CULTURE CUMBRIA BOARD MEETING
14.00ish, 27th November 2009
CREA
This will be a short meeting following lunch at the AGM
Agenda
1.
Welcome, introductions, apologies.
2.
Election of Chair.
3.
Co-options. (Attached)
4.
Minutes of meeting of October 12th. (Attached)
5.
Update on Budget and finances – NJ
6.
Update on research into cultural development agency models - Kate Whitmarsh
7.
Seminar programme – NJ
8. Feedback from the ‘Developing the Cumbria Cultural Youth Offer’ : Partnership Forum
Event 19/10/09 - M Riches
9.
Creative Ambassador Programme - M Riches
10. New Stakeholders (Attached)
11. Dates of future meetings
14th January 2.00pm
18th March 2.00pm
13th May 2.00pm
15th July 2.00pm
30th September 2.00pm
25th November AGM 10.00am
Co-Options
The Board now consists of
Bruce Bennison X
Julie Tait X
Margaret Riches X
Kate Whitmarsh X
Maggie Toner-Edgar X
Alex McCroskie
Adam Sutherland
Andrew Lucas
Richard Foster
Mark Beveridge
Peter Tyas
Taylor Nuttall
Sandra Wood
+ 7 new members (Membership expiring November 2012)
Those marked (X) were elected for 3 year terms, expiring Nov 2011.
The remaining members will be required to stand down (and seek re-election
if they wish) at the next AGM.
Julie Tait has asked if her place can be taken by Jan Shorrock. The Board has
accepted such changes in the past. The Board is asked to approve this.
There is space in the constitution to co-opt up to 8 additional members.
Last year Karl Creaser (English Heritage) and David Gaffney (ACE) were coopted and the Board is asked to consider whether is wishes to re-new those
co-option and if there are any further co-options that they would like to make
at this time.
Culture Cumbria
Special Board Meeting
12/10/09
Minutes
Present
Harriet Smithson, Imelda Winters-Lewis, Richard Foster, Maggie Toner-Edgar, Bruce
Bennison, Taylor Nuttall, Kate Whitmarsh , Sandra Wood, Alex McCroskie, Nick Jones,
David Vaughan, Hilary Wade, Euan Cartwright
Apologies
Margaret Riches, Julie Tait,
Minutes of Previous Meeting
Agreed
Matters Arising
1. The board discussed how best to deal with the appointment of a new chair it was
felt that ideally:

We should have a chair and has good contacts etc

Role of CuCu and hence of the chair more important given the challenges that the
sector faces

Appoint someone who is independent, and can give an overview
Board needs to give this some thought. DV offered to stay on as an interim chair to
give the board an opportunity to consider replacement.
2. European seminar 4th December at Rawnsley Hall Keswick.
Future options for Culture Cumbria
Kate Whitmarsh provided a summary of her findings about Oxford Inspires, NGI,
Highland Arts, Culture Kernow and LARK.
The preliminary finding emphasised the difference in the approaches in the various
areas and the extent to which these reflected the needs of those areas and the funding
relationships between the partner organistions.
The most important issue is to understand what people “will bite your hand off for”
locally
The next step is for the report circulated to the new board. There remain some gaps to
fill, and more information is required on funding. The summary of the research could
then be used to inform the debate at the next board meeting and determine what the
priorities are for Cumbria.
Bruce would have a meeting of LADA officers to cover the same ground.
The chair would report to the AGM to cover this as work in progress.
Not being all things to all men.
There was concern that in the financial crisis that is likely to beset many cultural
agencies there may be an opportunity for consolidation and sharing between existing
organisations. It was suggested that a map of existing orgaisation could be drawn up for
the dicussion at the board.
Past Present and future for cultural tourism
Alex and Sandra lead a discussion around the need to ensure that the successful
partnership between CT and CuCu needed to evolve now that Cultural Tourism had been
mainstreamed within CT. CT doesn’t want to act in isolation but it was important to
avoid duplication of functions.
The cultural tourism steering group might be reformed so that it comes from across the
sector rather than being a sub group of the board.
Need to augment the activity of CT to strengthen the message about culture in Cumbria.
The NWDA – is keen to establish priorities for development in the sector in Cumbria and
CT needs input from the sector to guide them. The Marketing group is an essential part
but needs to be broadened in its membership.
There will continue to be a need for
 Advocacy of the importance of culture to the county

Lobbying for importance of culture to tourism

Case building for funding

Vision – establishing priorities
It was suggested that this has a significant ovelap with the previous debate in we might
seek to resolve the two issues at the same time.
Date of Next Meeting
17th November at CREA after the AGM
Stakeholder Applications
NAME:Tazeem Abbas
ADDRESS:The Lough Thurstonfield Carlisle CA5 6HB
I am interested in and my be affected by the work of Culture Cumbria and wish
to be kept informed of events and developments relating to Culture in Cumbria.
NAME:Jonathon Green - Gen Manager.
ADDRESS:Rydal Hall. Rydal, Ambleside, LA22 9LX
We are interested in becoming associated with yourselves and would like further
details.