Space To Grow is a strand of the ABCD Plan for Cultural Recovery that aims to review the current options for creative space in Brighton & Hove, explore new models and maximise existing capital and organisational infrastructure.

The ABCD Plan identified a number of challenges and opportunities in relation to creative space in the City:

• The impact of Covid-19 lockdown closures puts many of the City’s existing cultural spaces, particularly vital grassroots venues, at risk of permanent closure. Emergency financial support has not been universal and additional funding and new sources of income are needed to cover overheads and preserve infrastructure.
• Availability of workspace is historically a challenge for the Creative Industries in Brighton & Hove (with artists leaving the city due to lack of affordable workspace and the closure of independent venues) but this period in time presents an opportunity for change. How can existing cultural spaces and other potential spaces in the City address the needs of the sector more effectively?
• What spaces can be repurposed?
• What opportunities, through coordination across the City, and across Greater Brighton, can improve access to space for cultural workers and artists?
• How can the audience experience be enhanced through collaboration across the organisations running cultural buildings/temporary spaces in the City?

The SPACE TO GROW Working Group is an opportunity to bring people together across stakeholder groups to have a joined-up discussion, and look at short, medium and long term ideas and actions.

It must be:

• Solution focused – we need to go beyond just articulating the issues again.
• Explore new models – what are the examples of good practice from within and beyond the city that we can learn from.
• Look beyond the city – with the geographical restrictions on Brighton & Hove, any strategy needs to look at Greater Brighton as a cluster with Brighton & Hove at its heart.
• Cross sector – bringing together the creative & cultural sector, the council and commercial and private sector partners, with everyone acknowledging that they have a part to play.

Scope:

Three main areas have been identified for the working group to focus on,

1. Protecting existing space and assets – what are the immediate threats and how might they be countered.
2. Immediate / short term access to space – where are the potential opportunities, including meanwhile use; who are the groups who can respond in the short term and what support might they need; how can we improve access to information on things like rehearsal space.
3. Looking at future development in the medium / long term – what is needed, from a number of perspectives, including what will help raise the national profile of the city and contribute to a long term vision.

Remit:

• Assess the current situation, from both a demand and supply perspective, and identify a series of short, medium and long term actions that will protect existing provision and enable the sector to grow.
• Oversee the evidence gathering and research work being supported by BHCC and Coast to Capital LEP.
• Identify the gaps in the evidence base and guide the commissioning of research to fill those gaps
• Shape a process for identifying investment-ready projects, and identify an initial slate of those projects.
• Support the preparation of business cases and funding applications for future capital investments.

The research and consultancy for the project is being supported by Coast to Capital LEP and Brighton & Hove City Council.

Membership:

There will be a core working group made up of

• Creative & cultural sector reps – 3 members
• Council officers – 3 members – representatives from Planning, Estates and Culture
• Business connectors – 2 members
• Additional people will be invited to join specific meetings, bringing expertise in, for example, property development, meanwhile use, sustainability, community wealth building.

A Chair or Co-Chairs will be chosen from and by this group.

The group will meet monthly from May – December 2022 (with the first meeting in the w/c 23 May)

The creative & cultural sector reps will be selected via an open application process, and there is funding to support 2 freelance places.

The fee for freelancers is £300 per day x 8 days (1 meeting per month plus work in between)

If you are interested in being part of this group please outline, in no more than two sides of A4, or a video submission of no more than 2 minutes,

• Your relevant skills and experience
• How you would help the working group fulfil its remit
• Any access needs and whether you are applying as a freelancer

Timeframe:

Call opens:                   19 April 2022

Submission deadline:  12 May, midday

Shortlisting:                 by 16 May

Interviews:                  18 May

Please send your submissions to [email protected].  Video submissions should be sent by WeTransfer.