Agenda item

The Council welcomes engagement from members of the public. To speak at this meeting please register no later than 24 hours prior to the date of the meeting via democracy@southkesteven.gov.uk

Sam Roddan, Founder & CEO of Art Pop-Up statement in relation to Cultural Strategy (6 monthly update)

‘Chair, councillors, officers, and members of the public, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I’m Sam Roddan, representing Art Pop-Up, a South Kesteven-based non-profit community arts organisation

that has been delivering high-quality, inclusive cultural programmes across the district for more than 14 years.

With regard to the update on the cultural strategy delivery submitted for today's meeting, we strongly welcome the Council’s ambition to strengthen arts and culture through increased community engagement.

The objectives outlined - expanding access, supporting underserved communities and building partnerships - align closely with the work Art Pop-Up has been leading since 2011.

Before and through the pandemic we enjoyed a really positive working relationship with the SKDC arts team, collaborating on several projects. We would very much like to rebuild that partnership. There is clear potential

for shared learning, joint delivery and strategic collaboration so that resources can reach further, particularly in communities experiencing barriers or with limited access to cultural activity.

Art Pop-Up is the only publicly funded non-profit community arts organisation in the district. Our work is multi-award-winning, including amongst others two SKDC awards, and despite our micro size we have been

selected by the renowned international Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as one of the UK’s top ten arts organisations for civic impact.

Since 2011, we have delivered over 50 major community engagement projects, valued at nearly £1m in total, involving over 150,000 local participants, commissioning more than 200 freelance creative practitioners, and collaborating with 40+ local partners and organisations. Each year we deliver over 230 sessions and 5 major events, all free to access. Our work has spanned festivals, outdoor arts, exhibitions, community and public art,

families, children and youth engagement, radically inclusive outreach and wellbeing programmes. 

Our reach is strongest in Stamford and surrounding villages, but also extends to Bourne and the Deepings with some previous projects in Grantham, always shaped by local needs. For example, we lead the NHS ICB-funded Creativity for Wellbeing programme and the Cheer Club outreach programme, improving mental health, reducing isolation and building community connections in partnership with MindSpace, health colleagues, local care homes, schools, churches foodbanks and other VCFSE partners. These relationships ensure our work is inclusive, strategically co-created and reaches those who are least represented in cultural life.

This winter, Art Pop-Up is transitioning to charity status, a key step in our long-term sustainability plan to grow, expand delivery and deepen

partnerships. However, this is happening in a tightening funding landscape

alongside local government reorganisation, which makes collaboration and shared planning all the more important.

The Council’s own Corporate Plan highlights the value of partnership working. We met previously with Paul Stokes and Jade Porter in June 2024 as an introduction and whilst we appreciate capacity is limited, that’s

exactly where collaboration can help. Art Pop-Up has the expertise, local trust, and framework to complement SKDC’s focus on venues. In fact, the goals of the proposed Events Officer role closely mirror the work we  already deliver in the district—inclusive, community-focused, partnership-based cultural engagement. By working together, we could achieve these outcomes

more effectively and sustainably, directing budget to delivery on the ground and making best use of existing expertise. In the past we even co-hosted the cultural working group with SKDC and the Town Council, we would welcome the opportunity to re-establish an embedded partnership that supports shared cultural aims.

In short, Art Pop-Up already delivers many of the outcomes the Council seeks—high-quality, inclusive, community-focused engagement in line with the Cultural Strategy and Corporate Plan. We would welcome the chance to collaborate with the Council in shaping and strengthening cultural delivery across the district, drawing on our proven expertise, networks and trusted

relationships within local communities.

Thank you.’