Application for Strategic/Pathway Partnerships

1.	Project Title:		Creative Networking in Newham (CNN)

2.	Project Address:		Stratford Arts Centre Project c/o Old Town Hall Broadway Stratford London E15 4BQ

3.	Project Manager:		Jon Harris

			Telephone:		0181 472 1430 x 25670

			Fax:		0181 534 8411

			Email:		owner-creative@newham.org.uk

4.	Organisation:		Salway Arts Ltd. (managing Stratford Arts Centre Project)

5.	Project Summary:		Broad bandwidth capability and a creative production, marketing, sales and training network for the Stratford Cultural Quarter and its partners across Newham

6.	Programme:	Obj 2	Priority:	3		Measure/s	3.2

Start date:

Summer 1999

Completion Date:

31.12.2001

8.	Aims of Project:		To enable the SMEs of Newham’s cultural industries to use applied telematics to access new markets, grow and compete To support and extend new ICTs in use in the Cultural Quarter; to give SMEs and the education sector greater access and value from ICTs To consolidate the successes of existing investments in the telematics infrastructure of the ELLV To develop innovative partnerships in the cultural sector in Newham To help develop equality of access to telematics To build a supply chain between the partners
9.		Brief Description of Project

Purpose:

CNN will provide a high-capacity network for a new range of SMEs in Newham. It will allow companies, and individual and aspiring artists, to access new technologies for training, marketing to new customers, producing and selling. It will provide high-quality benefits at little or no cost to participants. It will raise awareness of the use and range of telematics applications. It will allow SMEs in the cultural industries in Newham to take full advantage of existing investments and infrastructure, most particularly the investment in the Teleregion and Newham extranet. It will provide a focus for the digital marketing and distribution of the products of the creative culture.

Activity:

Providing 10Mb microwave link connectivity to the Teleregion (via Bridge Road Depot) for the Cultural Quarter, Waterhouse Studios, Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc); and 155Mb infra-red link at Three Mills Island Studios Providing and operating a video display network, including showcase video wall, in the Cultural Quarter as a networked centrepiece of public display of the industry’s products Providing a marketing and ticketing network housed on the DataBox system for the new Arts Centre and Theatre Royal, accessible to all SMEs in the industry Using new and developing online technology to reach a growing number of markets Resourcing and training artists and students in using technology to be competitive, for example by designing and marketing video materials Creating a focus for video production for the Internet Providing web-based audio facilities and an online music technology resource
10.		Describe how the Project meets the objectives of the Priority/measure and Objective 2 Funding Agenda:

CNN is about networking local experts. It will allow the partners to exploit the full potential of online services by exchanging information on broad bandwidth, learning to use network marketing initiatives and applications, and using modernised ticketing and marketing systems. CNN will increase access for schools and colleges by allowing media students at NewVIc creative experimentation with the only video wall in the ELLV area. Salway Arts already has extensive links with schools in the Education Action Zone via the Newham A+ Project; CNN will allow these schools to participate in learning opportunities using the high-capacity network provided by the partners. The Cultural Quarter is included in the BOA and CNN will greatly increase its use of applied telematics. Networked applications such as DataBox, video editing and post-production software and music technology applications will be used.
11.		Synergy and Need:

a. What is the demand for this Project? How has this been determined?

CNN has been the subject of consultation through the Newham Creative Network of the Newham Online partnership, which are both informal mechanisms for networking and partnership. CNN harnesses the needs of its partners in diverse ways: Stratford Arts Centre and the Theatre Royal will receive long-lasting environmental and marketing benefits; Three Mills Island Studios will have the capability to display information in Stratford and exchange information with the other creative players in Newham; NewVIc will have a focus for training in video display and network marketing for its media courses, increasingly using applied telematics; UEL will be enjoy connection for both its old and new campuses to other creative industry organisations; Waterhouse Studios will enjoy all the benefits of broad bandwidth, which it could not otherwise achieve; the smaller partners, such as East London Dance, will have access to high-capacity networks and applications, and ticketing and marketing facilities. CNN is constructed such that more links in future, for example with Metro New Media and the Britannia Works development, can be introduced.
b. How does this Project benefit local people and disadvantaged communities? (Priorities 2 & 4 only)

The establishment of the Cultural Quarter in Stratford will bring Newham to the forefront of the cultural industries sector in East London. It will provide a shop-window for Newham’s greatest assets, the dynamism and internationalism which, together with traditional links to the cultural sector, make Newham a potential world leader in this fastest-growing sector. CNN is an essential part of this catalyst for regeneration because it will allow local experts in production and training to access and exploit new technologies. This especially includes local artists and training artists who do not currently enjoy any access to new ICTs. Local people will, via the physical focus of the new buildings and their video display arrays, be drawn into new technologies and their new worlds. The new buildings are fully accessible to wheelchair users and feature tactile signage and audio description. In our Building Management and Equal Opportunities Policies we have affirmed our ongoing commitment to management strategies which will be fully inclusive and will combat social exclusion. Work with the elderly, with ethnic minorities and with people with special learning needs feature as priorities in the work of many of the partners.

c. What are the implications of Match Funding not being Approved or forthcoming:

Match funding is in place.

12.	Project Costs

How will the Project costs be met?		1999 £(000)	2000 £(000)	2001 £(000)	Date of Confirmation of Commitment
Objective 2 ERDF		220,000	0	0	N/A
Arts Council Lottery		42,000	108,000	0	2.8.1996
Stratford Arts Centre Revenue Budget		5,000	25,000	53,500	19.2.1999
Theatre Royal Revenue Budget		0	0	63,500	19.2.1999
LB Newham (IT Networks)		17,000	0	0	19.2.1999
NewVIc/ 3 Mills (Connectivity)		10,000	0	0	19.2.1999
Waterhouse Studios In-kind services		0	0	10,000	19.2.1999
TOTAL		294,000	133,000	127,000

What will the money be spent on? (List main items of expenditure with costs):

Expenditure (Detail)	1999 £(000)	2000 £(000)	2001 £(000)
Connectivity (incl maintenance)	114,000	0	0
Hardware	80,000	80,000	0
Software	15,000	15,000	0
Video Wall	80,000	0	0
Salaries	5,000	23,000	112,000
Training programmes	0	15,000	15,000

TOTALS	294,000	133,000	127,000
GRAND TOTAL	554,000

13.	Project Outputs

Description of Output (see enclosed definitions)		Total
Permanent jobs created		8 FTE
Jobs preserved		1 FTE
Business start-ups		0
Businesses assisted to take up or enhance telematics		25

Additional Information for Applications sent to Teleregion

How will the proposed project development be made available for public use and access?

CNN will aim to bring the use of new telematics applications to the public. The purpose of the video display will be to attract and make dynamic the public perception of telematics applications and how these are linked to the cultural industries. At least two touchscreen networked PCs in the arts centre foyers will allow interaction with network facilities. The Cultural Quarter’s interactive presence on the Internet, featuring information, educational materials, and online booking and sales capability using the DataBox network will be enhanced by CNN and the added dimensions its partnerships bring. Waterhouse Studios’ interactive web-based audio activities will attract increasing numbers of participants, as will activities such as an on-line MP3 record label, live audiostreaming and on-line jamming. NewVIc and UeL continue to market courses extensively to a range of communities and both have adult education/lifelong learning plans which will develop together with CNN to increase numbers of users.

What is your exploitation plan for ensuring the viability of your project beyond the period of grant-aided support?

Beyond infrastructure, additional training and early revenue set-up costs the ongoing costs of operation will be met from within the resources of the partners. For the most part salaries and marketing revenue expenditure is contained within the revenue budgets of Stratford Arts Centre and the Theatre Royal. Waterhouse Studios, NewVic, UeL and Three Mills will continue to contribute activities and training from within existing budgets. It is planned that partners will, after the end of 2001, contribute the cost of maintenance of connectivity hardware within each of their premises. Other existing Objective 2 programmes, for example NewVIc’s "Video Wall Development" programme from the previous round, will help provide the training resource which will drive the network. Further bids are being made in the current round which are strategically linked to assist ongoing viability, for example further bidding by NewVIc, Space Studios, and Newham Millennium Celebrations.

3. What evidence is there that you have the skills and capacity identified and available for your project to succeed? Wherever possible name organisations, units or individuals.

The range of partners involved in delivering aspects of CNN is as follows:

Stratford Arts Centre/Theatre Royal Stratford East – expertise in marketing, sales, operations, development and partnerships in the creative sector
Newham Online – expertise in designing and delivering connectivity
LB Newham (IT Networks) – partners in delivering new connectivity
NewVIc – training expertise, especially in new media, music and performing arts. Post-production facilities for Newham Creative Network partners
UeL – training expertise and community outreach programmes designed to help place the new Royal Docks campus in its community; links to existing connectivity to the Teleregion
Three Mills Island Studios – operations and training in film and video production and, increasingly, post-production
Waterhouse Studios – community music studios specialising in music technology
Newham Creative Network – includes several smaller organisations and SMEs in the cultural sector, many bringing different cultural and artistic specialisms.

A feature of the cultural industries sector is the importance of self-employment and the aspiration of individual young artists to sell. Through CNN, more self-employment reliant on telematics applications will emerge, with this strong foundation for future development.