The ABCD for Cultural Recovery Launches in Brighton & Hove

Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival is proud to be part of a group of cultural organisations and industry professionals who have launched The ABCD for Cultural Recovery. The plan aims to support Brighton & Hove’s arts and creative industries affected by the social and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic to offer a sustainable future.

The ABCD Governing Body, currently formed of Donna Chisholm (Brighton & Hove City Council), Andrew Comben (Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival and Arts & Creative Industries Commission Brighton & Hove); Ian Baird (EPIC), Louise Blackwell and Marina Norris (What Next? Brighton), are seeking to recruit and collaborate with a group of local cultural leaders who will help implement the ABCD for Cultural Recovery plan. 

This is an opportunity for diverse and dynamic individuals to ensure the cultural recovery in Brighton & Hove has a lasting impact, coming together to bring their experiences to develop a new way of working that has not existed in the city before now.

What is the ABCD for Cultural Recovery?

The ABCD plan starts from the knowledge that creative businesses and workers will be at the forefront of the city’s recovery, that we have a strong infrastructure to work with and that there are unique opportunities in Brighton & Hove for our thinking to be radical and inclusive. Participants in the consultation process to date brought enormous insight and experience, sharing innovative ways of working and thinking in response to Covid-19 that we will build upon and adopt. The delivery of the plan will ensure the sector remains future-focused and entrepreneurial, with an understanding of how the operating environment has changed and which skills and resources are required to change with it. Above all, this plan commits the sector to developing ways of working that are more inclusive, collaborative and more sustainable, acknowledging the power imbalances that exist and determined to find solutions to address them.

The ABCD for Cultural Recovery Plan full report can be downloaded 

Recruitment Process

Following an initial period of consultation with creative professionals across the city, the next stage of the plan is to recruit a Freelance Programme Manager and members of five Working Groups, each based on the five distinct but interconnected strands of the plan.

Programme Management Services

The governing board are currently seeking to appoint a Freelance Programme Manager in March which (subject to confirmation of successful fundraising) might be extended beyond the end of April. This is a contract for services starting as soon as possible with an application deadline of Tue 9 March 2021. Full details on this role can be found here. 

Working Groups

Each Working Group will comprise of 6 to 8 people, including a Chair who will hold a position on the Governing Body. Working Group members will have lived experience of different artform practices and creative industry business structures, including but not limited to commercial, subsidised, not-for-profit, freelance and sole traders, Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations and other organisations and individuals who work in the creative industries in Brighton & Hove.

The Working Groups will be co-ordinated by Programme Management Services (currently being recruited) and the Arts Development Officer at Brighton & Hove City Council.

The five Working Groups are:

The ENGINE ROOM is focussed on developing sector specific business support designed specifically for cultural and creative business and individuals living or working across Greater Brighton.

ENLIVEN BRIGHTON intends to employ creative and cultural businesses and practitioners to enliven the city centre, boosting retail economy and making it a more attractive and rewarding destination to visit.

The CREATIVE COMMUNITIES NETWORK is a community-led programme designed to support culture to all parts of the city through the installation of local event infrastructure, alongside event management and programming training and support.

The CREATIVE WORKER INCOME GUARANTEE is a research project designed to explore whether targeted intervention in the form of an income guarantee can prevent talented individuals from leaving the sector for more rewarding opportunities.

SPACE TO GROW is a programme to review the current options for creative space in the city, explore new models and maximise existing capital and organisational infrastructure.

If you’re interested in joining an ABCD Working Group, please read further details, including remuneration and expected timelines here.

The deadline to apply is 9am, Wed 10 March 2021, via an online form here.