North Yorkshire 100-page culture blueprint to create raft of activities has been adopted

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive agreed that while the 100-page Cultural Framework document focuses on the arts and heritage sectors in “a deliberately concise definition of culture”, the framework would be open to change over the coming years to be as inclusive as possible.

In addition, the authority’s six constituency committees of councillors will be invited to contribute local ambitions to the strategy, which the meeting heard would aid the new North Yorkshire unitary authority in developing cultural activities that had far-reaching and wide-ranging impacts on the county’s economy and communities.

The framework, which has been developed with the input of hundreds of organisations and individuals, has been unveiled ahead of the launch of the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, which recognises the development of culture and cultural assets.

The authority also says it has become increasingly evident that culture will play a role in the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

Underlining the importance the Conservative-led authority is attaching to the apparent policy shift to place more attention to culture, its leader, Cllr Carl Les, said the framework would be crucial for post-pandemic recovery in the county as well as people’s wellbeing.

The authority’s executive member for business, Cllr Derek Bastiman said the framework would provide an overarching direction of travel and act as a catalyst for conversation, partnership brokering and investment”, including securing both public and private sector funding.

He said investing in the process of collective leadership development, capacity building and conversation would help the creative sector move forward with confidence, innovation and creative ambition.

Cllr Bastiman said: There is an opportunity for the culture to make a greater contribution to health and wellbeing in North Yorkshire than it currently does.

"The tradition of market towns as gathering places can be an opportunity in North Yorkshire.

"Culture can be valuable, animating spaces, driving footfall and creating desirable places to live, work and invest.”

He told the committee that during the framework’s development research had identified a significant number of creative industries and workers in the county, but young people in the county had little idea about how to start such a career.

Cllr Bastiman said: “The film industry is prevalent in North Yorkshire, but often serviced by workers from further afield and this is something that we need to drive more into the local area.”