Manifesto challenges mayoral candidates to put culture at the heart of the region’s future
Candidates standing to be Hull and East Yorkshire’s first Mayor are being urged to put culture and creativity at the heart of their plans for the region.
HEY Creative has published a manifesto setting out how arts, culture and heritage can become a driving force of devolution. The Hull & East Yorkshire Arts, Culture & Heritage Devolution Manifesto challenges the mayoral candidates to seize the opportunity offered by the region’s rich and diverse cultural scene, and to maximise the positive impact on the region’s economy and community.
The 5 key pillars for the new mayor
The manifesto urges the incoming Mayor to commit support across five key areas:
- Transport: embedding arts, culture and heritage into the Local Transport Plan.
- Adult Education and Skills: investing in sector skills through the Local Skills Investment Plan.
- Housing and Regeneration: putting arts, culture and heritage at the heart of placemaking and regeneration projects.
- Environmental Sustainability: enabling arts, culture and heritage to contribute to, and benefit from, the Local Area Energy Plan.
- Arts, Culture and Heritage Commitments: including a pledge to focus a specific percentage of available funding on culture and involve the sector in Combined Authority Boards and initiatives.
Why it matters
Cultural organisations, events and activities already contribute many tens of millions of pounds to the Hull and East Yorkshire economy each year. They also play a vital role in improving health, wellbeing and bringing people together, with activity taking place in more than 250 venues across the region. Through devolution, this impact could be amplified, to further improve health and wellbeing, drive regeneration and tourism, and contribute to a thriving economy.
Max May, Chief Officer of HEY Creative, said: “We have so much culture to celebrate in our region and we’ve seen the positive impact it has across the region. Our manifesto sets out how arts, culture and heritage can be leveraged by our new Mayor to enhance connectivity, increase productivity, promote inclusivity and deliver a sustainable future.
“In the first Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor we need a true advocate who will embed arts, culture and heritage into their plans and understands fully that a thriving cultural sector is key to a successful and prosperous region.”
The manifesto has been developed in consultation with the region’s arts, culture and heritage community, alongside partners from business, the public sector, education, healthcare and the voluntary sector.
Dominic Gibbons, Chair of HEY Creative and Managing Director of Wykeland Group, a leading supporter of culture and the arts in the region, said: “Devolution is a huge opportunity for Hull and East Yorkshire and arts, culture and heritage are uniquely placed to support the Mayor and the new Combined Authority. The incoming Mayor can embrace and extend the impact that these sectors have in communities across the region, to make Hull and East Yorkshire a better place for all.
“At the forefront of the Mayor’s vision will be elevating the profile of the region on the national and international stage. Arts, culture and heritage has a vital role to play in supporting that ambition and that’s a key reason why we’re urging all the mayoral candidates to adopt our manifesto.”
To read the Hull & East Yorkshire Arts, Culture & Heritage Devolution Manifesto, click here.
What happens next
The manifesto is being published on World Theatre Day, with cultural leaders gathering at Hull Truck Theatre to promote the manifesto and champion its central message: that the arts, culture and heritage must be play a core role in shaping the region’s future under its new Mayor.
HEY Creative and the Advisory Board of Visit Hull & East Yorkshire (VHEY) have come together to co-host a mayoral hustings at East Riding Theatre in Beverley on Wednesday, April 9. The event will give all candidates the opportunity to share their vision and ambitions for the region’s cultural sector and visitor economy, just weeks ahead of the mayoral election on May 1st.
Both organisations are calling on all candidates to demonstrate commitment to arts, culture and heritage.
For details, and to book your place, visit www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk/culture-visitor-economy-mayoral-hustings/