisfaction levels will be completed once the strategy is finalised. Early indications are that all partners have been very positive and complimentary on the process to date and have enjoyed being part of an innovative approach to strategy development. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 42 13.0 Indicators set for key performance aspects - How have we done?Impact planned forImprovement in contact levels and dialogue between cultural and community-planning professionals will be reportedAchievement against impact planned for: The Professional Gathering event and its associated market place was successful in encouraging and facilitating cross-sectoral communication and dialogue. Ongoing and subsequent dialogue and developments involving those attending on the day have also been reported anecdotally. The establishment of a new Cultural Consortium which has grown from this process will ensure a regular series of strategic level cross sectoral meetings, events and working groups with culture at the heart following endorsement of the Cultural Strategy for Fife. Impact planned forCultural services and arts bodies will enjoy greater interaction with local people when planning improvements and developments to their servicesAchievement against impact planned for: Commitment to the facilitation of regular local cultural gatherings has now been made at an Area level and will continue as a key component of cultural Strategy refreshment. Key cultural stakeholders will utilise these gatherings to inform service planning and developments. The greater utilisation and growth of 'Imagineering' as a process of creative engagement in service planning will also be continued. In the meantime the richness of the input of local people in 'Culture Talk' will provide a body of informed evidence to support cultural service providers in Fife taking forward the Cultural Strategy for Fife. Impact planned forCultural facilities and resources provided will be used and enjoyed by members of the community, including those who had not before visited cultural amenitiesAchievement against impact planned for: This is a key area of priority outlined in 'Culture Talk'. The public and a large number of professionals have now identified current barriers to access and have provided ideas and solutions to broaden access to cultural amenities. These will be identified within the Cultural Strategy and supporting action plan. Impact planned for2% of the population will engage creatively with Fife Council to actively develop servicesAchievement against impact planned for: Up until this point over 1% of those who live and work in Fife have actively engaged in the 'Culture Talk' process - however the process of implementation and refreshment will continue and the Cultural Consortium will set new targets for further public engagement following endorsement of the Cultural Strategy. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 43 14.0 Value for money • How have we done? Output: 1. In-kind staffing costs (Fife Council) Outcome: £56 122 - This represents 56% of Fife Councils Investment Output: 2. Cost of text campaign Output: 3. Cost of local media publicity and leafleting Output: 4. Cost of Culture Booth Road Shows Outcome: The public awareness campaign and universal consultation processes including all media and paper awareness campaign materials, the online surveys, Culture Booth, the Text campaign and costs of all associated design and print came to a total of £49 853 Output: 5. Cost of research, analysis and consultancy support for 'Culture Talk' and strategy development. Outcome: Including desk top research undertaken and analysis on the 'state of culture in Fife, all focus groups and one to one research, planning, prep, resourcing and leadership of professional and public gathering elements, analysis of outcomes and reporting - these elements cost Pathfinder partners £41 166 Output: 6. Cost of 2 x Cultural Partnership Gatherings Outcome: This became 1 large professional and 5 smaller public gathering events at a total cost of £15 376 Output: 7. Cost of resources produced Outcome Imagineering Website, Toolkit and Training - Phase One and Phase 2 at a total cost of £4000 New Culture Grant Resource - £20 000 Culture Guides - Children. Young People and Parents - £8700 Output: 8. Cost of 'Imagineering' Projects Outcome: Now 7 x Imagineering Projects with 11 different elements at total cost of £7200 Output: 9. Cost of monitoring and evaluation Outcome £5K (following completion of strategy) Output 10: Value of eventual strategy and plan to local communities and community planning and cultural stakeholders Outcome: To be evaluated following completion of strategy. Ongoing evaluation of public perception of impact on and value of the strategy to Fife's communities will be undertaken annually. Output 11: Commitment by project partners to help to make Pathfinder effective Outcome: The Project partners contributed support through provision of venues for work, promotion of materials, providing access to electronic and physical networks, providing access to groups and events through which the consultation was promoted, through additional financial Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 44 support and the provision of creative skills, through the provision of strategic support and placement of culture in new planning and development processes at the highest level and through encouraging engagement of staff from a wide range of organisations and sectors and their customers, and through participation in the processes offered themselves. The new Consortium has dedicated membership from all project partners. Output 12: Ongoing commitment by project stakeholders to help support linked sustainable opportunities Outcome: Key cultural and community partners at strategic levels and at other levels throughout organisations and services have agreed to form a new and ongoing strategic partnership group, The 'Fife Cultural Consortium', through which actions will be progressed against the objectives and commitments set out in the new Cultural Strategy and linked to the strategic cultural/community planning targets as well as within the context of local community planning . 15.0 Data collected: Data collected included data on • The State of Culture In Fife - benchmarks against national performance • Culture Talk Feedback - Qualitative and Quantitative findings See Full Reports compiled by Cultural Services Scotland and Culture Talk feedback report Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 45 16.0 Record examples of recent cultural activity clearly resulting in impacts on CP targets/milestones • 'Anne Frank + You Festival' won the COSLA 2008 Gold Award for best local democracy and community planning project. Anne Frank's Diary was the non-fiction book most requested by young people in 2006/07. This reflects the interest and popularity of the 'Anne Frank + You Festival'. 88% of visitors to the Festivals multi-faceted arts and cultural programme stated that they believed 'cultural activities such as this play a crucial role in promoting social justice'. • The Byre Theatres Byre@ Programme and Heydays (50 yrs+) Arts Groups were held up by the public as highly positive examples of inclusive arts delivery of opportunities. • Fife's Education Service's ongoing commitment to cluster based Expressive Arts specialists and associated Expressive Arts Festivals open to all pupils in Fife have been held up by the public and by many professional stakeholders as models of good practice • Kinetic 'Love, Hate, Fear' Puppet Animation production in 2007 has been held up nationally by the Scottish Government as a model of good practice in relation to creative youth empowerment and expression using youth theatre and puppetry. • AttFife partnership approach to facilitating and supporting artists residencies and national arts organisation projects and programmes in regeneration areas have and are creating significant impacts on local community confidence and esteem. • The draft Cultural Strategy once approved will lead to impacts in relation to the Community Plan and Council 'Big 8' objectives e.g. increasing participation levels and increasing access to cultural activities. 17.0 Record how many stakeholders and members of the community actively engage in taking part in planning processes for culture - How have we done? 3211 members of the public 338 stakeholders 3549 TOTAL through Cultural Pathfinder Process Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 47 18.0 Overall Outcomes: • Over 1% of Fife's citizens including all age groups, wide ranging communities of interest, and from a wide range of geographic communities in Fife have been involved and engaged in the culture strategy development process. • The cultural strategy process and the identification of the value of cultural, social and community impacts through consultation, has influenced the emerging Events and Festivals strategies of the Council, which previously focused on economic/tourism impacts. • The cost of undertaking the process from start to completion will have, over the 5 years of the strategy, cost each Fife citizen 11 pence representing excellent value for a genuine 'grass roots' informed and community planning partner influenced cultural strategy for Fife. • A new shared understanding of what the word 'culture' represents to a wide spread of people better has been reached that represents the range of environmental, cultural, and sporting influences cited by Fife citizens as Fife's culture. The word 'culture' often generates negative perceptions when used to describe what culture really is in Fife. • A new action plan with 60 clear targets for cultural development in Fife now exists and has been built upon 5 major new commitments and 17 clear objectives for cultural development in Fife. These combine to form Fife's new Cultural Strategy currently in second draft stage. This strategy will be formally adopted in December 08. • Our chief measure of success will be 'ENJOYMENT' followed by 'confidence and esteem'. • A new Cultural Consortium involving cultural providers and community planning partners has been established and will now lead on a linked programme of cultural planning for Fife. • Clear strategic links between 'culture/lifestyle' and 'health and wellbeing' have been established • The cultural planning process has been embedded in the community planning process leading to a strengthened role for culture in the Community Plan, Fife's Joint Health Improvement Plan, the Council Plan and the Single Outcome Agreement with Government. • Cultural strategy development in Fife has led to a special celebration of Fife's culture in 2010 being agreed with significant additional Council commitment • Cultural Strategy development process has successfully 'tested' new technologies for carrying out consultation that will have value for other non-cultural related consultation exercises for government and local authorities • The approach and outcomes are evidence based and could provide a model of good practice for government and local authorities cultural strategy and planning development. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 48 19.0 Main Learning Points The Fife Cultural Pathfinder had been full of learning for those involved in its implementation. The points outlined below are some of the learning points that have been identified by those involved to date. • It has been a real challenge to convince members of the public and professional colleagues that the process of 'consultation' will create REAL change and that change will be implemented. There is a clear consultation 'overdose' in local government - what is offered needs to be unique and different to engage citizens People are highly cynical about the value of participating in consultation • When undertaking major consultation and development with a focus on culture, it would have been wiser to try to time the work differently - an analysis of the capacity of the cultural sector to participate more fully given the challenges of 'change management' they were facing through the period the Pathfinder was undertaken should have been more robustly undertaken • 'Culture' has many definitions for many people in different communities…. the assumption that we would be safe to base our pathfinder on the definition utilised and understand by cultural professionals was severely flawed. • Our Pathfinder was highly ambitious at the outset and grew more so as it developed. While we have now reached our aimed for conclusion it has been costly in terms of people power and other resources. It would have been wiser to have kept the consultation process tight, simple and be realistic in the number of objectives to be achieved - if necessary reprioritise to ensure the process is manageable • The 'Culture Booth' was different and successful particularly with young people - this approach linked to interest in TV and moving image holds great potential for other forms of consultation. Other creative forms of consultation were also successful when these approaches negotiated from the target group's perspective and designed to be playful in approach. "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation" Plato • Text campaign approach needs to be rethought to maximise response levels - incentives for participating and coverage of all costs to user must be considered • Consideration of 'incentives' to increase consultation response levels throughout should be considered e.g. ipods, free tickets • While there are excellent existing networks and structures in Fife to develop and deliver consultation exercises but they could be more 'joined up'. An overall map of 'possibilities' to enable those working in this area to build on the work of others would be extremely helpful - rather than re-inventing the wheel • Questionnaires/surveys needed to be shorter and 'funkier' - we should have learned more robustly from others e.g. good examples on websites Internal 'Local Government' support issues need careful planresolve potential corporate IT problems Publicity and marketing campaigns need longer lead-in times Bringing culture interests and stakeholders together from across Fife has been a major challenge and simply sharing information about what each other does has been a major success and has already created new creative synergies for the benefit of our communities. This work needs to continue It has been challenging to convince community-planning parcontribution that culture can make to their primary objectives. Key support of political leaders has proved invaluable, both locally and nationally. Building on the success of the levels of engagement at grass community partner level will require significant ongoing people resourcing to ensure the commitments in the strategy are proactively championed, researched, monitored, evaluated, and promoted at both a Fife wide and local area level. Such processes in the future able to be confident that resources can be available to suppoexpectations of providers and customers Making a difference and adding value to Fife's culture requirecultural providers to work together to deliver increased participation levels, increased access to cultural activities. Plans must be sustainable and committed.
Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 50 Geographic areas represented and communities of experience involved with Culture Talk Culture Booth In February 2008, Culture Booth was sited at: Auchterderran Centre, Cardenden Burntisland Primary School Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy (2 days) Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes Kingsgate Shopping Centre, Dunfermline Buckhaven Theatre Sandy Brae Centre, Kennoway Corn Exchange, Cupar Duloch Campus (primary school, library, leisure centre) Oakley Campus (Inzievar PS and Holy Name PS), Dunfermline Glenwood High School, Glenrothes Lochgelly High School Byre Theatre, St Andrews Odeon Cinema, Dunfermline Public Gatherings Rothes Halls, Glenrothes Easter Town Hall, Anstruther City Chambers, Dunfermline Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy Childrens Final focus group: Children and young people and teachers from: - Warout Primary School, Glenrothes Burntisland Primary School Park Road Primary School, Rosyth Auchmuty High School St Ninians Primary School Buckhaven High School Lochgelly High School Inverkeithing Primary School St Paul's Primary School Benarty Primary School Imagineering Projects: • Children's Parliament Mural Buckhaven Theatre, children from the Buckhaven and Methil areas • Street Live Teenagers from Buckhaven and Methil areas • Fairway Fife Teenagers with physical and learning disabilities Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 51 • Moussa's Castle Consultation with very young children (early years) and their parents and carers (in partnership with Imaginate) St Andrews Library Rosyth Library Inzievar Primary, Oakley • LGBT Community consultation - participants met in: - West Fife St Andrews • Adults with learning disabilities West Fife Social Work Services Adult Service Users, Dunfermline and West Fife Villages Quest Theatre Company - Adults with learning disabilities, Central Fife area • Older People People aged 50 years and over from East Neuk and St Andrews Other Events attended by the Culture Talk Team Members and groups engaged with • Parent Council Forums across Fife • Fife Wide Head teachers Induction Day • Fife Adult Learners Conference • Fife LGBT Film Festival • Fife Chinese New Year Celebrations • Community Education Learning Conference • Fife Shed Inclusive Theatre Play Presentation • Fife Play Conference • Fife 'Choose Life' Seminar • Dunfermline Muslim Awareness Event • FJHIP Conference • Fife Artists Forum • The Big Tent - Festival of Stewardship Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 52 Pathfinder Process to date: Participation figures Awareness raising campaign from: • Emails/Texts received • Telephone input • Postcards received • Letters received 197 Input gathered from individuals at events/promotional presentations 301 Culture Booth Tour 1863 One to one and focus group research 117 On line questionnaire 1 232 Professional gathering Event 164 Imagineering Projects x 5 393 Imagineering Toolkit launch and training day (from Michelle) 27 Public Gatherings groups total and online final questionnaire response 158 Children's/young peoples final focus group 67 Cultural Consortium 30 TOTAL to date 3549 Services and Organisations in Fife represented through participation in focus groups and one to one interviews Fife Council Creative Links Programme Locality Managers Education Service Libraries and Museums Service Environment and Development Services Deaf Communications Services Parks and Countryside Active Fife (Community Services) Policy and Communications Elected Members Community Learning and Development External Organisations AttFife FRAE Fife Carnegie Birthplace Museum Bahai Community East Fife Carnegie College (formerly Lauder College) Fife Contemporary Art & Craft Performance and Organisational Support Voices of Women Byre Theatre Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 53 St Andrews Preservation Trust Museum Fife Women's Network Scottish Vintage Bus Museum Fife Constabulary British Red Cross Victim Support Careers Scotland CARF Fife Elderly Forum Age Concern Glenrothes Fife Families Support Project Hearing Voices Network MIMAC - Rushes Bubble Wrapped Records Fife Childminding Association Creative Fife Adam Smith College Scottish Enterprise Home Start - Dunfermline Fife Artists Co-operative Scottish Christian Alliance Kirkcaldy Art Club Home Start - Lochgelly Independent Artists and Makers NHS Fife Fife Craft Association STANZA Culross Festival The Big Tent Kinetic Tayscreen Fife shed Jammin GAMA Over and above this a wide range of Community Councils and Resident Associations were represented through engagement with one or more of the methods offered. Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 54 Acknowledgements Fife Council is grateful to the many individuals and groups, services and organisations involved in supporting and feeding in to 'Culture Talk'. We believe this exercise has been the largest public and professional consultation on future planning for 'culture' ever undertaken in Scotland and wish to say 'thank you' to all who gave it their expertise, their time, their energy and their ideas. Overall the views, ideas and aspirations for culture in Fife articulated and offered to us by more than 3 500 individuals, groups and organisations have informed this new strategy and action plan. People from many different backgrounds have generously donated their energies, creativity and passionate interest through our online questionnaire, through 'culture booth' and creative projects resulting in films and murals and debates, through participation in public and professional meetings and electronic and online voting systems, through emails, letters, telephone calls and text messages and images sent to us. Our youngest consultees were hardly out of nappies and all other ages and generations were represented. Opportunities to participate in the different strands of the 'Culture Talk' Consultation on the future of culture in Fife were promoted across the whole of the Kingdom. The touring elements travelled far and wide to ensure that as many people as possible were able to bring their voices, their aspirations, their experience and their vision into cultural planning. Fife's libraries, theatres, schools, colleges, museums and festivals - to name but a few organisations and services, all supported this process by hosting and promoting special events and opportunities for people to get involved. We are grateful for the support and encouragement provided throughout this process by the Scottish Government's Cultural Pathfinder Programme. Special thanks must also go to AV Dept Ltd from Dalgety Bay who provided all the technical expertise to bring some of the more creative ideas and processes alive. Sarah Deighan, Karen Taylor, Paul Ryan, Barry Woods have provided critical administrative and creative input along the way, and the Creative Links Team worked hard to ensure that the voices of children and young people were heard loud and clear. Special thanks go to Bryan Beattie from Creative Services Scotland who has led the co-ordination of and supported many research elements of the Pathfinder. The outcome of the distillation of over 3500 different 'points of view' is this strategy document and it's 5-year action plan. The creation of a new Cultural Consortium for Fife with membership drawn from a wide range of public sector bodies, services and organisations offers further support for its ambitions and will ensure that partnership, collaboration and a shared vision and understanding of the peoples priorities for culture are what will drive our work together forward over the next 5 years. If you would like more information on any aspect of the 'Culture Talk' Consultations process or approach, and on the content of the wide feedback gathered from the public and from our professional colleagues, please contact: - Katie Brown, Service Manager 'Cultural Partnerships' The Auchterderran Centre, Woodend Road Cardenden Fife KY5 0NE 01592 583255 katie.brown@fife.gov.uk Final Report on Cultural Pathfinder November 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture Talk -Building the Future for Fife's Culture 55 Range of representatives invited to participate in Cultural Consortium Senior representatives from bodies, groups and organisations invited to become members of the Fife Cultural Consortium. A significant number of representatives have already met at the inaugural meeting of Fife's Cultural Consortium to direct the development of the first draft of this strategy into this final document. FIFE COUNCIL • Key Strategic Elected Members • Fife Council Services - Local Community and Housing Service Sustainable Communities Programme Community Services, Fife CouncilCommunity Learning and Development Events Strategy Libraries and Museums Cultural Partnerships / Creative Links- Education Service - Development Services - Performance and Organisational Support Health Improvement Fife Community Planning Partnership Equalities and Diversity FIFE ORGANISATIONS • Fife Constabulary • AttFife (Arts and Theatres Trust Fife) • Fife Sports & Leisure Trust • Fife YMCA-YWCAs • Fife Contemporary Art & Craft • The Byre Theatre • CreativeFife • Fife NHS Board • CVS Fife • Falkland Centre for Stewardship • FRAE Fife (Fairness Racial Awareness and Equality) • Fife Chamber of Commerce • Fife Environment Trust FURTHER EDUCATION • Adam Smith College • Carnegie College • Elmwood College • St Andrews University NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS • Scottish Screen • Scottish Arts Council • Voluntary Arts Scotland • Historic Scotland • Visit Scotland