Conditions must improve or City of Culture will have failed

The Minister said the impact of the first ever UK City of Culture will be measured between 2013 and 2020 and that a specific set of targets will need to have been met otherwise the whole thing will have been a waste of time and money.

Her sister Department in England - the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which awarded the title to Londonderry back in 2010 - insist that key objectives for 2013 are the delivery of a high quality cultural programme and lasting social regeneration.

Londonderry UK City of Culture must also result have a major economic impact and “maximise legacy from being City of Culture.”

The Executive has agreed to pump a one-off capital investment of £12.6m through the local Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) to support the Cultural Programme of events planned in the run up to and during 2013.

But DUP MLA Gregory Campbell wanted to know how the Executive would decide if the whole investment was a success of not.

In response the Culture Minister outlined a range of very specific targets that need to be met to ensure the whole thing isn’t a failure.

According to the Minister wages and profits need to rise, jobs need to be created in poorer areas, more tourists spending more money need to come here, there needs to be more equality and better relations between Protestants and Catholics and Nationalists and Unionists, more poor perople need to attend more cultural events and people need to be happier about living in Londonderry.

If none of this happens then Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 will have been a failure and the Minister’s Department and others will be testing this over the seven years from 2013 to 2020.

She explained: “Specific, measurable targets have been set to measure impact and outcomes of the City of Culture 2013.

“Key objectives set by DCMS in awarding the title To accurately measure the impact of 2013, targets have been set up to 2020.

“Milestones have been developed for 2013 and 2014 for monitoring progress and to undertake post project evaluation.

“Targets are concerned with increasing wages and profits in the City; increasing employment, particularly in those from the bottom half of the most deprived wards; improving community relations, perceptions of the City and equality and social cohesion; increasing visitors to the City and visitor spend; increasing

the number of people who attend cultural events, particularly those living in the most deprived areas; increasing satisfaction with living in the City and raising the City’s Urban Benchmark Rank. Measurement of progress during 2013 will be undertaken by the NI Research and Statistics Agency.”

“Milestones have been developed for 2013 and 2014 for monitoring progress and to undertake post project evaluation.

“Targets are concerned with increasing wages and profits in the City; increasing employment, particularly in those from the bottom half of the most deprived wards; improving community relations, perceptions of the City and equality and social cohesion; increasing visitors to the City and visitor spend; increasing

the number of people who attend cultural events, particularly those living in the most deprived areas; increasing satisfaction with living in the City and raising the City’s Urban Benchmark Rank. Measurement of progress during 2013 will be undertaken by the NI Research and Statistics Agency.”