Island Plan 2011: revised draft revision – approval (P.37/2014) – ninth amendment (P.37/2014 Amd.(9)) – comments.

STATES OF JERSEY

ISLAND PLAN 2011: REVISED DRAFT REVISION – APPROVAL (P.37/2014) – NINTH AMENDMENT

(P.37/2014 Amd.(9)) – COMMENTS

Presented to the States on 8th July 2014

by the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture

STATES GREFFE

2014   Price code: A  P.37 Amd.(9)Com.

COMMENTS

The Minister for Education, Sport and Culture notes that paragraph (e) of the ninth amendment to P.37/2014 would reduce support available to enhance our surroundings through public art and consequently reduce opportunities for artists. It is at odds with commitments to strengthen the Percentage for Art' policy and to support local artists made in the States' Cultural Strategy.

Since  the  introduction  of  the  policy,  a  number  of  important  works  have  been commissioned from local artists. These include major pieces at Carlton Apartments – Havre des Pas, the Jersey Dairy and 3 works in the Town Park, in addition to a variety of smaller commissions across the Island.

None of these pieces – all of which celebrate aspects of local culture and history – is likely to have been commissioned without the stimulus of the policy. Other projects involving artists from outside the Island have resulted in high-quality work which contributes to a sense of place. Meanwhile, local practitioners have benefited in a number of cases from mentoring opportunities and, in others, visiting artists have given  talks  to the  general  public.  Another  initiative  has  seen  funding  devoted  to developing artists' studios to support for Island artists.

The  purpose  of  Percentage  for  Art'  is  to  enhance  the  public  realm  through  the provision of art: it is about raising the quality of the environment for all citizens. Creative educational/environmental and community projects led by artists are among the wide range of possibilities identified under the published supplementary planning guidance.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with securing other community or environmental benefits through the planning process: indeed, this can already be achieved through planning obligations (Island Plan – Policy GD4). But to confuse these objectives with Percentage for Art' produces an arts policy which can deliver outcomes entirely unconnected with the arts: this is not logical and consequently undermines what is a voluntary policy.

Moreover, it is at odds with the States' Cultural Strategy1 which expressly advocates "[strengthening] the existing Percent for Art policy for all future developments both public  and  private"  (objective 4.2).  The  strategy  also  seeks  "to  commission  local artists and craft-workers to enhance public developments and encourage the private sector to do likewise" (3.6).

Although the Deputy acknowledges that "the percentage for art policy has made an important contribution to the public realm", he argues that it should be amended because  "in  recent  years  the  choice  of  works  of  art  and  their  relevance  to  the development has been increasingly questioned".

It is true that the choice of works of art has a tendency to arouse different opinions, but this is not a good reason to weaken the policy; rather, it is a reason to ensure that the desired public outcomes are secured with reference to a clear policy framework.

1 See States Cultural Strategy (2005) http://www.gov.je/SiteCollectionDocuments/Government%20and%20administration/R%20De velopment%20of%20a%20Cultural%20Strategy%20for%20the%20Island%20July%202005.p df

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P.37/2014 Amd.(9)Com.

To that end, the Department for Education, Sport and Culture, working with arts organisations in the community – the Jersey Arts Centre, Jersey Arts Trust, Jersey Public Sculpture Trust and Jersey Heritage – has set out strategic policy[2] to assist, and has offered practical support to help secure these outcomes.

For these reasons, the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture opposes paragraph (e) of the ninth amendment to P.37/2014.