Agenda item

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meetings of the Joint Centenaries Working Group and Party Group Leaders’ Forum of 27th January and 10th February and adopted the recommendations in respect of the following:

 

            Equality Impact Assessment Report

            on the Flying of the Union Flag

 

      “Following a lengthy discussion on the matter, it was agreed that:

 

(a)     the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee be recommended to proceed with the formal consultation process on the Equality Impact Assessment, based upon the best advice available from the Equality Commission and others as to the form which this should take;

 

(b)     a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Working Group in relation to a number of questions which had been raised in relation to the religious breakdown of the Council workforce and whether a question could be included within the survey of employees asking if staff would be opposed to the removal of the Union flag from the City Hall and other Council properties;

 

(c)     a further discussion on the Equality Impact Assessment would take place at the meeting to be held on 10th February, to be facilitated by Dr. Duncan Morrow.”

 

            Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

 

            An extract of the minute of the Forum in relation to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations is set out hereunder:

 

“Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

 

      The Working Group considered the undernoted report which had been prepared by the Democratic Services Manager:

 

‘1      Relevant Background Information

 

1.1    The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 18 November, agreed that the Historic Centenaries Working Group and the Party Leaders’ Forum should meet for an intensive series of meetings to discuss the establishment of a Council Diversity Strategy.  A range of issues were referred to that Joint

 

         Group, including consideration of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in June, 2012.  The celebrations will take place over the extended weekend of 2-5 June 2011 with the extra Public Holiday taking place on 5 June.

 

1.2    The Joint Group, at its meeting on 13 January, 2012, decided that consideration of the Council’s involvement in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations should be prioritised due to the limited time available before June for arrangements to be set in place.

 

2       Key Issues

 

2.1    The Council previously agreed to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 by way of a Civic Reception and the establishment of a small-scale grants scheme for groups wishing to celebrate the Jubilee by way of street parties etc.  In 2002 the Council established a budget of £100,000 for the celebrations.  Approximately £30,000 of this was used for the Civic Dinner with a significant amount of this being paid to “celebrities” for their attendance at the event. 

 

2.2    It is worth noting the current positions of the Government and Buckingham Palace to the Jubilee celebrations:

 

2.3    The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) at Whitehall is responsible for co-ordinating the Government led aspects of the celebrations.  At the moment, Government planning centres on:

 

·        A series of visits by the Royal Family including Northern Ireland;

·        A competition for the grant of city status to one town in the UK;

·        A competition for the award of a Lord Mayoralty (or Lord Provostship in Scotland); and

·        A commemorative Jubilee medal which is most likely to be focussed on the armed and emergency services.

 

2.4    In addition, the Big Lottery Fund is expected to announce that its People’s Millions Programme for 2012 will focus on Diamond Jubilee projects.

 

2.5    Buckingham Palace has advised that the celebrations will be marked by grass roots community celebrations and national set-piece events.  These include:

 

·        The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday 2 June;

·        A “Big Jubilee Lunch” initiative where communities will be encouraged to celebrate the Jubilee will be organised on Sunday 3 June; 

·        The Diamond Jubilee Pageant with international cultural displays in Windsor Castle over 10-13 May;

·        The Thames River Pageant will take place on 3 June with up to 1,000 boats being led down the Thames by the Royal Barge;

·        A televised BBC concert in Buckingham Palace on Monday 4 June will be followed by the Jubilee Beacon Lighting event.

·        A service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral will be preceded by a Carriage Procession;

·        The lighting of beacons across the UK and the Commonwealth on 4 June.

 

2.6    Advice from the Government Department and from the Royal Household is that any celebrations should reflect the current economic climate and that wide-spread public involvement is more important than set-piece or special interest events.

 

2.7    At an Assembly level, OFMDFM have advised that there will not be any regional funding for Jubilee events and that organisations planning for such events must ensure that they are self financing.

 

2.8    Issues for discussion

 

         The first thing which the Joint Group will have to decide is whether it wishes to recommend that the Council should support the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.  If this recommendation is forthcoming then there are a number of actions which have been proposed and which require the appropriate authority.

 

2.9    Tree Planting – Saturday 2 June

 

         The Jubilee Woods project has been chosen by the Queen as a charity and was launched by the Woodland Trust.  The aim is to plant 6 million trees across the UK.  As part of the Project, 60 “Diamond Woods” will be planted to mark the Jubilee.

 

         Whilst the Council would not have the available land to plant a wood, Andrew Hassard has confirmed that the Parks and Leisure Department could organise the planting of commemorative trees in each part of the city to mark the Jubilee.  Small, local community events could be arranged at each of these plantings.

 

         Costs for this could be covered through the Parks and Leisure departmental budget.

 

2.10  Tea Dance(s) in City Hall/Ulster Hall – Saturday 2 June

 

         A Tea Dance could be organised in the City Hall – 500 maximum using both the Great Hall and the Banqueting Hall.  This would include limited hospitality in the form of tea/coffee and traybakes.  These are always popular with older people.  We could organise the event in the Ulster Hall but this is both more costly and has reduced capacity.

 

         Approximate cost - £5,600.

 

2.11  “Big Sunday Lunch” Event – Sunday 3 June

 

         Nationwide “Big Sunday Lunch” events are being encouraged across the United Kingdom for 3 June.  If the Council wishes to mark this it could do so by arranging an event at the City Hall.  It should be noted that the Continental Market will be in operation in the City Hall grounds over the Bank Holiday weekend which effectively rules out the holding of a Jubilee event in the grounds at the same time.  However, it is suggested that an event inside the City Hall could be arranged on the following basis:

 

·     Main focus inside City Hall where all space would be utilized, similar in operation to Titanic Festival Weekend held over Easter period.  All function rooms accessible as well as Marble and Rotunda.  Rolling type events.

·     Nostalgia, “trip down memory lane” themed events mixed with activities for young people.

·     Footage of Coronation could be shown on screen in Reception Room or Great Hall.  Also possible to provide communications link between a large screen in Great Hall and what BBC showing on screen in grounds of City Hall.

 

·     Stage in Great Hall could include Galaxy Showbands playing 1950’s type music with likes of George Jones/Max Bygraves type compere. Pete Snodden to appeal to younger audience.

·     Actors circulating in period costume.

·     Historical drama performances.

·     Story telling about history of the era.

·     Street entertainers, juggling, walking on stilts – internal and in grounds.

·     Tours of City Hall to focus on royal portraits and artefacts.

·     “Crown” making and other art type workshops for kids.

·     *  Option of community type stalls – Fire Service, PSNI, RNLI charitable orgs locally based and in existence longer than 60 years to link in with jubilee theme: key charities identified with Diamond Jubilee.

 

      In 2002 when the Council was celebrating the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, the Council held a major Civic Dinner costing £30,000.  Such dinners, no matter how they are shaped in terms of the guest list, are always seen as being selective.

 

      The suggestions set out above would not be as costly as a civic dinner, would allow open admission to any member of the public wishing to attend and would undoubtedly attract greater support at a community level.

 

      Approximate costs - £15,000.

 

2.12  Jubilee Beacons – Monday 4 June

 

         The Council has been requested to take part in a UK-wide Beacon Lighting event on 4 June 2012.  Discussions have been held with Events Unit and they advise that this could be arranged using the experience within the Council under the Bonfire Management Programme.  The event location would need to be determined but one suggestion might be Cave Hill.  The lighting of the Beacon would be co-ordinated with the lighting of other similar beacons in neighbouring Council areas.

 

         The estimated cost of this is £6,000.

 

2.13  Small-Scale Grants – Ongoing over the Jubilee Weekend

 

         Community Services have indicated that they could administer a small grants scheme. We would need to establish the levels of the grant available and whether grants would be open only to groups registered with the Council.  Grants will only be paid on receipted expenditure.

 

         A budget provision of £50k has been made in the Councils estimates for potential Diamond Jubilee events.  If the above recommendations are accepted this would leave an amount of £23k available for small grants.

 

         Experience of administering small grant schemes shows that the vast majority of grants are below £500 and the total amount paid out tends to be about £10k less than the amount approved.  This would allow a potential grant pool of £30k if the committee is minded to approve such a proposal.

 

         As part of the grant-aid, groups would be asked to evaluate the impact of the events and provide a short report to the Council on their programme.  This would allow the Council to consider the contribution of these individual events to its stated aim regarding Belfast as a 21st century city which is shared, open and tolerant.

 

2.14  Consideration of the Diversity Principles

 

         At its meeting on 13 January, the Joint Group agreed to systematically test the principles already agreed and their practical application in relation to the programmes related to key anniversaries.  These principles, as adopted by Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, are attached at Appendix 1.

 

         However it should be noted that the principles are designed to assess historic centenaries relating to events rather than an anniversary such as the Diamond Jubilee.

 

         It is therefore suggested that the group may wish to consider the issue by referring to the Council’s normal criteria for funding cultural events, an overview of which is attached at Appendix 2.

 

3       Resource Implications

 

3.1    A budget within the Civic Hospitality code has been allocated for Diamond Jubilee celebrations and set at £50,000 in the draft estimates.

 

         The costs associated with the proposed events are:

 

Tree Planting    0 (covered by Parks & Leisure)

Tea Dance         £5,600

Big Sunday Lunch       £15,000

Beacons            £6,000

Small-Scale Grants      £30,000

 

Total      £56,600

 

4       Equality and Good Relations Implications

 

4.1    The Diamond Jubilee celebrations are being considered in the context of a wider diversity policy for the Council.

 

5       Discussion required

 

5.1    The Joint Group is asked to consider the following:

 

·     Are the proposed actions outlined for the Diamond Jubilee programme satisfactory?

·     Are the Group happy for the funding to be considered under the Council normal funding criteria for cultural events?

·     Given the time constraints do the Group agree to make an early recommendation to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee?’

 

      Following a lengthy discussion, the Working Group agreed to the following course of action.

 

      (Councillors McVeigh and Maskey wish to be recorded as abstaining from the decision.)

 

 

      The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee be recommended to:

 

(a)  agree that the Council should mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen in June, 2012;

 

(b)  agree that a series of tree planting events would be held in various parts of the City on Saturday, 2nd June and that local community events be arranged at each of the plantings;

 

(c)  a tea dance being organised in the Ulster Hall on Saturday, 2nd June;

 

(d)  the holding of the event in the City Hall on Sunday, 3rd June, as outlined in the report;

 

(e)  agree to the organisation of the beacon lighting event on Monday, 4th June at the Cave Hill;

 

(f)   agree that a small scale grants scheme be organised, whereby groups registered with the Council could apply for funding for Jubilee events over the Jubilee weekend.  The grants would only be paid on the basis of receipted expenditure and groups applying would be required to abide by criteria to be agreed by the Working Group.”

 

            The Committee approved also the undernoted criteria to be used in the funding of cultural events, including the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations:

 

“CRITERIA to be used in the funding of

cultural events including the

DIAMOND JUBILEE Celebrations (proposed)

 

     In the Council’s Good Relations Plan, ‘developing shared cultural space’ is a central theme.

 

     All communities should be supported in the positive expression of their cultural heritage.

 

     It is important that groups and organisations celebrate all that is good about their cultural traditions as a way to build understanding, celebrate diversity and affirm the validity of different backgrounds. In a shared city, these events should be safe, welcoming, accessible and of good quality.

 

Overarching guidelines

 

     Cultural events supported by the Council should demonstrate:

 

1.  Inclusivity

 

     The event will be open and non-exclusive. It will involve diverse communities and seek to build better relationships within local neighbourhoods. Where possible, groups should also invite local neighbouring communities to their events.

 

2.  Broad programme activity

 

     The programme for the event should include a range of activities for all ages. It should be engaging, educational and based on factual information with a range of different inputs.

 

3.  Respect for difference and diversity

 

     Events should include a range of different perspectives and viewpoints on the subject where possible to stimulate wider debate in order to dispel myths, stereotypes and facilitate new thinking. The programme should seek to reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the modern city.

 

4.  Presentation

 

     The style of presentation of any event should be appropriate to the occasion; celebrations should be meaningful and respectful and also considerate of other community backgrounds. Events should not be divisive or triumphalist.  No flags or emblems should be flown that could cause offence or seek to exclude people.  Flags erected for cultural or festive events should also be time-bound to the timeframe of the staging of the event.

 

     Council funding can only be used for:

 

-    activities associated with running a street party

-    bouncy castles

-    bouncy slides

-    face painting/magicians etc

-    food and refreshments

-    workshops/exhibitions/talks (where appropriate)

-    venue hire

 

     Council funding cannot be used for:

 

-    flags

-    bunting

-    prizes (cash prizes and trophies)

-    late night discos (beyond 9.00pm) or anything that might cause annoyance within local neighbourhoods

-    alcohol”