rich upsetter
Cuffy is the new skill
Sorry for the lenghty thread here but its important!
Some of you may have read in the local press this week that a decision was made without consultation to dismiss 3/4's of Culturegen's workforce, meaning that Culturegen will not be able to continue in its current form, which ultimately means no more support for young artists and creative types to get the suport they need to be able to pursue artistic endeavours and events. You can read the Newsletter article is here;
http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/staffordshirenewsletter/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=261942
I was tempted to put this in the rant thread and really vent my spleen, but I feel that I needed to offer something more constructive to help Culturegen where we can, and not a post full of expletives directed at councillors with their priorities in the wrong place.
Myself and Tenshon went up to the County Show last year and spent most of our time in the Culturgen tent, which really showcased the fact what a shining light it is in Stafford. They have helped literally thousands of people behind the scenes, finding funding for over £500,000 of projects that otherwise wouldn't have got off the ground, winning awards for excellence in the arts field, and at the stage where they can roll out the scheme further afield... anyone who has enjoyed the music festival at Stafford Castle has Culturegen to thank, and they very kindly provided the money to get the Stafford Forum banners for the inaugral birthday party last year.
Although we all know there's not a huge amount going on in Stafford, without Culturgen there literally would be nothing...they act as a bridge between young people, artists, musicians etc and the councillors who, lets say dont quite see things quite the same way...if they continue their work they will only be able to help more people and so improve Stafford as the 'Creative County' town the council are so keen to trumpet on every name sign as you enter Stafford.
I emailed Danny Callaghan the head honcho at Culturegen to see if theres anything that us citizens can do to help, and he says the support they have received so far is wholeheartedly behind them, but they need as much support as possible to put pressure onto the councillors to reconsider. Seeing as the councillors point blank refused any appeal against the initial decision last week it really is now down to people power, so take ten minutes to write your own letter to Judith Delgarno at the council...if you are on Stafford forum, presumably you care about Stafford as a community so it is your duty!
Hopefully this week we can get an online petition on the go so we can all get signing!
All details are below,
This is an open letter sent out last week & there is a link below to local press coverage which you've already seen:
Re: Culturegen
Culturegen - Stafford Borough Council's Arts and Creative Industries service - has offered specialist support to literally hundreds of artists, creative businesses and community organisations, and more than 500,000 local residents and visitors have benefited from exhibitions, films, and performances over the last six years. The team have established the service as a recognised model of good practice. The service has long established and valuable funding and existing project partnerships. Culturegen has been identified in numerous local, regional Arts and Creative Industries strategies and has won awards for excellence - the most recent being the prestigious 'Jaguar Award for Community Excellence' for its arts and business partnership with Areva T+D.
Councillors expressed their concern last week about a decision that could lead to the end of Culturegen after years of successful delivery. A decision has been taken not to renew the contracts of three members of staff and Jane Wells, Helen Wilson and Jim Wheeler. They will all lose their jobs at the end of March unless this decision is reconsidered and overturned. These skilled and experienced members of staff deliver the service - without them there is no Culturegen.
The news emerged at a meeting of Stafford Borough Council's Leisure Services Committee last Wednesday. Head of Leisure Services, Adam Hill claimed that there were alternative 'plans' to continue to deliver a service, albeit without the current staff team and 're-focussed on the arts'. However, he went on to admit to Councillors that his decisions about the staff and the major changes proposed had been taken without consultation with any of the 340 registered artists, creative businesses or community groups currently registered with Culturegen. He also confirmed that none of the local and regional funding and project partners had been consulted, and nor had the Staff team or myself.
Councillor Ralph Cooke presented Mr Hill with a series of specific questions relating to concerns about how the decision had been taken, who and what had informed the decision, and what the plan was for continuing to offer an arts and creative industries service in the future.
Councillors offered their support to the Culturegen staff under threat and thanked them for providing an excellent service during the last six years. It was agreed that Mr Hill's decision be reviewed, clients and partners be consulted, and alternative delivery options be explored in partnership with the Culturegen Programme Manager.
It is incredible that one week this highly skilled and experienced team are winning awards for excellence and achieving more than £500k of external funding, the next they are told that they have lost their jobs after six years of dedicated service. This is even more bizarre when there is more than enough funding in the existing 2008/9 budget to keep the team on. There is evidence of significant and increasing demand for the service and exciting opportunities to roll the Stafford Borough based service out to Stoke-on-Trent and wider Staffordshire.
It is very important that everyone who values Culturegen and the specialist staff team make their views known to the Councillors. I would encourage everyone to write to:
Councillor Judith Dalgarno, Leader of Stafford Borough Council
Email: mailto:jdalgarno@staffordbc.gov.uk
Post: Civic Centre, Stafford ST16 3AQ
LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR CULTUREGEN AND THE STAFF TEAM WOULD BE VERY WELCOME.
We are determined to find a positive way forward and any additional comments that encourage the Council to find alternative employment arrangements to secure the three current members of staff and the future continuation of the Culturegen service would be fantastic.
PLEASE NOTE:
It is also vital that we get copies of letters of support that are written. Please send copies to me, Danny Callaghan at:
Email: culturedan@mac.com
Post: Culturegen, c/o Broad Eye Windmill, Castle Hill, Stafford ST16 2EQ
It is vital that we find a way to hold on to this excellent staff team and continue to offer the same level of excellent services while we secure additional partnerships, funding, and move towards an alternative, probably independent, future for Culturegen.
Some of you may have read in the local press this week that a decision was made without consultation to dismiss 3/4's of Culturegen's workforce, meaning that Culturegen will not be able to continue in its current form, which ultimately means no more support for young artists and creative types to get the suport they need to be able to pursue artistic endeavours and events. You can read the Newsletter article is here;
http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/staffordshirenewsletter/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=261942
I was tempted to put this in the rant thread and really vent my spleen, but I feel that I needed to offer something more constructive to help Culturegen where we can, and not a post full of expletives directed at councillors with their priorities in the wrong place.
Myself and Tenshon went up to the County Show last year and spent most of our time in the Culturgen tent, which really showcased the fact what a shining light it is in Stafford. They have helped literally thousands of people behind the scenes, finding funding for over £500,000 of projects that otherwise wouldn't have got off the ground, winning awards for excellence in the arts field, and at the stage where they can roll out the scheme further afield... anyone who has enjoyed the music festival at Stafford Castle has Culturegen to thank, and they very kindly provided the money to get the Stafford Forum banners for the inaugral birthday party last year.
Although we all know there's not a huge amount going on in Stafford, without Culturgen there literally would be nothing...they act as a bridge between young people, artists, musicians etc and the councillors who, lets say dont quite see things quite the same way...if they continue their work they will only be able to help more people and so improve Stafford as the 'Creative County' town the council are so keen to trumpet on every name sign as you enter Stafford.
I emailed Danny Callaghan the head honcho at Culturegen to see if theres anything that us citizens can do to help, and he says the support they have received so far is wholeheartedly behind them, but they need as much support as possible to put pressure onto the councillors to reconsider. Seeing as the councillors point blank refused any appeal against the initial decision last week it really is now down to people power, so take ten minutes to write your own letter to Judith Delgarno at the council...if you are on Stafford forum, presumably you care about Stafford as a community so it is your duty!
Hopefully this week we can get an online petition on the go so we can all get signing!
All details are below,
This is an open letter sent out last week & there is a link below to local press coverage which you've already seen:
Re: Culturegen
Culturegen - Stafford Borough Council's Arts and Creative Industries service - has offered specialist support to literally hundreds of artists, creative businesses and community organisations, and more than 500,000 local residents and visitors have benefited from exhibitions, films, and performances over the last six years. The team have established the service as a recognised model of good practice. The service has long established and valuable funding and existing project partnerships. Culturegen has been identified in numerous local, regional Arts and Creative Industries strategies and has won awards for excellence - the most recent being the prestigious 'Jaguar Award for Community Excellence' for its arts and business partnership with Areva T+D.
Councillors expressed their concern last week about a decision that could lead to the end of Culturegen after years of successful delivery. A decision has been taken not to renew the contracts of three members of staff and Jane Wells, Helen Wilson and Jim Wheeler. They will all lose their jobs at the end of March unless this decision is reconsidered and overturned. These skilled and experienced members of staff deliver the service - without them there is no Culturegen.
The news emerged at a meeting of Stafford Borough Council's Leisure Services Committee last Wednesday. Head of Leisure Services, Adam Hill claimed that there were alternative 'plans' to continue to deliver a service, albeit without the current staff team and 're-focussed on the arts'. However, he went on to admit to Councillors that his decisions about the staff and the major changes proposed had been taken without consultation with any of the 340 registered artists, creative businesses or community groups currently registered with Culturegen. He also confirmed that none of the local and regional funding and project partners had been consulted, and nor had the Staff team or myself.
Councillor Ralph Cooke presented Mr Hill with a series of specific questions relating to concerns about how the decision had been taken, who and what had informed the decision, and what the plan was for continuing to offer an arts and creative industries service in the future.
Councillors offered their support to the Culturegen staff under threat and thanked them for providing an excellent service during the last six years. It was agreed that Mr Hill's decision be reviewed, clients and partners be consulted, and alternative delivery options be explored in partnership with the Culturegen Programme Manager.
It is incredible that one week this highly skilled and experienced team are winning awards for excellence and achieving more than £500k of external funding, the next they are told that they have lost their jobs after six years of dedicated service. This is even more bizarre when there is more than enough funding in the existing 2008/9 budget to keep the team on. There is evidence of significant and increasing demand for the service and exciting opportunities to roll the Stafford Borough based service out to Stoke-on-Trent and wider Staffordshire.
It is very important that everyone who values Culturegen and the specialist staff team make their views known to the Councillors. I would encourage everyone to write to:
Councillor Judith Dalgarno, Leader of Stafford Borough Council
Email: mailto:jdalgarno@staffordbc.gov.uk
Post: Civic Centre, Stafford ST16 3AQ
LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR CULTUREGEN AND THE STAFF TEAM WOULD BE VERY WELCOME.
We are determined to find a positive way forward and any additional comments that encourage the Council to find alternative employment arrangements to secure the three current members of staff and the future continuation of the Culturegen service would be fantastic.
PLEASE NOTE:
It is also vital that we get copies of letters of support that are written. Please send copies to me, Danny Callaghan at:
Email: culturedan@mac.com
Post: Culturegen, c/o Broad Eye Windmill, Castle Hill, Stafford ST16 2EQ
It is vital that we find a way to hold on to this excellent staff team and continue to offer the same level of excellent services while we secure additional partnerships, funding, and move towards an alternative, probably independent, future for Culturegen.
