Norfolk and Suffolk Cultural Tourism Project: Background Information
Summary
This project seeks to establish Norfolk and Suffolk as ‘must see cultural destinations’. It has been
developed by a dynamic collaborative of those working in culture and tourism across both counties. We
have attracted significant investment from the Local Enterprise Partnership and the Arts Council to deliver
this project. It is ambitious and based on research. A detailed plan has been established, which will change
and develop as key specialists are appointed.
1. Background
In 2012 the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) established an independent Cultural Board. The
purpose of the Board is:
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To advise the New Anglia LEP on the role and potential of the creative and cultural sectors in
economic growth.
To develop and deliver initiatives that will enable the cultural and creative sectors to maximise their
impact on economic growth.
The LEP Cultural Board is an unincorporated, collaborative consortium. It does not hold an operating
budget, its secretariat is managed by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and it is chaired by independent
champion of the cultural sector, Helen Wilson.
The LEP Cultural Board is made up of the following members:
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Helen Wilson, Cultural Lead for the New Anglia LEP (current Chair)
Chief Executive, Aldeburgh Music (currently Harry Young - acting until September 2014 when Roger
Wright takes up the role)
Director, Writers Centre Norwich (currently Chris Gribble)
Chief Executive, Norwich Theatre Royal (currently Peter Wilson)
Artistic Director, Norfolk and Norwich festival (currently William Galinsky)
Director of Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service (currently Steve Miller)
Executive Head of Culture, Norwich City Council (currently Nikki Rotsos)
Chief Executive Seachange Arts (currently Joe Mackintosh)
Director, DanceEast (currently Brendan Keaney)
Chief Executive, New Wolsey Theatre (currently Sarah Holmes)
Chief Executive, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds (currently Helen Simpson)
Director, Colchester and Ipswich Museums (currently Bill Seaman)
Director, Gainsborough’s House (Mark Bills)
Regional Director, National Trust (currently Ben Cowell)
Chief Executive of Visit East Anglia (currently Keith Brown)
LEP Board member (currently Erica Clegg, Spring)
The LEP invited its Cultural Board to set out its role in growing the economy; the ambition to make Norfolk
and Suffolk a significant cultural destination was agreed as a major priority.
The Cultural Board commissioned a report, ‘Building Cultural Tourism in New Anglia’, to explore the
potential for growth in cultural tourism. Funded by ACE and prepared by Creative Tourist and Charles
Landry, the report set the agenda and plans for an ambitious project were developed. The report can be
found at http://www.newanglia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CTC-New-Anglia-final-report-Jan13Web.pdf
Whilst it is difficult to establish genuine targets without further research, the following ambitions are have
identified:
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To increase the number of people, at specific cultural venues or events, travelling more than a 30
minute drive-time, by 10% per annum in Years 2 (2015) and 3 (2016).
To increase the number of people, at specific cultural venues or events, travelling more than 1 hour
by 5% per annum in Years 2 (2015) and 3 (2016).
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To support the tourism sector in its aim to increase the value of the overall visitor economy by over
5% pa.
To increase overall attendance at the participating cultural venues and events by at least 10% over
the course of the project.
To increase the numbers of people visiting Norfolk and Suffolk who state that the cultural destination
was the primary reason for their visit to the area.
To raise awareness and improve perceptions of the cultural destinations of Norfolk and Suffolk over
the course of the project.
To encourage and consolidate repeat attendances of current cultural tourists aiming to increase the
length of their stay and the quality of their experience.
To demonstrate that the cultural tourists attracted, report their experience to be one of quality and
satisfaction
2. Delivering the project
The LEP, Arts Council, local authorities and lead partners have all invested in the project. Suffolk County
Council acts as the banker, contractor and accountable body. Aldeburgh Music and The Audience Agency
are being commissioned by Suffolk County Council to deliver the bulk of the project.
Aldeburgh Music will recruit and manage a Cultural Tourism Director for Norfolk and Suffolk. The Audience
Agency will undertake some original research on cultural tourists, establish clear targets and indicators and
evaluate the overall impact.
The Cultural Tourism Director will lead on the day to day delivery of the project and will have access to a
delivery budget of around £100k. The Director will work across Norfolk and Suffolk; developing plans, tools
and campaigns. It is expected that this will include the headlines in the ‘Building Cultural Tourism in New
Anglia’ report as follows:
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Focusing on the outstanding cultural offer in Suffolk Coast, Norwich, Ipswich and Great Yarmouth.
Mapping a 24 month planned approach to building cultural tourism. Highlighting the core artistic
vision and ‘brand’, the lead events and follow on itineraries, the campaigns, PR opportunities and
key media visits.
Developing and delivering a comprehensive, collaborative digital marketing strategy - establishing
the resources, skills, tools and processes necessary to optimise, deliver, track and report on all
digital marketing activity.
Building a shared (across arts, heritage and tourism) calendar of major cultural events, exhibitions
and activities – it is expected that this will be a significant partnership and planning tool; enabling an
ongoing strategic approach to campaigns, PR, and product development.
Working with Destination Management Organisations and key tourism agencies to knit the cultural
and tourism offer together. Creating a series of interconnected, culturally rich visitor experiences.
The Audience Agency will:
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Establish a basic research hypothesis, based on current knowledge and assumptions about Norfolk
and Suffolk’s actual and potential cultural visitors, to shape an understanding of the potential
‘cultural tourism’ market.
Bring together the population segments used by the tourism, arts and cultural sectors (including Arts
Audiences Insight, ACORN and MOSAIC) to shape up a qualitative, sophisticated understanding of
our target market; breaking it down into segments and using personae marketing to inform the
findings.
Test the hypothesis with focus groups, finding out more about their target markets’ perception of the
key destinations; the cultural offer; their key motivators for extending stays; their propensity to travel
and explore, when they make a visit; and their key ‘tipping’ points for booking a trip.
Establish an on-going ‘potential audience’ panel to test and develop ideas.
Use this research and segmentation to inform the ongoing planning, digital strategy, product
development and evaluation.
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The lead destinations
We plan to focus on the outstanding cultural offer in Suffolk Coastal, Norwich, Ipswich and Great Yarmouth.
Each has a unique programme with the potential to attract and reward visitors as follows:
Norwich
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Innovative programming and bespoke commissioning – at The Norfolk and Norwich Festival.
Norwich Arts Centre – a year round programme, the annual Sound and Vision Festival.
Major touring opera, plays, musicals and dance and a range of one-off events - at Norwich Theatre
Royal.
The best of British contemporary art – the Hayward Gallery’s British Art Show will be presented
across Norwich in 2016
Between 2014-16 Writers’ Centre Norwich will become the National Centre for Writing in a new
UNESCO City of Literature flagship building in the centre of Norwich, running a series of major
exhibitions, public realm commissions and programmes.
Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery - home to outstanding Designated collections of fine art,
archaeology and natural history and the award-winning Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell.
The Sainsbury Centre collection of world art, private press books and contemporary art.
Ipswich
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New Wolsey Theatre - UK leader in actor/musician work.
Pacitti Company – interventions and the Spill Festival - major programme of national and
international experimental performance.
Ipswich Museums – collaborating with arts organisations and undertaking a significant capital
development.
World Premieres of Gecko’s innovative work.
The best of contemporary dance at DanceEast’s Jerwood Dance House.
New and emerging talent – Pulse Festival - an annual, curated event.
Eastern Angles – rural touring and unique site specific work, focussed on East Anglian themes.
Great Yarmouth
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Seachange Arts - Circus and Street Arts; unique, high quality experiences in a range of spaces.
The International Out there Festival; England’s largest and most diverse street arts and circus
festivals.
The stunning St George's Theatre, built in 1712, presenting a variety of shows and events.
The Suffolk Coast
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World class music events at Aldeburgh Music including the Aldeburgh Festival; the best of popular
orchestral music, jazz and folk during the Snape Prom; extraordinary experimental electronic music
- Faster than Sound ; showcases of new musical talent; visiting opera and dance; SNAP, the
Festival’s international visual arts programme.
The Aldeburgh Poetry Festival – a major, international, annual event in November.
Flip Side – a new annual Brazilian literary festival, hosted at Snape.
High Tide Festival, a nationally significant festival of new writing.
Latitude Festival attracts over 35,000 people for a long weekend of music, film, poetry, dance and
live art.
The lead destinations are the project’s ‘hotspots’; we plan to build cultural tourism by focussing on these
highlights, drawing visitors in and rewarding them with a wide range of follow on experiences, across both
counties.
4. Work plan
A detailed work plan has been developed; it is expected that this will change and develop as the project
rolls out, but we expect the pattern to be as follows:
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Year 1 July 2014 – March 2015 - Developing people, networks and tools – building capacity.
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Year 2 April 2015 – March 2016 Working the tools and the networks – putting culture at the centre
of the visitor offer, building ‘the must see’ brand.
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Year 3 April 2016 – December 2016 – addressing issues, sustainability, building the brand, shared
learning.
5. For further information and informal discussion
Contact:
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Helen Wilson, Chair of the LEP Cultural Board, 01508 550247 helen_wilson77@hotmail.com
Jayne Knight, Arts Development Manager, Suffolk County Council 07540669035,
jayne.knight@suffolk.gov.uk
Harry Young, Interim Chief Executive & General Manager, Aldeburgh Music, 01728 687102
hyoung@aldeburgh.co.uk