All Party Parliamentary Group

The newly formed All Party Parliamentary Committee on brass bands is gaining pace with its second meeting taking place earlier this month in the Houses of Parliament

The British Federation of Brass Band’s Chairman, Robert Morgan MBE was in attendance along with Treasurer, Nigel Morgan and myself. The group’s Chairman, Jeff Ennis, MP for Barnsley & Mexborough welcomed a good gathering of MPs and members of the House of Lords.

Robert Morgan explained to the delegation that following advice from Arts Council Yorkshire and a meeting organised by Jeff Ennis, the BFBB were now putting together an application for further funding to engage another full time employee to liaise with all the regional arts regions and to assist bands with the preparation of lottery applications. Arts Council money is available for bands and bands need to progress applications next year.

The meeting decided that next it was a good time to question the BBC over its support of bands and it is planned that a delegation from the parliamentary group led by Jeff Ennis, will question the BBC on its input to brass bands and support from the BFBB’s member bands will be gained as discussions continue.

Further meetings of the parliamentary group will take place in the next 12 months along with a possible concert to showcase bands in Portcullis House.

Commenting on the success of the meeting, Robert Morgan said: “This was an excellent meeting and an opportunity for the BFBB to present a united brass band voice to the all parliamentary group. I do feel that this group of influential people can open some doors for us; Arts Council first, the BBC next! The opportunity given to us by Jeff Ennis is one to be nurtured during the next 12 months and bandsmen and women throughout the UK are urged to encourage their MPs to become a member of the group.”

With the support of the parliamentary group and the co-operation and hard work of the BFBB, new doors are being opened for the brass band movement, including possible further funding for brass bands from the Arts Council.

Meeting with Helen Ball of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Brass bands and their associations would find a chat with the Local Government Arts Officer very useful. Alan Davey, chief executive of ACE, has made recent appeals for voluntary arts groups, such as brass bands, to foster better relationships with local government, and I for one agree with him. 

 

Although BFBB is a national organisation Arnold Tattersfield and I went for a meeting with Helen Ball of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. We found the meeting extremely informative and helpful. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is one of a number of forward looking and innovative councils that have decided to support the art and culture in their area with commitment and openness by pledging time and resources to National Indicator 11 ‘Engagement in the Arts’ (NI 11).

 

NI 11 will be used to measure attendance at, and/or participation in, the arts at the local level. Councils that have signed up to NI 11 realise that participation in the arts, including banding, is an important part of a full and fulfilling life and provides unique personal and intrinsic benefits. It can also have a range of local impacts, including promoting health, education and well-being. Other councils that have taken up this insightful policy for local government can be found listed on this blog at the Local Authorities page.

 

Our discussions with Helen centred on the ways in which the council and BFBB are able to support each other. BFBB has agreed to assist the council to achieve their NI 11 targets and urges bands to talk to, and work with, their own Local Authority Arts Officer if their authority is part of the scheme. In return, the council has agreed to improve communication links and provide easy access for local bands to the Local Authority Arts Officer. They will endeavour to gain full knowledge and understanding of our sector and continuity of these new practices and links has been agreed to. Further to this, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council will assist bands with applications to ACE Yorkshire for funding. The council is also going to assist BFBB to contact other local authorities through the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers and BFBB is considering using its experience with the council as a model for future partnerships with other local authorities.

 

To ensure there is progressive interactions and healthy collaboration between BFBB and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, quarterly meetings are going to take place.

Our Creative Talent

A major national conference, entitled ‘Our Creative Talent’ was hosted at the Barbican centre, London on 1^st & 2^nd July 2008 by DCMS, ACE and VAN. The focus of the event was to launch new research that looks in detail at the size make-up and impact of the voluntary arts sector and its potential for growth. On the agenda were also discussions and presentations about the significant contribution that participation in the arts makes to local communities. Of course brass bands are right at the heart of many of our communities and that is why I attended the event.

 

The keynote speakers were Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Minister for Culture; Alan Davey, Chief Executive, ACE; Robin Simpson, Chief Executive, VAN and Feargal Sharkey, Chief Executive, British Music Rights.

 

Much of Margaret Hodges’ presentation was centred on the recent MacMaster’s report and the notion of excellence. She made a welcome distinction between excellence and elitism and spoke about our nation’s social capital, support for the arts from ACE and local authorities, and the diverse ways in which we all communicate and network in this electronic age.

 

Both Robin Simpson and Feargal Sharky called for the recognition that arts groups, including bands, crave for, as well as asking the government for better communication and involvement, support with capacity building and improved innovation and challenges for the sector.

 

So what of the future? Emerging proposals for arts and culture in the 21^st centaury are gathering around the provision of ‘informal adult learning’, that is, finding a balance between the provision for skills and qualifications and the funding of activities for community development. Government, both local and national will be searching for a framework of values that will include the broadcasting media, the use of public spaces and consultation with the voluntary arts sector. A further government report is expected in September 2008 followed by a policy paper that will set out the future vision for Informal Adult Learning.

 

This was truly an inspiring conference. VAN is certainly centre stage to represent the arts at national level, quite rightly so. The brass band sector should be in full support of VAN and congratulate them on a superb event. It was an important day for the voluntary arts, brass bands included, what a pity that none of our so-called band press were there to cover such a significant meeting. Such influential events are vital to the development of banding in the UK.    

Meeting with ACE: 6th May 2008

On Tuesday, 6^th May 2008, I attended a meeting with Mr Alan Davey, ACE Chief Executive, Mr Jeff Ennis MP, Bryan Catcheside, Musical Director of Ascot Brass and other representatives of the Brass Band sector and ACE. This was a worthwhile meeting where the following points were discussed:

• Grant applications and the nature of the complicated form. Mr Davey told the meeting that only 16 applications had been received from the brass band sector in 2007 (including BFBB’s for the 2007 European Championships) whereas there had been over 100 from small jazz groups and organisations.
• Social inclusion and a wider participation agenda
• Lottery funding
• Youth and training bands
• The ‘take it up’ scheme

 

There was a sense that the points we raised were received by ACE with sincerity and consideration. Mr Catcheside noted that ‘It is clear that there has been a legacy of suspicion regarding the funding of brass bands stemming from an impression that lottery money made available to bands in the past was squandered rather than used wisely’.  The ACE representatives recommended a central organisation, namely the BFBB, should provide a conduit for advice regarding applications for funding. BFBB is seeking further meetings with ACE to expand this proposal into a useful tool for bands.

Moreover, BFBB will need to work closely with ACE to provide a channel for applications and introducing a form of self-regulation within the brass band sector to provide evidence of wise use of allocated funds.  As with all financial initiatives, a demonstration of secure procedures is more likely to attract funding.