Agenda of Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Item No. 6.1

Agenda (Open Portion)

Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Page 7

6/6/2018

REPORT TITLE: Hadley's Art Prize - Partnership Request

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Associate Director Communications and Marketing

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. The purpose of this report is to consider a request from the Hadley’s Art Prize for the City of Hobart to enter into a partnership to provide financial support on an ongoing basis for the People’s Choice Award.

2. Report Summary

2.1. A request has been received for the City of Hobart to partner with the Hadley’s Art Prize through financial support of the People’s Choice Award.

2.2. The Hadley’s Art Prize is presented by Hadley’s Orient Hotel and is an annual, acquisitive Australian landscape prize with the winning entry receiving a $100,000 prize. The winning entry is added to the permanent art collection at Hadley’s.

2.3. In addition to the Hadley’s Art Prize visitors to the exhibition are invited to vote for a People’s Choice Award. The People’s Choice Award in 2017 was titled the ‘Mercury People’s Choice Award’ and the prize for the winning artist was $5,000.

2.4. The People’s Choice Award was popular during the 2017 exhibition however, following a review the organisers consider that there are opportunities to make more of the People’s Award through increased promotion and prize money.

2.5. Hadley’s Art Prize that has requested that the City of Hobart make an ongoing financial contribution of $10,000 per annum to the People’s Choice Award with the Mercury newspaper matching this amount by way of promotion for the award.

2.6. The Council makes a significant investment in cultural and art programs through the community Development Grants program and most recently the Council endorsed a new model for the City of Hobart Art Prize with the first exhibition being held in 2020 in partnership with TMAG.

2.6.1. The total investment by the City for the art prize, over a two year period, is $216,412 and the $235,000 per year via the Creative Hobart stream of the Community Development grants program.

3. Recommendation

That the Council declines to enter into a partnership agreement with Hadley’s Art Prize, as detailed in Attachment A to this report, to provide support for the People’s Choice Award at a cost of $10,000 per year, as it does not align with the Creative Hobart Strategy.

4. Background

4.1. The Hadley’s Art Prize is presented by Hadley’s Orient Hotel and is a commercial Prize which is held annually, with the winning entry receiving a $100,000 prize. The winning entry is added to the permanent art collection at Hadley’s.

4.2. The inaugural Hadley’s Art Prize was held in 2017 and sought to contribute to the Tasmanian and Australian art scene through the promotion of contemporary landscape artists. The 2017 theme for the Prize was ‘History and Place’ and entries were encouraged from emerging and indigenous artists.

4.3. There were 41 national finalists for the Prize in 2017 with eleven finalists being from Tasmania. The winner of the inaugural Prize was an indigenous artist from South Australia, Peter Mungkuri.

4.4. In addition to the Hadley’s Art Prize visitors to the exhibition were invited to vote for a People’s Choice Award. The People’s Choice Award in 2017 was titled the ‘Mercury People’s Choice Award’ and the prize for the winning artist was $5,000.

4.4.1. The inaugural People’s Choice Award was won by South Australian artist Thom Buchanan.

4.5. The dates for the 2018 Hadley’s Art Prize are from 20 July to 25 August 2018. The People’s Choice Award will be a feature of the Prize again in 2018 and it is for this award that Hadley’s Art Prize is requesting support.

4.6. The People’s Choice Award was popular during the 2017 exhibition however, following a review the organisers consider that there are opportunities to make more of the People’s Award through increased promotion and prize money.

4.7. It has been suggested by Hadley’s Art Prize that the City of Hobart make an ongoing financial contribution of $10,000 per annum to the People’s Choice Award with the Mercury newspaper matching this amount by way of promotion for the award.

4.7.1. The contribution of the City and the Mercury would be recognised by naming the award “The City of Hobart and Mercury People’s Choice Award”.

4.8. The Council makes a significant investment in cultural and art programs through the community Development Grants program and most recently the Council endorsed a new model for the City of Hobart Art Prize with the first exhibition being held in 2020 in partnership with TMAG.

4.8.1. The total investment by the City for the art prize, over a two year period, is $216,412 and the $235,000 per annum via the Creative Hobart stream of the Community Development grants program.

4.8.2. The arts prize and Creative Hobart grant streams align strongly with the Creative Hobart Strategy which outlines nine core objectives as listed below and is focused on supporting, nurturing and guiding the development of arts and creative industries in Hobart:

1. Enhancing a sense of place

2. Activating public spaces

3. Activating Council facilities

4. Nurturing creativity

5. Investing in innovation

6. Celebrating excellence and diversity

7. Connecting creative people

8. Gathering and disseminating knowledge

9. Brokering connections.

4.9. While the Hadley’s Art Prize is held in Hobart it is a national prize open to Australian artists and does not align strongly with the Council’s Creative Hobart Strategy.

4.10. It is also noted that applications for the Creative Hobart grant streams are becoming more competitive each round. Applications are diverse with strong community benefit and all funds tend to be utilised in each grant round.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that the Council declines the request from Hadley’s Art Prize to enter into a partnership, at the value of $10,000 per year, to support the People’s Choice Award.

5.1.1. The Council provides funding for cultural and art programs through the art prize and the Community Development grant program which are aligned to the Creative Hobart Strategy. The request from Hadley’s Art Prize for the Council to provide funding for the People’s Choice Award is not closely aligned with this Strategy.

5.1.2. Funding the People’s Choice Award may set a precedent or expectation for Council to provide funding for other commercial art competitions in the future.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. It is noted that there was a resolution from the Council meeting held on 23 January 2017 that the Council develop a policy and criteria to enable consistency around the consideration of future sponsorship/partnership requests, this policy is currently being developed.

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. There are no implications in the current financial year

7.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

7.2.1. If the Council was to approve the request from Hadley’s Art Prize the cost of $10,000 per year would be met through the Communications and Marketing budget function of the Annual Plan.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. There are no legal, risk or legislative considerations associated with this matter.

9. Marketing and Media

9.1. If the Council approves the request from Hadley’s Art Prize to enter into a sponsorship agreement to fund the People’s Choice Award the City of Hobart, together with the Mercury, any agreement would include naming rights for the Award and branding opportunities in line with the City of Hobart Grant and Partnership Acknowledgement Guidelines.

10. Delegation

10.1. This matter is delegated to the Council.

As signatory to this report, I certify that, pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, I hold no interest, as referred to in Section 49 of the Local Government Act 1993, in matters contained in this report.

Umesh Ratnagobal

Associate Director Communications and Marketing

Date: 30 May 2018

File Reference: F18/59798

Attachment a: Hadley's Art Prize Request ⇩

Item No. 6.2

Agenda (Open Portion)

Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Page 15

6/6/2018

REPORT TITLE: Community Development Grants Program - Review

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Acting Associate Director Community Development

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. This report responds to the Council resolution of 21 November 2016 that requested consideration of the development of a Medium Cultural Organisations grant stream along with the Council resolution of 23 October 2017 that requested a review of funding pool amounts within the Community, Creative Hobart, and Events streams.

1.2. In addition, this report considers the Council’s funding agreement with Dark Mofo and proposes that this relationship change from that of a grant based agreement to an Economic Development/Tourism based sponsorship agreement.

2. Report Summary

Medium Cultural Organisations Grant Stream

2.1. This report responds to the Council resolution of 21 November 2016 regarding the Community Development Grants Program - 12 Month Review report which contained the following proposal:

‘The need for a new Medium Cultural Organisation’s grant stream, which could operate under similar terms as the current Major Cultural Organisations stream, but which would require an additional funding allocation of $50,000, be reviewed following the next round of grants in February 2017, and if necessary be subject to a further report to the Council.’

2.2. The proposed new funding stream has been researched and reviewed following the outcomes of the:

· February and August 2017 and the February 2018 rounds of Creative Hobart project grants; and

· June 2017 round of Major Cultural Organisations.

2.3. There is a perceived gap by some members of the cultural sector in ongoing administrative funding for those organisations that could be defined as medium cultural organisations.

2.3.1. The shortfall identified by these organisations is in the area of ongoing organisational funding, not funding provided by the City for projects, events and activities.

2.3.2. At the time of this request, there was also a concern that many medium cultural organisations would have difficulty in securing project funding through Creative Hobart project rounds.

2.3.3. Increasingly, medium cultural organisations have been successful in receiving project grants.

2.4. As there are more than 60 cultural organisations within Hobart that could be defined as medium cultural organisations the implementation of such a program by the Council to address this gap would require an annual funding pool in the order of $150,000 to provide sufficient funds.

2.5. This report therefore recommends against the creation of the proposed new medium cultural organisations grant funding stream within the Community Development Grants program.

Grant Pool Allocations

2.6. In order to ascertain if sufficient funds have been allocated within each of the current Community Development project grant streams, a detailed review of funding allocations within the Community, Creative Hobart and Event streams has been undertaken.

2.6.1. This review has not included the annual Major Cultural Organisation Grants, Marketing Grants which were recently reviewed separately, the Carols Grants which were reviewed following the 2017 carols events and the Dr Edward Hall and Waste grants which will be administered by the Community and Culture Division for the first time in the upcoming round opening in June 2018.

2.7. This review has considered the quality of applications and the amount of funding requested vs funding allocated by the Council over the past four funding rounds across each grant stream area.

2.8. As a result of this review it has been determined that requests have been consistently higher than available funds across all streams but most particularly within the Creative Hobart Medium and Event Partnership streams.

2.9. Detailed analysis has revealed that there is a high demand across all grant streams with details of the grant requests versus the successful applications shown on the graphs for each stream shown at Attachment A to this report.

2.10. Based on this analysis, modest increases across most grant streams are proposed which would support at least one additional grant being awarded in each project grant round (two rounds per year).

2.10.1. The increase in funding being proposed is as follows:

· Creative Hobart Medium Grant Pool - $30,000

· Event Grants - $40,000

· Small Community Grants - $10,000

Event Partnership Grant Stream

2.11. Detailed consideration of the Event Partnership grant stream has been undertaken noting that the current three-year Dark Mofo grant provision will conclude with the 2018 event.

2.12. It is noted that with the current $410,000 grant pool allocation, were Dark Mofo to apply for an equivalent amount to their grant for the 2018 festival, this would result in a request of $258,408, leaving just $151,592 for all remaining festivals and events to be funded in 2018/19.

2.12.1. Events that officers are certain will be seeking event partnerships in 2019 are The Wooden Boat Festival, Festival of Voices, Ten Days on Island and the Ceramics Triennial. It is further noted that there have been several other organisations indicating that they will be considered submitting an application to this round.

2.13. It is acknowledged that with the significant growth of Dark Mofo in terms of economic benefit and tourism outcomes for the city, this event could be considered as a sponsorship arrangement within the City Economy, Tourism and Events Division.

2.14. The Dark Mofo event is considered to be in a different realm than the other major events that will be applying through the major event partnership round in regards to scale, economic benefits and activation of the City.

2.15. For the 2018 Dark Mofo festival $82,037 of the in-kind support provided by the City is for the hire of equipment from the Taste of Tasmania.

2.15.1. Although this in-kind support is not an actual cost to the Council as it is for the use of Taste equipment that the Council already owns, it is noted that there is some monetary cost as the increased usage of the equipment does result in additional wear and tear and therefore additional maintenance and asset replacement costs.

2.16. If the Dark Mofo event was to be considered as an economic development/tourism sponsorship arrangement, there would be the capacity for the City to leverage additional outcomes in recognition of the Council’s support.

2.17. It is proposed that $300,000 be retained in the Event Partnership Grant pool to provide capacity to support the major events that will be applying for funding shortly for their 2019 events.

2.18. The $110,000 budget allocation remaining from the current allocation would be transferred to the City Economy, Tourism and Events budget allocation to support the cash component of the expected sponsorship request from Dark Mofo.

2.18.1. It is noted that an additional budget allocation would be required in the City Economy, Tourism and Events budget allocation to fund the remainder of the expected Dark Mofo request.

2.18.2. Dark Mofo would be advised that they would need to submit a detailed proposal for an Economic Development and Tourism sponsorship arrangement that would be considered by the Council later in 2018.

Payment of in-kind grant component

2.19. It is noted that when organisations apply for in-kind funding through the Community Development Grant Program, the financial value of the in-kind support is treated as a real cost to the grants program with the expenditure being journaled from the grants budget to the relevant budget function ie. parks, waste, hall keeping, Taste of Tasmania, traffic, parking etc.

2.19.1. The in-kind costs paid to other areas of the Council utilise a large proportion of the overall grant budget allocation in the Community Development Grant Program.

Applicant Presentations to Committee

2.20. There have been occasions when applicant organisations that have not been successful for funding or have only received partial funding have sought to attend Committee to address Aldermen. This has caused some concern as other organisations have not been permitted the same opportunity.

2.21. To ensure that a consistent approach is applied and the integrity and transparency of the grants program is maintained it is proposed that the Application for Grants – Community Development Division policy be updated to not permit deputations or presentations to Committees following the closure of the grant funding rounds (as shown in Attachment B to this report).

2.21.1. It is noted that if deputations and presentations are permitted and organisations are made aware of this, there could potentially be several deputations at the Committee meetings where grant recommendations are being considered.

2.22. This proposed clarification would not apply to organisations that are wishing to provide Aldermen with information on their event/project prior to the grant round closing.

3. Recommendation

That:

1. A new grant program for medium sized cultural organisations not be progressed.

2. The Council approve an increase of $80,000 in the Community Development Planning and Coordination budget allocation in the 2018-19 draft Annual Plan as detailed below:

· Creative Hobart Medium Grants - $30,000

· Small Community Grants - $10,000

· Event Grants - $40,000.

3. The total amount available annually for Event Partnership grants be reduced to $300,000 with $110,000 from the existing allocation of $410,000 being transferred to the City Economy, Tourism and Events budget allocation in the 2018-19 draft Annual Plan.

4. The current Council Policy, Application of Grants – Community Development Division, be amended as shown in Attachment B to this report so as not to permit delegations or presentations to Council Committees by grant applicants following the closure of grant rounds.

4. Background

Medium Cultural Organisations Grant Funding Stream

4.1. In November 2016, the Community Development Grants Program - 12-month Review report was submitted to the Council reviewing a range of grants managed by the Community Development Division including Creative Hobart project grants, Events and Festivals grants and Community grants.

4.1.1. The report recommended that Council officers investigate the need for a new round of grants specifically for medium-sized arts and cultural organisations.

4.2. During the 2016 review of community development grants, officers received cultural sector feedback that there is a need for ongoing administrative and operational funding support for medium cultural organisations.

4.2.1. There are more than 60 organisations in Hobart such as Terrapin Puppet Theatre, the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre, Contemporary Art Tasmania, Blue Cow Theatre and the Tasmanian Theatre Company that could be classified as medium cultural organisations. (Attachment C to this report.)

4.3. While there is a case to argue that the City of Hobart could support medium cultural organisations with a grant stream similar to the Major Cultural Organisations Grant stream (MCO), there are a number of key differences that need to be considered.

4.3.1. There are only four cultural organisations within Hobart that are eligible to apply for MCO funding. As previously stated there are over 60 organisations within Hobart that could be defined as a medium cultural organisation.

4.3.2. Any funds provided through the proposed grant stream would need to be in the order of $20,000 per applicant to have any significant impact on the administrative costs of eligible organisations. As previously stated this would require a significant annual allocation.

4.3.3. If the City was to provide funds to support the ongoing administrative costs of medium cultural organisations similar sized organisations that have a charitable, health and wellbeing, recreation, social or other community focus could argue for the same level of support from the city.

4.4. With the above in mind this report recommends against the creation of the new grant stream within the Community Development Grants program as it could be seen as insufficient, inequitable and unsustainable.

Review of Community, Creative Hobart and Event funding allocations

4.5. The City’s Community Development Grant Program invests over $1 million annually into health and wellbeing, environmental, social, cultural and economic projects that have significant cultural, economic, community and social inclusion outcomes.

4.6. As requested at the Council meeting of 23 October 2017 a review of funding within the Community, Creative Hobart and Event streams, including Quick Response, Small and Medium grants, has been undertaken.

4.7. This review has compared funding requests vs funding allocations over the past four grant rounds in order to determine if sufficient funds have been allocated in each grant stream to support the number and quality of applications.

4.8. The results of this review are provided at Attachment A to this report.

4.9. The results indicate that there have been significant variances between requests for funds and the amounts available within the Community Small, Creative Hobart Medium and Event grant streams. This takes into consideration the quality of applications, as not all applications warranted funding in each round.

4.9.1. It is noted that in the Event grant stream, the vast majority of event applicants have only received partial funding due to the limited funds available and in order to provide at least some support to a range of worthy events.

4.10. It is therefore proposed that as requests for funding are consistently higher than available funds, the grant streams have insufficient funds within them and could be considered for extra funds at this stage.

4.10.1. The exception is the Creative Hobart Small grant stream and Quick Response grants were no changes are proposed.

4.11. The following table shows the current grant pool allocations and the proposed increases:

Grant stream	Current allocation	Proposed increase	Proposed total
Creative Hobart - Medium	$94,000	$30,000	$124,000
Community - Small	$70,000	$10,000	$80,000
Events	$150,000	$40,000	$190,000
TOTAL	$314,000	$80,000	$394,000

4.12. This increase to the grant pools would allow at least one additional grant application to be funded in each project grant round.

Event Partnership Grants

4.13. The Event Partnership Grant funding stream provides grants over $20,000 to major events held in Hobart. Events previously funded through this stream include the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, Ten Days on the Island, the Festival of Voices, the Australian Antarctic Festival and Dark Mofo.

4.13.1. Dark Mofo is the single most significant cultural festival delivered within Tasmania and one of the most significant in Australia. The event is a major economic and cultural driver and provides Hobart with a level of national and international exposure that simply cannot be delivered by any other event supported by the City.

4.14. The event stands alone in terms of economic and cultural impact and in this regard cannot reasonably be considered in the same way as other events seeking funding from the City through the Event Partnership process.

4.15. Dark Lab/Dark Mofo, have a three year funding agreement with the City of Hobart which expires after this year’s festival.

4.16. The City’s cash and in-kind support of the festival is a vital component of the festival’s success, as many of the festival events, exhibitions and activities utilise Council venues, infrastructure, services or support in order to be delivered.

4.16.1. The current grant agreement provides $150,000 in cash and $50,000 in-kind annually, except for the first year of the agreement which provided $250,000 in cash.

4.17. On 23 April 2018 the Council resolved to provide an extra $58,408 of in-kind support to Dark Lab for the 2018 Dark Mofo festival, bringing the total cash and in-kind funding support provided by the City for this year’s festival to $258,408.

4.17.1. The funds required to cover the additional in-kind allocation were attributed to the City of Hobart Art Prize budget for 2017-18 as these funds were unspent due to the review of the art prize.

4.18. It is envisaged that due to the expansion of elements such as the City of Hobart Winter Feast and increased fees and charges for the hire of event equipment any future in-kind requests would be at least equal to and more than likely higher than the amount requested by Dark Lab this year and that the original $50,000 in-kind allocation is now insufficient.

4.18.1. It should be noted that the funds from the City of Hobart Art Prize budget will not be available to cover any future requests from Dark Lab/Dark Mofo.

4.19. While there has been no formal request from Dark Lab to the City of Hobart to renew this funding agreement for a further three years, early indications from Dark Lab staff are that the organisation will be seeking to do so.

4.19.1. Due to the practical requirements of delivering this year’s festival in June any such request is likely to occur in the second half of 2018.

4.20. Apart from the extra in-kind costs detailed above all costs associated with the City’s financial and in-kind support for Dark Mofo is allocated to the Major Festival and Events Grant budget, which has an annual allocation of $410,000.

4.21. Staff are aware that there will be a number of events applying for significant levels of Event Partnership funding in the coming Event Partnership grant round, which opens in June. This includes events previously funded and identified earlier in this report such as the Festival of Voices, Ten Days on the Island and the Australian Wooden Boat Festival. It also includes events that may apply for Event Partnership funding for the first time, such as Open House Tasmania and a proposed Ceramics Triennial.

4.21.1. The City would not be in a position to support the number and diversity of these high quality events if Dark Mofo continues to draw funds from the Major Festival and Events budget at current levels.

4.21.2. The previous requests from the Wooden Boat Festival, Festival of Voices and Ten Days on the Island for their most recent festivals amounts to $295,000 without any consideration of increased funding or any other requests.

4.22. Whilst Dark Mofo provides community participation and social inclusion outcomes, it is considered that due to the scale and nature of the event as an economic driver for the city that the city’s investment is therefore better suited to a sponsorship arrangement rather than a grant agreement.

4.22.1. The City has a sponsorship arrangement with the North Melbourne Football Club that provides a high level of national and international exposure for the city without this support reducing the City’s grant support for other events.

4.23. Given the likelihood that the request from Dark Lab/Dark Mofo will be at least equal to the amount provided this year ($258,408) it is proposed that the City move to a sponsorship arrangement with Dark Lab/Dark Mofo and that funds to support such an agreement be allocated from the City Economy, Tourism and Events Budget.

4.23.1. This would require additional funding to be allocated to the City Economy, Tourism and Events budget allocation noting that $110,000 would be transferred from Community and Culture Division and that $82,000 is in-kind costs currently recorded as income in the Taste of Tasmania budget. This has become a growing income stream to offset some of the costs associated with the delivery of the Taste of Tasmania which will need to be a consideration for future funding of the Taste.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that:

5.1.1. A new grant program for medium sized cultural organisations not be progressed.

5.1.2. The total amount available annually for the Community Development Project Grant Rounds be increased as follows:

· Creative Hobart Medium Grants - $30,000

· Small Community Grants - $10,000

· Event Grants - $40,000.

5.1.3. The total amount available annually for Event Partnership grants be reduced to $300,000 with $110,000 from the existing allocation of $410,000 being transferred to the Economic, Tourism and Events budget allocation.

5.1.4. The current Council Policy, Application of Grants – Community Development Division, be amended as shown in Attachment B so as not to permit delegations or presentations to Council Committees by grant applicants once grant funding rounds have closed.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. The provision of the Community Development Grant Program responds to a number of City of Hobart strategies, most specifically:

6.1.1. The Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025:

· Offers opportunities for all ages and a city for life

· Is recognised for its natural beauty and quality of environment

· Is well governed at a regional and community level

· Achieves good quality development and urban management

· Is highly accessible through efficient transport systems

· Builds strong and healthy communities through diversity, participation and empathy

· Is dynamic, vibrant and culturally expressive.

6.1.2. The Economic Development, Vibrancy and Culture priority area of activity in the City of Hobart Strategic Plan 2015-2025:

· Partnerships with Government, the education sector and business to create city growth

· Cultural and creative activities build community wellbeing and economic viability.

6.1.3. The City of Hobart Social Inclusion Strategy 2014-2019:

· Recognising that diversity in the community is one of Hobart’s greatest assets

· Ensuring that the needs and aspirations of the most disadvantaged people in the community are addressed

· Identifying and understanding the root causes of disadvantage and giving priority to supporting early intervention and prevention approaches

· Promoting and providing equity and access to all our activities, programs, facilities and services.

6.1.4. Creative Hobart Cultural Strategy - the City as:

· A platform for creativity

· An incubator of diversity and excellence in the arts and culture

· A connector of creative people and the community.

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. There is no impact on the current financial year.

7.2. Impact on Future Years' Financial Result

7.2.1. If approved, $110,000 from the Community Planning and Coordination Budget function allocation (Event Partnerships activity area) would be reallocated to the City Economy, Tourism and Events budget function allocation in the 2018-19 draft annual plan to be utilised for future Dark Mofo sponsorship.

7.2.2. If approved, an additional total allocation of $80,000 would be allocated to the Community Planning and Coordination budget function allocation in the 2018-19 draft annual plan comprising, $30,000 for Creative Hobart Medium Grants, $10,000 for Community Small Grants and $40,000 for Event Grants.

7.2.3. The redistribution of grant funds would be ongoing.

7.2.4. If approved, an additional funding allocation would need to be included in the 2018-19 City Economy, Tourism and Events budget for the sponsorship of Dark Mofo.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. There are no legal, risk or legislative considerations beyond those already managed as part of the current Community Development.

9. Marketing and Media

9.1. The proposed changes to the Community Development Grant Program presents an opportunity to further highlight the number and diversity of community and cultural projects supported by the City.

10. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

10.1. The Cultural Development Officer, Community Activation Coordinator, Manager City Marketing, Associate Director Economic Development and Tourism and the Executive Officer - Community Development were consulted in the writing of this report.

11. Delegation

11.1. This matter is delegated to the Council.

Kimbra Parker

Acting Associate Director Community Development

Date: 1 June 2018

File Reference: F17/113379; 17/213

Attachment a: Community Development Grants Program funding analysis ⇩

Attachment b: Applications for Grants - amended policy ⇩

Attachment c: List of medium cultural organisations ⇩

Item No. 6.3

Agenda (Open Portion)

Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Page 42

6/6/2018

REPORT TITLE: New Town Retail Precinct Upgrade - Public Art Component

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Cultural Programs Coordinator

Acting Associate Director Community Development

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. The purpose of this report is to update the Council on the public art component of the New Town Retail Precinct Upgrade.

1.2. Public art projects are an important component of the retail upgrade program, with artworks bringing benefit to communities by establishing or building identity and bring daily delight to these areas.

2. Report Summary

2.1. In December 2015, the Council endorsed a plan to upgrade a series of local retail precincts across Hobart. A Plan for Hobart’s Local Retail Precincts (the plan) was prepared by a consultant team including MRCagney, Inspiring Place, Village Well, Jon Mongard Landscape Architects and Fresh Start Communications.

2.2. New Town is the second precinct to be progressed as part of this plan and construction is expected to commence in early 2019.

2.3. A commission for new public art is one component of the precinct upgrade. The decision to include public art was reinforced via the community engagement process for the overall project, with three of the 18 priorities developed by the Project Action Team (PAT) relating to public art. A selection and commissioning process for the public art component was initiated once the PAT priorities were established.

2.4. A panel, including the Public Art Advisory Panel, community members and key internal stakeholders selected the shortlisted artists and the final concept.

2.5. The selected concept, by Matt Drysdale from the Office of Collective Design (OCD), is entitled Hybrids and proposes placing a number of sculptural elements with hybrid purpose (eg a sculpture that is also a seat and a planter) at locations integrated with new infrastructure works along the retail strip. The concept design is shown at Attachment A.

2.6. Local community members have been engaged with the briefing, decision making and review of the public art via the PAT nominated artwork selection team and through a number of public or invited presentations.

2.7. The artwork commission is being co-funded by the Public Art Program ($35,000) and the Transforming Hobart capital works budget ($50,000).

3. Recommendation

That:

1. The Council receive and note the public art component for the New Town retail precinct, which has been prepared in response to recommendations from the New Town community’s Project Action Team and other members of the community.

2. The Council endorse the public release of the public art component for the New Town retail precinct.

4. Background

4.1. New Town is the second precinct to be progressed as part of this plan and construction is expected to commence in early 2019. A commission for new public art is one component of the precinct upgrade.

4.2. The decision to include public art was reinforced via the community engagement process for the overall project, with three of the 18 priorities developed by the Project Action Team (PAT) related to public art:

“Name: Public Art - Poster Pole
Recommendation: To install a poster pole in the Cross Street / New Town Road / Valentine Street junction area

Rationale: Identified as the predominant meeting/gathering place

Level of support: The PAT supported this recommendation being in their report.

Name: Public Art Excellence

Recommendation: Public art and design to be original and creative so that future projects will be inspired by excellence in design in New Town

Rationale: Unique and identifiable

Level of support: The PAT supported this recommendation being in their report.

Name: Public Art - Integrated

Recommendation: To include multi-purpose public art/ design with functionality ie. Seating, railings, lighting, bins, engagement / interactive

Rationale: Cost effective

Level of support: The PAT supported this recommendation being in their report.”

4.3. A selection and commissioning process for the public art component was initiated once the PAT priorities were established.

4.4. The panel to shortlist artists, and choose the final concept represented various stakeholder groups including:

· Public Art Advisory Panel (three members at each of the selection meetings)

· Project Action Team community representatives (four members at each meeting)

· City Design/Traffic teams (three members at each meeting)

· Community Engagement team (one member at second meeting)

· Public Art team (three members at each meeting)

4.5. The commissioning brief for the project specified the following objectives for the commission:

· Contribute to the revitalisation of the New Town Retail Precinct Upgrade, through inclusion of engaging and enduring public art that appeals to a wide range of community members, including children, and will remain contemporary and relevant for the long term.

· To recognise and communicate the unique identity of this area, which is linked to the history, local community and the natural environment.

· To select a work, in conjunction with the local community, that is accessible and enjoyable for locals and visitors using the precinct on a daily basis.

4.6. The commission brief for the project specified the following requirements for the commission, that it:

· be integrated

· engage creatively with the notion of a shared movement corridor (pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles large and small)

· provide opportunities for urban play.

4.7. At the beginning of the concept period all of the artists participated in an intensive briefing day for the project that included the following:

· Meeting with the planning/design team to go through the overall process of engagement and design to date

· Meeting with the Public Art team to provide feedback from the panel selection meeting and emphasise the priorities for the project from a Public Art Program perspective

· Meeting with the City’s Community Development Officer - Children and Families and a member of the City’s Community Engagement team regarding the results of their consultation with children from local schools in the area

· Meeting with interested community members to brief the artists on New Town as a place to live and work and to allow the artists to ask questions of this group.

4.8. Each of the shortlisted artists presented to a representative panel and the selected concept was by Matt Drysdale from the Office of Collective Design (OCD). Drysdale’s design for the project responded to two key aspects of the project:

· The physical characteristics of the space itself - the length and scale of the retail strip, the eclectic nature of the buildings; and

· The character of New Town - as gauged from the briefings with local community members and the documented consultation with children.

4.9. Through the written brief and the verbal briefings from various groups, Drysdale heard of a community desire for:

· Cohesion and identity in the streetscape

· Bold public art (from the discussions with PAT representatives when shortlisting artists)

· “Public Art to define/ enhance/ identify the gateways.” (PAT priorities)

· “Public Art - Integrated: To include multi-purpose public art/ design with functionality” (PAT priorities)

· “Public Art Poster Pole - To install a poster pole in the Cross St / New Town Road / Valentine St junction area” (PAT priorities)

· Street planting

· Street furniture.

4.10. The following are a series of quotes from Drysdale’s concept presentation that define key reference points for his proposal:

· “Some key things picked up from our site visit were a lack of public street trees because of existing infrastructure and site constraints, the opportunity for annual community street parties and how the sculptures can be integrated within this, the importance of legibility at varying distances and also experiencing the sculptures both night and day.

· The key strategy for this proposal is to design and deliver an integrated public sculpture that serves a hybrid purpose - exciting the senses, while performing additional practical functions.

· The sculptures are intended to be integrated into the retail precinct upgrades as reflected by the attached site plans and have the flexibility to be refined, revised and developed with involvement of the City of Hobart urban design team.

· These sculptures need to be legible and interactive at varying levels of urban scale (from the pedestrian to the moving vehicle).

· The sculptures are to be located in visible areas as well as at the key entry nodes.

· I have identified potential locations for artworks derived from site investigation and the proposed retail precinct upgrade works.”

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. Matt Drysdale’s concept for the public artwork for the New Town Retail Precinct upgrade, entitled Hybrids, proposes a number of sculptural elements with a hybrid purpose in key locations along the retail strip as shown in Attachment A to this report.

5.2. The key hybrid purposes proposed are as sculpture, furniture and wayfinding/entry marker, but other proposed uses include poster pole, play element, light, planter, Wi-Fi hotspot, bike facilities, water fountain, performance backdrop. A sculpture might have up to four purposes - for example, a sculpture which is a seat, a light and an entry marker for the precinct.

5.3. Locations have been selected to mark out the precinct and to help to define the identity of the precinct.

5.4. It is important to note that the selected concept (Attachment A) is intended to be integrated with the infrastructure work and will likely incorporate some changes in form, material and exact location as a result of the following:

· heritage requirements

· planning requirements

· traffic safety parameters

· existence of underground services

· requirements of existing building owners directly affected by the location of works (eg egress requirements for the Church at the intersection of Cross Street and New Town Road).

5.5. Three key changes have already been proposed for the artwork, as follows:

· Redesign of the elements at the Cross Street intersection in response to conversations with the City’s Senior Heritage Officer;

· Change to focus the work at three locations within the streetscape upgrade: Pirie Street, Salvation Army pocket Park and the intersection of Cross Street with New Town Road; and

· Removal of the element proposed for Woolworths (due to the parameters required for traffic safety at this point of New Town Road).

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. The proposal furthers a number of strategic objectives of the Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025, including:

“1.3 Vibrant city centre and suburban precincts;

2.1 A fully accessible and connected environment;

2.2 A people-focussed city with well-designed and well managed urban and recreational spaces;

4.1 Community connectedness and participation realises the cultural and social potential of the community; and

5.4 An engaged civic culture where people feel part of decision making.”

6.2. Correspondingly, the project addresses Outcome Areas 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.3, and 3.1 of the Creative Hobart Strategy, namely:

· Enhancing sense of place

· Activating Public Spaces

· Nurturing creativity

· Celebrating excellence and diversity

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. $15,000 of the overall commission cost is committed from the Public Art program budget for the 2017-18 financial year.

7.1.2. $6,500 of the overall commission cost is committed from the Transforming Hobart capital works budget for the 2017-18 financial year.

7.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

7.2.1. $20,000 of the overall commission cost is committed from the Public Art program budget for the 2018-19 financial year

7.2.2. $43,500 of the overall commission cost is committed from the Transforming Hobart capital works budget for the 2018-19 financial year.

7.2.3. Ongoing maintenance for the work, if and when required, will be drawn from the Public Art maintenance funds, managed by the Public Art program.

7.2.4. Any specialist cleaning, if or when required for the work will be drawn from the ongoing Cleansing and Solid Waste Budget.

7.3. Asset Related Implications

7.3.1. Each of the final sculptural elements installed in the retail precinct will be new assets for the City of Hobart.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. The Public Art team has sought planning advice on the project and it is expected that the artworks located on sites where Development Approval will be required will be incorporated into applications as part of the overall infrastructure works.

9. Environmental Considerations

9.1. In guiding the selected artist through the Design Development, Fabrication and Installation stages, he will be directed to effective and efficient use of material, including waste minimisation (for example, nesting of laser cut steel to reduce waste) and to direct his local fabricators similarly.

10. Social and Customer Considerations

10.1. A process of consultation was undertaken to include key stakeholders in the decision making process for the selection of the concept, as detailed in section 12 of this report.

10.2. Given the hybrid function of each of the sculptural elements it is expected that the can be enjoyed by a wide range of people within the local and broader Hobart community including those on foot and in cars; children, youth and adults; and those experiencing the work up close or from a distance.

10.3. The scale of the sculptural elements will landmark the retail strip, bringing a unique identity to the area for local residents.

11. Marketing and Media

11.1. As part of the development of the project the Public Art team will be working closely with the Communications and Marketing Division to effectively communicate the work and build interest and excitement for the installation.

12. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

12.1. Throughout the commissioning stage of the project the Public Art team have worked with the Community Engagement team to speak with, listen to and work with members of the Project Action Team (PAT), other members of the community and internal project stakeholders.

12.1.1. A project introduction was presented to the PAT in the lead up to their workshops defining priorities for the project, explaining the commissioning process; looking at the types of public art suited to this context; and asking for representatives from the group to be part of the selection panel.

12.1.2. When Expressions of Interest were received, four members of the PAT, three City of Hobart design/planning team members, three Public Art Advisory Panel members and three Public Art team members were part of a panel to select three artists/artist teams for proceeding to a paid concept stage of commissioning.

12.1.3. At the beginning of the concept period all of the artists participated in an intensive briefing day for the project that included meeting with the following:

· the planning/design team to go through the overall process of engagement and design to date

· the Public Art team to provide feedback from the panel selection meeting and emphasise the priorities for the project from a Public Art Programme perspective

· the City’s Community Development Officer - Children and Families and one of the Community Engagement team about the results of their consultation with children from local schools in the area

· interested community members to brief the artists on New Town as a place to live and work and to allow the artists to ask questions of this group.

12.1.4. The same, representative selection panel met again to watch presentations of concepts from each of the shortlisted artists/artist teams.

12.1.5. The selected artist, Matt Drysdale, and the Public Art Coordinator presented the project to a group of interested community members as part of the Community Engagement Pop-Up Shop in New Town Road and the Public Art Coordinator presented the selected concept at a special PAT meeting.

12.1.6. The project has been discussed in detail with the City of Hobart’s Senior Heritage Officer and his feedback is being incorporated into the ongoing evolution of the work.

12.1.7. Local architecture practice LXN have also been consulted directly given the proximity of one of the artworks to the property owned by their family at the corner of Cross Street and New Town Road and their parameters are being incorporated into the ongoing evolution of the work.

12.1.8. In each case the concept has been received well, with audiences having a range of expected pragmatic questions about the project (such as materials, heights, heritage constraints etc), but seeing it as a bold and exciting addition to New Town that brings definition and identity to the precinct.

13. Delegation

13.1. This matter is delegated to the Council.

Jane Castle

Cultural Programs Coordinator

Kimbra Parker

Acting Associate Director Community Development

Date: 1 June 2018

File Reference: F18/55717; 2015-0046-005

Attachment a: Concept Design New Town Retail Precinct - Public Art ⇩

about people	We value people – our community, our customers and colleagues.
professional	We take pride in our work.
enterprising	We look for ways to create value.
responsive	We’re accessible and focused on service.
inclusive	We respect diversity in people and ideas.
making a difference	We recognise that everything we do shapes Hobart’s future.