The Mainstream Partnership Manifesto

This Manifesto is based on a series of workshop sessions featuring Mainstream Core Group members and stakeholders, held at Arts Council England East Midlands on Friday 27th May 2005.

1. Introduction
2. Objectives of the Mainstream Partnership
3. Membership of the Mainstream Partnership
4. The Mainstream Partnership Offer
5. Who Should be Partners of Mainstream?
6. The Mainstream Programme (additional features)

1. Introduction

Mainstream exists to promote the professional development of Black, Asian, Chinese and other minority ethnic arts practitioners in the East Midlands. It has been widely recognized for its training courses and conferences, one-to-one advisory services, and for its ability to link BME artists with the work of a wide range of funding bodies and support agencies.

It began its life in 1999 as a development project housed at Arts Training Central, and became a Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) of Arts Council England in April 2004. In 2006 Mainstream will receive a major uplift in recognition of the strategic importance of the organisation. As well as consolidating it’s present structure and activities this will see it (eventually) taking up aspects of the legacy of ACE’s Decibel Programme, which comes to an end in that same year, and from April 2006 will enable it to become an organisation in its own right.
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This independence will herald a number of changes to its structure and capacity, which will enable it to play a bigger role in accessing resources and support services for culturally diverse arts practitioners in the region. These will include:

the transition to becoming a company limited by guarantee, with its own Board of Directors and governance framework replacing the present core group.
a clearer role for the membership in terms of their entitlements, obligations and role in the running of the organisation.
a stronger relationship with a wider range of partners than ever before, with a more focused vision linking partners and associates with culturally diverse practitioners.
an expanded staff, independent offices, revamped publicity, and a new website.
a three year Business Plan and Fundraising strategy covering April 2006 – March 2009.
continuation of a range of Mainstream initiatives, including training, which bridge gaps in existing provision, funded by applications to a range of sources.

Throughout the Autumn of 2005 the present core group and staff will be working towards these objectives, establishing both the physical and legal infrastructure for Mainstream (now to become The Mainstream Partnership), continuing to build the membership base of practitioners, and entering discussions with current and future partners to establish how Mainstream can work with them to optimum effect.

2. Objectives of the Mainstream Partnership

The Mainstream Partnership exists to promote the opening up of professional development opportunities to culturally diverse artists, arts organisations and audiences in the East Midlands, by building up active links between sector and non-sector support agencies and BME groups and individuals. In so doing it will effect a sustainable transformation in the representation of culturally diverse arts within the creative sector generally.

This will involve:

Aims

encouraging practitioners to use professional development to turn their creativity into employment;
entering an ongoing dialogue with practitioners to identify their development needs and to provide professional advice signposting them towards suitable opportunities for increasing their business capacity, employment prospects, and professional status;
building on support and advocacy work that Decibel has achieved in the region.

Objectives

promoting a deeper understanding of cultural diversity among strategic organisations and networks operating in the region;
advocating and negotiating on behalf of BME artists to secure proper access to grants, information, training, and other support services.
accepting increased responsibility for advocating and capacity building within the culturally diverse sector, particularly in view of the end of the Arts Council Decibel programme.

3. Membership of the Mainstream Partnership

Mainstream will become a formal membership organisation from April 2007.

Membership will be by application or formal renewal, and subject to payment of an agreed membership fee and agreement to subscribe to Mainstream’s objectives and core values.

Membership is subject to approval by the Mainstream Partnership Board of Management.

Membership will fall into two categories:

Full Membership: open to culturally diverse arts practitioners and organisations, and representatives of groups primarily engaged in the production of culturally diverse work.

Associate Membership: open to individuals and group representatives whose work impacts on the objectives of Mainstream in a partnership or supportive capacity, including non-CD arts organisations and groups, arts sector support agencies and funding bodies, local authority arts officers etc.

Benefits and Obligations of Membership

Each category of membership denotes its own level of involvement with Mainstream’s work

Full Membership.

Membership fees will be variable according to status as individual practitioner (1A), representative of organisation with a turnover of less than £20k (1B), representative of organisation with turnover of greater than £20k (1C).

Each Full Member will have voting rights in electing members of the Mainstream Board of Management (as detailed elsewhere).

In addition they will have full access to such information, training, networking, professional services and employment opportunities as provided or brokered by Mainstream on behalf of its membership.

Full Members will be expected to act as ambassadors for Mainstream and its objectives, to provide support for other members as appropriate, and to recruit additional members to Mainstream in turn.

Associate Membership.

Membership fees will be variable according to status as representative of organisation with a turnover of less than £50k (2A), representative of organisation with turnover of greater than £50k but less than £200k (2B), and representatives of organisations with turnover of greater than £200k.

Benefits will include access to information and networking opportunities within Mainstream, and linkage/brokerage/access facilitation by Mainstream in making links between their own work and BME practitioners, and professional advice and support on culturally diverse elements within their work.

Associate Members will be expected to show a commitment to the objectives and core values of Mainstream by creating and providing information of opportunities for BME arts practitioners in the East Midlands, and to facilitate access to their work by Mainstream and its membership at the appropriate level.

National Membership

National Organisations may also be considered for Associate Membership of Mainstream, with a different category of membership fee.

4. The Mainstream Partnership Offer

Mainstream offers to its partners:

a valid collective voice
accurate information and advice
brokered relationships and introductions
access to culturally diverse artists and practitioners
fulfilment of strategic objectives and targets in relation to cultural diversity

Partners offer Mainstream:

an intelligent response to the development needs of culturally diverse artists
resources targeted to culturally diverse artists
easier access to support for culturally diverse artists
active partnership working

Mainstream serves as a link between its partners and its members, acting to validate both in the eyes of each other.

5. Who Should Be Partners of Mainstream?

Mainstream expects to develop working partnerships with a range of organisations, agencies, and groups. The respective benefits to partners (“offer”) and Mainstream and its members (“bid”) are detailed below.

Training and Development Agencies

Including: LSCs and Business Links in the East Midlands; Arts Training Central; Arts and Business.
Offer: market intelligence based on the needs of BME communities; BME clients and trainers; an additional artistic element to their work; the meeting of their objectives in reaching culturally diverse practitioners; advisory support in extending the cultural range of their programmes.
Bid: greater understanding of the needs of BME artists, and a more focused response to their needs; the development of training and development products directed at BME artists.

Funding Agencies and Sector Agencies

Including: Arts Council England; EM Media; EMMLAC; Lottery Boards; Voluntary Sector distributors; Trusts and Charities; Local Authorities Sector Skills Councils.
Offer: furthering of strategic objectives in reaching culturally diverse practitioners; advice on cultural diversity issues.
Bid: Money; policy influence; advocacy; partnership support on projects.

Arts Organisations

Including: performing companies; participatory arts companies; festival organizers; creative businesses etc.
Offer: contacts and networking with BME artists and practitioners; advice on cultural diversity issues; furtherance of strategic objectives; personal membership benefits.
Bid: influence of procedure and policy and governance; co-equal-partnerships in projects.

Venues and Cultural Centres

Including: theatres; galleries; arts centres; museums; entertainment centres.
Offer: contacts and networking with BME artists; advice on cultural diversity issues; furtherance of strategic objectives; personal membership benefits.
Bid: opportunities for Mainstream members to gain better access to performance and exhibition space.

Arts Sector Initiatives

Including: Creative Partnerships; Three Cities.
Offer: contacts and networking with BME artists and practitioners; advice on cultural diversity issues; furtherance of strategic objectives; personal membership benefits.
Bid: influence of procedure and policy and governance; co-equal-partnerships in projects.

Voluntary and Statutory Organisations

Including: Princes Trust; community groups; local authorities.
Offer: information sharing; market intelligence; contacts and networking with BME artists and practitioners; advice on cultural diversity issues; furtherance of strategic objectives; personal membership benefits.
Bid: opportunity to influence policy and programmes to secure wider access for Mainstream members.

Local and Regional Media

Including: newspapers; local radio; regional TV.
Offer: good stories and copy; commentary; furtherance of strategic objectives.
Bid: links and access; wider exposure for Mainstream’s work and the work of Mainstream’s members.

National and International Networks

Including: ITC; Voluntary Arts Network.
Offer: information, case studies, and examples of best practice; an effective working model of brokerage within the sector.
Bid: funding opportunities; broader knowledge and advocacy; wider networking opportunities; opportunities for Mainstream members.

6. The Mainstream Programme (additional features)

Since it began Mainstream has introduced a range of activities aimed at filling gaps in the provision for culturally diverse practitioners over and above that contributed by other agencies. These have included the Autumn Course Programme, the Deliver Programme, the Mainstream Opportunities Conference, and participation in the Black Rain project as well as several series of advice surgeries and other events.

During 2006-09 Mainstream will fundraise for resources to enable it to provide:

a programme of Training Needs Analysis with organisations and individuals within the culturally diverse arts communities to establish their specific needs;
further programmes of Course provision based the outcomes of the Training Needs Analysis to meet those specific needs BME organisations and individual practitioners not met by other agencies;
a series of Trainer Training programmes run annually to increase the supply of BME practitioners able to lead professional development activities;
Mentoring programmes targeted on the creative and professional development of young freelance artists, prioritising the recruitment of local BME artists and practitioners as mentors.

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