News: £4.2m - the cost of Rotherham Children's Capital of Culture in 2025
£4.2m is set to be spent on the Children’s Capital of Culture Festival Programme in Rotherham in 2025, according to a council report.
It is estimated that it will attract external funding in the region of £13.9m.
Rotherham is branding itself as the world's first Children's Capital of Culture in 2025. The move is part of a cultural strategy with an action that is described as highlighting Rotherham as "a place people want to visit, where everyone can enjoy Rotherham through the eyes, ears and actions of children and young people."
Using money from the Government's UK Community Renewal Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, work has been ongoing since 2021 to shape what 2025 might include, as well as building partnerships, employing young trainees, Young Artists in Residence and hosting events and pilot activities.
2025 will include more events and festivals, more community and neighbourhood activity, and continued skills and talent development. The key activities in the 2025 festival year include creative and arts activities, sport and physical activities, heritage, reading and author events, leisure, play, gaming, digital, nature and the environment. It will be designed so there will be something for everyone, whatever their age.
The Children’s Capital of Culture is being led by a Cultural Partnership Board with Rotherham Council acting as a facilitator and accountable body for external funding.
The themes have recently been published:
- You’re Not From New York City, You’re From Rov’rum: supporting young people to have agency and create change, building pride in Rotherham as their home.
- Who We Are, Where We Come From: enabling children and young people to develop a sense of community and belonging through the arts and culture, enhancing their mental health and critical thinking.
- Plug In & Play: increasing opportunities for play in digital and physical spaces, as well as fostering physical activity and participation in sport.
- The World Beneath Our Feet: enabling children and young people to engage with nature and their local environment and take action to combat climate change.
Outcomes for the programme are centred around children and young people being proud to call Rotherham their home, be confident that they can establish a career in Rotherham and feel that their mental and physical health is improving.
For Rotherham residents, being the Children's Capital of Culture is designed to create a stronger sense of community cohesion and connection with the local community and help them feel that Rotherham’s reputation is improving regionally and nationally.
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A report to the council's cabinet explains: "To date, £823,700 from the UK Community Renewal Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and Arts Council England has been invested into the Children’s Capital of Culture Skills and Talent Development programme, which supports the education, employment and training of young people from Rotherham.
"Delivery partners such as Grimm and Co, Wentworth Woodhouse and Places Leisure and others are expected to secure £5m towards the cost of delivering the programme. Projects which do not have sufficient funding will not be included in the Festival 2025 programme.
"It is estimated that in the region of £4.2m will be spent on the Festival programme in 2025. This figure excludes core costs such as staffing and is subject to confirmation of external funding sources and finalisation of the programme."
Potential pots of funding include those operated by the Arts Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
Cllr. David Sheppard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion & Neighbourhood Working at Rotherham Council, said: "Children’s Capital of Culture was a title bestowed upon Rotherham by its young people. It was devised by them as a way to change how young people feel about their hometown and create positive opportunities for children and young people across the Borough.
"There are many similar programmes which had been devised by a locality. These include Kirklees Year of Music 2023 and Our Year – Wakefield District 2024. Additionally, the Mayor of London awards a biannual London Borough of Culture event and Greater Manchester awards an annual Town of Culture.
"The Children’s Capital of Culture commitment has already pulled in millions of pounds to offer events and opportunities to young people that they would otherwise not be able to access otherwise.
"I'm really proud that the Council were delivering on the challenge that has been set and I'm looking forward to a great year ahead in 2025."
Michael Rosen, the children’s author, poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter, recently visited the new premises of Rotherham's literacy charity, Grimm & Co. He said that "sparks immediately flew in his mind" when he heard about the Children’s Capital of Culture idea. He said: "Every time there is a ‘City of Culture’ programme I always think “Oh! I hope they do something with children!” …but the whole idea that you have a Children’s Capital of
Culture seems to be absolutely magic!
"To make everybody go through 180 degrees and think about culture and how that will work for children instead of what shall we do for children at one side of what we’re doing over here with opera, and plays and music… it will turn people right round the other way and make them think “well I do this, but how could I do that for children?”
"I think it’s fantastic – an absolutely wonderful idea!”
Rotherham Children's Capital of Culture website
Images: Rotherham Children's Capital of Culture / Facebook
It is estimated that it will attract external funding in the region of £13.9m.
Rotherham is branding itself as the world's first Children's Capital of Culture in 2025. The move is part of a cultural strategy with an action that is described as highlighting Rotherham as "a place people want to visit, where everyone can enjoy Rotherham through the eyes, ears and actions of children and young people."
Using money from the Government's UK Community Renewal Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, work has been ongoing since 2021 to shape what 2025 might include, as well as building partnerships, employing young trainees, Young Artists in Residence and hosting events and pilot activities.
2025 will include more events and festivals, more community and neighbourhood activity, and continued skills and talent development. The key activities in the 2025 festival year include creative and arts activities, sport and physical activities, heritage, reading and author events, leisure, play, gaming, digital, nature and the environment. It will be designed so there will be something for everyone, whatever their age.
The Children’s Capital of Culture is being led by a Cultural Partnership Board with Rotherham Council acting as a facilitator and accountable body for external funding.
The themes have recently been published:
- You’re Not From New York City, You’re From Rov’rum: supporting young people to have agency and create change, building pride in Rotherham as their home.
- Who We Are, Where We Come From: enabling children and young people to develop a sense of community and belonging through the arts and culture, enhancing their mental health and critical thinking.
- Plug In & Play: increasing opportunities for play in digital and physical spaces, as well as fostering physical activity and participation in sport.
- The World Beneath Our Feet: enabling children and young people to engage with nature and their local environment and take action to combat climate change.
Outcomes for the programme are centred around children and young people being proud to call Rotherham their home, be confident that they can establish a career in Rotherham and feel that their mental and physical health is improving.
For Rotherham residents, being the Children's Capital of Culture is designed to create a stronger sense of community cohesion and connection with the local community and help them feel that Rotherham’s reputation is improving regionally and nationally.
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A report to the council's cabinet explains: "To date, £823,700 from the UK Community Renewal Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and Arts Council England has been invested into the Children’s Capital of Culture Skills and Talent Development programme, which supports the education, employment and training of young people from Rotherham.
"Delivery partners such as Grimm and Co, Wentworth Woodhouse and Places Leisure and others are expected to secure £5m towards the cost of delivering the programme. Projects which do not have sufficient funding will not be included in the Festival 2025 programme.
"It is estimated that in the region of £4.2m will be spent on the Festival programme in 2025. This figure excludes core costs such as staffing and is subject to confirmation of external funding sources and finalisation of the programme."
Potential pots of funding include those operated by the Arts Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
Cllr. David Sheppard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion & Neighbourhood Working at Rotherham Council, said: "Children’s Capital of Culture was a title bestowed upon Rotherham by its young people. It was devised by them as a way to change how young people feel about their hometown and create positive opportunities for children and young people across the Borough.
"There are many similar programmes which had been devised by a locality. These include Kirklees Year of Music 2023 and Our Year – Wakefield District 2024. Additionally, the Mayor of London awards a biannual London Borough of Culture event and Greater Manchester awards an annual Town of Culture.
"The Children’s Capital of Culture commitment has already pulled in millions of pounds to offer events and opportunities to young people that they would otherwise not be able to access otherwise.
"I'm really proud that the Council were delivering on the challenge that has been set and I'm looking forward to a great year ahead in 2025."
"To make everybody go through 180 degrees and think about culture and how that will work for children instead of what shall we do for children at one side of what we’re doing over here with opera, and plays and music… it will turn people right round the other way and make them think “well I do this, but how could I do that for children?”
"I think it’s fantastic – an absolutely wonderful idea!”
Rotherham Children's Capital of Culture website
Images: Rotherham Children's Capital of Culture / Facebook
36 comments:
Get the popcorn ready!
Rotherham children's capital of culture..you couldn't make it up,another thing that makes us look a laughing stock,I wonder is grooming also part of a children's culture in today's world?
No sillier than your grammar
The grooming affair was an atrocious scandal, though this shouldn't prevent Rotherham from ever doing anything related to Children. If anywhere where something has gone wrong was prevented from an activity you would find that nothing could happen anywhere.
The person making the grooming comment has clearly not read (or understood) the article. The aims of the project:
-Supporting young people to have agency and create change, building pride in Rotherham as their home.
- Enabling children and young people to develop a sense of community and belonging through the arts and culture, enhancing their mental health and critical thinking.
- Increasing opportunities for play in digital and physical spaces, as well as fostering physical activity and participation in sport.
- Enabling children and young people to engage with nature and their local environment and take action to combat climate change.
As there was a problem with grooming years ago are you saying that we should not invest in the above for our children?
Rightly said.
Correct, but you need a brain to be
able to work that out. Some on here will obviously struggle with that.
Not reading or not understanding articles is endemic on here. Why they choose a business news site to air their comments is as bewildering as it is embarrassing.
It's still happening and getting brushed under the carpet....for obvious reasons,can't have a certain community seen in a bad light,that's why Rotherham looks a laughing stock,go to a football match and listen what opposition fans sing at us,town is a joke!
I'm currently under investigation by d gwamma polis,so can't comment.😏
The issue is a very simple as far as I'm concerned. I applaud RMBC for trying to do something to support our young people, but as always they've gone about it completely the wrong way, thinking about the short term, quick fix PR opportunities, rather than actually doing something meaningful to drive footfall back into the town centre.
Events are important in doing this, but we don't need a badly thought out concept like the Capital of Culture to achieve this, we need common sense. Do something interesting, create a reason to visit and people will come.
Rotherham does need to move on from the CSE scandal, but half-baked ideas like this will only serve to bring the reputation of the town into the gutter once again.
In answer to Mark's question - of course the CSE Scandal shouldn't stop investment in our young people, but I don't remember Tesco or the other supermarkets making a song and a dance about discounted burgers after the horse meat scandal. They changed the conversation - and that, in my view is what is so fundamentally wrong with this Capital of Culture debacle.
It will do nothing to boost economic regeneration, apart from to line the pockets of organisations like Grimm & Co. There's no thought about the impact on businesses in the town centre, and it's unlikely to do anything other than continue to create reputational damage to the town.
It's an initiative that from day one, which although well-intentioned has, and will continue to make the town a laughing stock - one that does little to challenge the negative connotations associated with the borough.
I've said from day one, it's a disaster waiting to happen. It doesn't matter how much money the council squanders on this pet project, it will do nothing to improve the reputation of the town and frankly, I feel ashamed that yet again the reputation of Rotherham is being dragged through the gutter.
For the council to invest so much money in this feckless initiative when there are so many other things that could be achieved (from a cultural, heritage and regeneration perspective at the very least), that is shows just how out of touch the Council and its elected members really are.
Why, why why do they have to use ROV-RUM? are they really that dense that they think it's a good idea? Or, is it as I suspect a scheme run by sanctimonious do-gooders who are only really interested in the pots of money RMBC is throwing at this horrendous project?
I hate, hate hate the town being referred to as Rov-rum, it's lazy, stupid and does nothing to make it a place that anyone in their right mind would associate themselves with.
The rather long post 30/07 2:12pm proves the point of a previous poster "Not reading or not understanding articles is endemic on here".
The project is nothing to do with the regeneration of Rotherham Town Centre or driving footfall. I'd suggest you visit the Children's Capital of Culture website to understand how the project originated, what it's aims are and how it is funded.
Perhaps the obvious question to ask here to poster 5:21pm is: If it's not about subject areas such as economic growth, driving footfall or improving the town's leisure and cultural offering, then what on earth is this story doing on a website dedicated to business related matters in Rotherham?
I can't see how there will be any winners from this, apart from the imbeciles who continually refer to our town as "Rovrum". The project is supposed to be led by a literacy charity!
Too busy writing his university thesis.
I'd rather have £4M spent on cleaning the streets....
Bit extravagant that.
Words such as "cretin" and "imbecile" are being thrown about pretty frequently on here. Same person or a general trend towards derogatory insults?
Different people, I only used one of those words, although I agree with the use of both.
The article clearly states elements on the scheme are around developing skills of young people, so this is business related. Do we not want to invest in developing the employees and entrepreneurs of the future?
Not if it involves the use of the word "Rovrum"!
Of course you do.
Well I did say so
Great post that. Keep up the good work.
You might as well talk to a plank as argue with that fella.
Actually he IS talking to a plank.
Or to two short ones
He's trying to start a splinter group.
I welcome this project even though I am not a sanctimonious do gooder.
You're in denial mate.
I've never even been to Egypt.
But are you in seine?
No, but I've a lot on my Plate.
Ouse been responsible for that?
Don't be such a kwai baby!
Alright keep your aire on
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