West Midlands Mayor Andy Street wants to raise the curtain on a new era for culture in the region, by agreeing a groundbreaking Creative Arts Devolution Deal with the Government.
And the Mayor – who has secured tens of millions of pounds for the arts – said taking control of the region’s cultural funding could help protect the sector from financial risks such as Birmingham City Council’s bankruptcy.
Andy launched the policy pledge as he visited Birmingham Hippodrome, to hear how national organisations Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) and Musical Theatre Network (MTN) are moving to the much-loved theatre, creating a new musical theatre hub in the city.
Both MMD and MTN are nationwide membership organisations supporting the writing and staging of new musicals, and co-produce BEAM, the UK’s largest showcase of new musical theatre. Alongside the move, they have announced that BEAM2025 will take place at Birmingham Hippodrome on 15th and 16th May 2025.
Andy also heard about the Hippodrome’s plans for the newly-acquired Southside Building – formerly known as Albany House – which, under his leadership, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) stepped in to fund after the cash-strapped city council pulled out.
Through a new Creative Arts Devolution Deal with Government, the region would:
Gain access to additional arts funding, fighting back against the centralisation of funding in London.
Jointly develop a new National Centre for Musical Theatre with the Arts Council, in the West Midlands.
Fund better creative arts education and training at the region’s universities, colleges, schools and specialist institutions.
Explore if the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and its collections could become a ‘National Museum’ - being supported with national funding.
Build culture and the arts into our plans for Growth Zones in East Birmingham, North Solihull, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall.
Provide financial resilience and sustainability training for arts leaders in the region, partnering with UK and international experts, potentially using our apprenticeship levy transfer fund.
Build on the partnership agreed in the Trailblazer Devolution Deal to work with Arts Council England, Historic England, Sport England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Lottery Community Fund and Visit Britain, to align our investments in the arts and culture.
Andy said: “The West Midlands is fast becoming a cultural powerhouse, with brilliant theatres, a booming creative sector, world-class production facilities, famous venues and a remarkable pool of local talent that is creating everything from must-watch TV to video games, and from cutting edge music to classical ballet.
“The Birmingham Hippodrome is leading the way and showing huge ambition. The arrival of MMD and MTN at this famous old theatre will make our city a hub for musical theatre – it’s tremendously exciting news.
“Just a stone’s throw away a genuine creative quarter is growing in Digbeth, with TV and film studios opening near the site of the BBC’s new HQ, while major TV shows such as Masterchef are relocating here.
“Since I became Mayor, we have seen huge investment in the sector, including £35 million regional funding for the successful Coventry City of Culture, and more than £20 million of Government funding to support work placements, bursaries and training for freelancers and new creative commissions.
“I was happy to be able to step in and support the Hippodrome with WMCA funding for the purchase of the Southside Building, but Birmingham’s financial issues have shone a stark light on just how precarious funding for the arts can be.
“That’s why I want to negotiate a groundbreaking new Creative Arts Devolution Deal with Government, so we can have control over our own cultural future.
“Having made very successful deals with Government for Transport, Housing, Skills, and overall devolved powers, it is now right to secure a special Arts and Culture deal.
“I’m confident that we can carve out an agreement that will allow us to raise the curtain on a new era for the arts across the West Midlands.”
Other arts pledges from Andy include:
To back ambitious plans for FutureFest, a new SXSW-style tech and creative festival, hosted in the region with visitors from around the world.
To support arts organisations and venues which have been affected by local authorities reducing their funding contributions.
To champion local arts venues, including brokering a new plan for the Crown, Electric Cinema and Station Street in Birmingham, to retain our heritage and the cultural uses of the buildings.
To commission a review of music education provision for young people, looking at how to build on our world-class cultural assets such as the Shireland CBSO Academy in Sandwell, the Junior Conservatoire and our music services across the region.
To scale up our creative bootcamps and skills provision to meet the skills gaps in the sector, including bootcamps, apprenticeships and sector-based work academy programmes.
How Andy has supported the arts:
Under Andy, the WMCA set up the new £6 million Major Event Fund to attract international business, cultural and sporting events to the West Midlands, and led the successful bid for Visit Britain to select Birmingham as its new headquarters from April 2024.
Andy secured £20 million of new funding for culture and heritage from Government, to support work placements, bursaries and training for freelancers, new creative commissions and cultural capital projects, partially from the Commonwealth Games underspend.
The WMCA Provided more than £35 million in regional funding for the Coventry City of Culture, with in-person audiences totalling 500,000 and a further 500,000 online, generating £172 million direct investment in the region.
He championed the Birmingham 2022 Festival of arts and cultural activities during the Commonwealth Games in 2022, with 200 events and over 100,000 participants which made culture a key part of the Games.
Crucially, Andy saw an above average increase in the Arts Council funding (+22%), totalling £150 million for arts in the West Midlands and Warwickshire over the next three years.
During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Andy also lobbied for financial support for creative organisations across the West Midlands, including support for the Hippodrome, the Birmingham REP, the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, the Midlands Arts Centre, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the Black Country Living Museum.
He also supported the region’s arts venues with their improvement and expansion plans, such as the old Guildhall in Walsall, The Hippodrome and Symphony Hall in Birmingham.