We hope that you’ll find them informative summaries/illustrations of the difference cultural investment can make and its importance in the wider regeneration context.

With the life of Northern Soul nearing its end in 2005 the Partnership decided not to work-up and publish a new strategy largely because Wigan Borough Partnership Board’s Community Plan for 2005-10 made provision for development of the ‘cultural offer’ in Wigan and laid a basis for collaborative work on project development and resource procurement with local people’s leisure and culture-orientated needs and interests in mind – but also on account of strong thematic strategies across the cultural spectrum having been developed over the five years passed.

Instead with the growth of long-term goals and engagement of new partners two distinct objectives the Partnership started work towards a manifesto and film – two strategic tools that would be used to:

• grow awareness and understanding of the Borough’s unique cultural characteristics and the value placed in them by local people
• lay-out a locally grown vision for cultural development through 2012
• evidence culture’s capacity to positively impact on educational aspiration and achievement, health and well-being, community safety, the economy, environment, and social inclusion
• provide bases for dialogue with prospective partners about opportunities to add value to the Borough’s ‘cultural offer’ and realise their own positive outcomes in the process

Extensive consultation and filming work finished late last year and at the Cultural Partnership Convention on 19th May 2007 the public manifesto document and film were formally launched.

Cultural Manifesto
The manifesto defines ‘Wiganicity’ – characteristics that make our Borough unique in leisure and cultural terms. It recognises that local people hold leisure and culture in high importance, understanding its capacity to impact economically, educationally, in an environmental sense and through the generation of highly valuable social capital. It conveys a vision for cultural development through 2012 – reflecting local people’s aspirations and committing the Partnership to work towards its realisation, also noting the support available to community groups and voluntary organisations interested in involvement.

Simply, Wigan Borough’s Cultural Manifesto will be the key strategic reference document for current cultural players and prospective partners over the next five years in driving forward with work to increase recreational opportunity, improve accessibility, grow participation and enhance quality of life experience for all locally.

Produced by Mirabilis Media of Liverpool and narrated by Stuart Maconie, BBC Broadcaster, independent writer and proud Wiganer, the Partnership’s new DVD features short and longer versions of the Cultural Vibrancy film.

The short version offers a quick visual profile of the Borough in cultural terms featuring community groups, voluntary organisations and public sector service providers, local people’s participation and achievement, and the impact of cultural activity on learning, motivation, health and well-being, neighbourhoods’ mobilisation through active citizenship and voluntary work, communities’ economic and social regeneration. This will be aimed at community groups (through Cultural Partnership networks primarily) and used to encourage thinking as to their capacity to contribute to/deliver on a part of the new, over-arching vision independently or with partner support.
► View Short Version (Running Time 3:59)

The longer version offers a more in-depth look at our changing Borough and the central importance of culture to the bright, colourful and dynamic place it is becoming; a celebration of Wigan’s heritage, its green spaces, the role of arts, libraries, sport and so forth in improving quality of life for all, and the commitment and enthusiasm of so many towards cultural activity. Its use will be more focused in support of efforts to broker new strategic alliances with cultural development over the next 5 years in sharp focus – through the initiation of exploratory work, presentation of carefully prepared cases for engagement by target partners and leadership of formative discussion.
► View Long Version (Running Time 13:19)

Image Bank
To complement the manifesto document and film the Partnership will shortly start work with Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust’s Heritage Services Section towards an Image Bank. This will be an online resource that offers local school pupils, College students and adult learners access to:

• a catalogued collection of archive images featuring buildings of local importance, significant people and events from the Borough’s past – also cultural activity across the spectrum and in a variety of settings during years gone by
• a contemporary collection of photographs capturing the diversity of Wigan’s cultural offer
• a range of learning materials relevant to the national history curriculum, A-Level syllabuses and adult learning courses – to help enrich learning experiences

The Image Bank will also offer those with responsibility for the Borough’s marketing (eg Tourism colleagues, those working towards the attraction of commercial investment, personnel staff overseeing recruitment) to draw on a high quality collection of new pictures that positively reflect the Borough’s heritage, current colour and diversity.

Watch this space!

For more information

• Refer to the Partnership Induction Pack. Please note: The Induction Pack is a large PDF document which may take a few moments to open. Although this is mainly aimed at new Partnership members seeking clarity on their role, associated responsibilities and the context in which they will be working it may be of wider interest, seeking as it does to:
   
  • set the scene - offering an introduction to the Cultural Partnership, its composition and purposes, priorities and strategic fit; a profile on members through a short series of pen pictures covering colleagues’ experience and professional interest in the Partnership; a summary of Northern Soul, the Cultural Strategy; a copy of the Cultural Review on 2003/4 and an Annual Report on the work of Wigan Borough Partnership in the last year
     
  • help members get to grips with their role (and give readers of this web page an insight into Partnership working) – through the provision of minutes from full Partnership and Executive Group meetings in 2004; a member job description, useful contacts and glossary of terms
     
  • offer a summary of what to expect at forthcoming Partnership meetings (full and Executive) and the information that will be posted out beforehand

   

• And/or contact:

The Cultural Partnership is supported by Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust.
 

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