STRATEGIC PLAN 2015 -2020 DRAFT
Charity no. 1063671
Company no. 3345162
CONTENTS
Foreword
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Environmental Analysis
2.1 Economic
2.2 Regulatory and contractual changes/compliance
2.3 Industry reform/changes (Creative Industries and Tourism)
2.4 Changing demographics
2.5 Environmental considerations
2.6 Asset management
2.7 Arts management, business models and Social Model of Disability
2.8 Human resources
3.0 The Journey
3.1 Vision, Mission and Values
3.2 Our Strategic Themes
Theme 1- Promoting and Supporting Diversity with Excellence
Theme 2- Artist growth and Innovation
Theme 3- Creative Communities
Theme 4- Audiences, Customers and Stakeholders
Theme 5- Governance and Leadership
Notes and References
Foreword
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Jane Glaister. OBE
Chair of Trustees
1.0 Introduction to the Art House
The Art House was established in 1994 by a group of artists with a vision to provide fully-accessible studio space, where disabled artists could work alongside non-disabled artists. In the period 1994 – 2004, the artists, together with arts professionals worked to secure funding for community arts projects, training events and artists’ residencies across Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Construction began in February 2007 on a new building in Wakefield, which included artists’ studios, a print workshop, accommodation, meeting rooms, community spaces and an office for The Art House team. In 2008, The Art House opened, with studios occupied by disabled and non-disabled artists. The Art House was exemplary in terms of accessibility for artists with physical disabilities.
Since 2008The Art House has continued to develop and grow, working towards removing barriers for artists through residencies, professional development, commissions, exhibition opportunities and mentoring for its diverse membership base. Currently The Art House has over 200 artist members, many of whom define themselves as being disabled or having a life-limiting condition. Our alumni include Amelia Crouch, Alexis Stevens, Hetain Patel, Ivan Liotchev, Marion Michell, Duncan Pearson, Aidan Moesby and Laura Slater.
In April 2012, The Art House was selected by The Arts Council to be funded as a National Portfolio Organisation. NPO status was awarded again in July 2014 -further recognition of the valuablework The Art House does in working to provide facilities and opportunities for artists who might otherwise not be catered for.
In September 2013, The Art House secured funding through the European Regional Development Fund and ACE Capital programme and a 25 year lease from Wakefield MDC to extend into the former Carnegie library next door to their existing home. The project has seen the conversion of the Grade II Listed Building into a further 34 accessible studios with exhibition and selling space and a business mentoring programme for artists living and working in Wakefield. The Library studios were officially opened in September 2015.
The Art House is a registered charity (No 1063671), a company limited by guarantee (No 3345162) and a members organisation.
The Charity’s objects are:
i To advance the education of the public in arts and culture by providing experiences of art and culture through exhibitions, residencies, commissions, workshops and events
ii The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage in particular through arts and crafts
2.0 Environmental Analysis
Since 2008, when The Art House opened its base in Wakefield, a number of issues have had an impact on our operating environment. Whilst the organisation aims to have an impact nationally and internationally its physical base and primary user market is Yorkshire and, in particular, the Wakefield District . For that reason much of our environmental analysis is influenced by the local and regional data.
The following points are a summary of the key elements and major changes we have seen that are pertinent to the Art House’ objects: -
2.1 Economic
The global recession, which started in 2007, has had a profound effect on the national economy.
The UK economy, and to some extent the Wakefield District economy, has seen some recovery with the numbers of people in employment increasing, particularly in the cultural industries and tourism/hospitality, but the long-term impacts of Welfare reform on many of The Art House beneficiaries’ and continued public sector cuts is a cause for concern.
Business and Employment
· Wakefield’s measure of economic success (Gross Valued Added, or GVA) increased by 1% in 2012. It was a mixed picture elsewhere in West Yorkshire.
· There are 8,635 active businesses in the district (2012). Health remains the largest employment sector in the district, followed by manufacturing .There is a significant amount of employment in retail, but the numbers have fallen over the past few years
· The manufacture of textiles and clothing has experienced a revival following years of steep decline. Wakefield now has the 4th highest clothing manufacturing workforce in GB with over 900 people employed in this sector
· The number of people aged 16-64 in employment is continuing to rise, up by 1,800 people in the year to December 2013.
· Median annual gross earnings in 2013 were £25,837 for men and £19,507 for women and were 13% and 18% lower than the national median for men and women respectively
· Welfare reform is affecting people previously claiming Incapacity Benefit (IB). Of those tested so far for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – IB’s replacement – 23% have been deemed fit to work and no longer entitled to their incapacity benefit. • Claiming of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) by young people is reducing, but is still above the national average.
· Wakefield has the 5th largest share of public sector employment in the Leeds City Region representing 24.2% of total employment which is higher than the Leeds City region (22.2%) and GB (20.2%) averages.
· The number of new enterprises being formed in the district remains relatively low and the district has one of the lowest long term business survival rates in the region
The knowledge sector and creative industries
Throughout the global economy, the critical trend is the growth of the knowledge economy. The proportion of employees and businesses in Wakefield in the 'knowledge sector', finance, business services, research and development, creative industries and education, is very low. Some 20,600 people are employed in knowledge intensive sectors in Wakefield accounting for 15.2% of total employment in 2012. By comparison the Leeds City Region figure was 22.2% and the national figure was 21.4%.
Between 2009 and 2012, employment in knowledge sectors in Wakefield decreased by 9.0% (-2,000 jobs) against a 1% increase for GB as a whole. However, positive employment growth has occurred in sports, amusement, recreation, legal activities, and technical testing and analysis. Digital, Creative and Cultural also experienced good growth, with an increase of around 1,200 (+26.7%) between 2009 and 2012, considerably stronger than the national growth rate of 2.2%. Employment in this sector is still somewhat lower than the national average, accounting for just 4.8% of total employment against 7.3% for GB as a whole.
Digital, creative and cultural industries have been identified as one of the priority business sectors for growth in the Wakefield District.
Education and Skills
· There has been a marked improvement in educational attainment at Key Stage 2 and GCSE pass rates still compare well with national averages.
· However, significant inequalities remain, with only 26% of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds achieving 5 or more GCSE’s Grade A*-C (including English and maths), compared to 74% for pupils who are not from disadvantaged backgrounds.
· There are also some early signs of a reduction in the number of people entering higher education, coinciding with the increase in university tuition fees. This could affect the rate at which Wakefield’s skills gap closes on the national average
· The district is over- reliant upon lower skilled and lower paid jobs
· In 2014 43% of the current creative industries workforce in the UK was self employed
· 78% of creative businesses have fewer than five employees (micro businesses)
· Despite the growth in the creative industries in the UK support for relevant sectors in the education system has been falling. Between 2003 and 2013 there was a 50% drop in the GCSE numbers for design and technology, 23% for drama and 25% for other craft-related subjects. In 2012-13, only 8.4% of students combined arts and science at AS level. The number of arts teachers in schools has fallen by 11% since 2010 and in schools where a subject has been withdrawn, drama and performance has dropped by 23%, art by 17% and design technology by 14%.
Poverty
• Across the district in 2012 there were 13,740 children aged under-16 (23% of this age group) living in households where at least one parent or guardian is claiming out-of-work benefits. This number is almost unchanged from two years earlier (13,710 children) and is higher than the national rate (19%)
• The most common types of problems advised on by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in 2012/13 were debt (44%) and benefits and tax credits (29%). Across England and Wales as a whole only 30% of problems were about debt.
• People living in the most prosperous areas of Wakefield are likely to live more than 8 years longer than those living in the least prosperous areas
• People with lower incomes and less education participate at lower rates in a huge range of activities despite the fact that they usually have more free time at their disposal on average. Whilst cost is a barrier for some it is not the major reason cited and research is needed to explore the barriers to participation which exacerbate social exclusion and prevent talent from developing.
Partner funding
Wakefield district’s voluntary, community and charity sector (VCS) is relatively under-developed, especially in terms of social enterprise. Wakefield has the second lowest number of third sector organisations as a proportion of population in comparison with other districts in Yorkshire & Humber. Wakefield Together has set creating an ‘Environment for a thriving Third sector’ as a priority indicator in its Local Area Agreement
The economic environment has had an impact on a number of our key partners;
· Wakefield MDC has cut £81million from its spending since 2011. Based on current Government indications, the Council is expecting to have to make further savings beyond 2015/16 to the value of £66m; by 2019/20 it is anticipated that the Council’s budget will be around 33% lower than it was in 2009.
· The Arts Council England has had its budget decreased by £102million since 2009 (from £452million to £350 million in 2014/15. Our NPO funding is not index linked and is not guaranteed beyond 2017.
· Donations to charities fell by 20% during 2011/12 and has remained static since.The total amount given to charities by people across the UK fell from £11bn in 2010/11 to £9.3bn during 2011/12. 38% of donors give to medical research charities whilst only 1% give to the arts
2.2 Regulatory and contractual changes and compliance
Creative and Cultural Industries
Creative and cultural industries operate in a complex business environment defined both by the standard regulations concerning businesses, as well as issues such as intellectual property rights and taxation. The regulatory framework should facilitate artistic creation, cultural diversity, and business activities in the sector
The culture sector is undergoing considerable and rapid change in the wake of the digital revolution. The increasing importance of digital technologies brings with it a need to review intellectual property rights and ensure that artists and organisations can protect their works while ensuring broad access to culture.
Likewise, with audiences and markets increasingly accessibleon the internet, there is a clear need to apply the proper policies to online trading, taxation, and even the establishment and operation of businesses.
New measures aimed at modernising the intellectual property (IP) framework came into force in October 2014, updating copyright law and helping designers and patent holders protect their valuableIP.
Equality and Diversity
A new Equality Act came into force in October 2010. The Equality Act brings together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act. Combined, they make up a new Act that provides legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.
All ACE National portfolio organisations must comply with equality legislation: National portfolio organisations are required to present an equality action plan that includes an equal opportunities policy, approved by their board, before the start of their new funding agreements in 2015/16. Equality action plans should demonstrate how the organisation contributes to the Creative Case for Diversity.
Welfare reform
A number of schemes have been affected by Government cuts and policy changes. The three that most directly affect artists with disabilities are: Disability Living Allowance, Independent Living Fund and Access to Work (ATW). Delays in processing claims, rejected claims and lost paperwork have resulted in un-claimable genuinecosts that are so substantial that they have meant individuals have been forced to move and/or cancel work.
Organisation
Pensions – automatic enrolment
Employers need to set up a pension scheme and enrol their staff into it and they will also need to complete a declaration of compliance to confirm that they have met their automatic enrolment duties. The activation date for the Art House is November 2016.
Living wage
A new, compulsory living wage will be applied fromApril 2016. It will be paid to workers aged 25 and above. Initially, it will be set at £7.20 an hour, with a target of it reaching more than £9 an hour by2020.
Charity regulation
The Government’s Draft Protection of Charities Bill seeks to equip the Charity Commission, which regulates the sector, with new powers to protect charities from individuals whose trusteeship would be damaging to them. The Bill would do this by providing new criteria for the automatic and discretionary disqualification of individuals from acting as trustees, by giving the Commission a number of new investigation and inquiry powers and by giving it the new power to issue a statutory warning.
Contractual compliance
The Art House has contractual agreements relating to the following:-
Arts Council England (ACE) (Capital Funding)