The Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the Inspiring London through Culture Fund, Sculpture in the City, and achievements at Keats House. They were also scheduled to receive verbal updates on the National Year of Reading and the Audience Agency, and to receive a report on the Culture Strategy.

Sculpture in the City

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from Greg Moore, Deputy Town Clerk, regarding the Sculpture in the City (SITC) programme, including the 14th edition and proposals for its future delivery.

Sculpture in the City is an annual public art exhibition in the City of London. The report noted that the programme began in 2011 with four artworks, and the 14th edition in 2025 included 11 artworks and an accompanying programme of events.

The report outlined three options for the future of the SITC programme:

• Option 1: Retain SITC within the City Corporation, with the Culture Team responsible for programme delivery, funded through local risk budgets.
• Option 2: Terminate SITC and deinstall the artworks.
• Option 3: Transfer SITC ownership, management, and operational delivery to an external entity in the form of a Community Interest Company (CIC).

The recommendation was for Option 3, to transfer SITC to a CIC. The proposed 'SITC CIC' would be managed by a board of directors, with day-to-day management by an executive team. The CIC would switch to a two-year cycle, with a new programme in year 1, and activations and a major commission in year 2. Funding would be raised through a combination of private sector patronage, public sector grant funding, sponsorship, and continued investment from the Eastern City Business Improvement District.

The report included a summary of the 14th edition, including:

• Three new artworks: Looping Loop by Andrew Sabin, Roots by Ai Weiwei, and Dendrophiles by Jane & Louise Wilson.
• An activations programme of more than 12 separate events and activities.
• An education programme of 24 workshops for six local schools, covering around 120 school children.

The report also included a feasibility study presentation which stated that:

Unanimous agreement about the importance of public art and vital contribution it makes to the experience in the Square Mile

Keats House

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from Katie Stewart, Executive Director of Environment, regarding achievements at Keats House between April and September 2025, including a risk management update.

Keats House is a registered charity supported by the City of London Corporation, which acts as its sole trustee. The report provided an update on activities at Keats House, including its core services of opening to the public, delivering school sessions, and devising and promoting a year-round exhibition and events programme.

The report noted that 5,089 people visited the house and the Keats House 100 exhibition between April and September 2025, a 21% increase on the same period last year. A total of 21 public events at the house engaged 677 people. A total of 29 taught sessions were delivered to 513 students from 22 different schools.

The report also provided an update on the risks held by the Keats House charity. The Keats House Risk Register contained one RED risk, two AMBER risks, and four GREEN risks. One new risk had been added to the register: 'Tree event or failure', with a score of Red 24. Actions to control this risk included annual inspections of all trees and closure of the garden in extreme weather conditions.

Inspiring London Through Culture Fund

The committee was scheduled to receive a report from Simon Latham, Interim Managing Director of the City Bridge Foundation, providing an annual update on the Inspiring London through Culture (ILTC) Fund for 2024/25, and a funding programme analysis from 2020/21 to 2024/25.

The ILTC awards grants to cultural projects and services delivered for the benefit of communities within the City of London. Applications must meet one or more of the fund's four core criteria:

• Promote access for all to participate in the City of London's cultural offer.
• Enhance London's creative future through championing excellence in the development of innovative practice and/or skills.
• Deliver positive social impact through culture and/or heritage in the City of London.
• Support the development of the City of London's Destination City¹.

In 2024/25, the ILTC received 25 applications and awarded 10 grants totalling £76,104. The average value of grant awarded was £7,610.

The report included an analysis of grants awarded over the last five years, from 2020/21 to 2024/25. Over this period, the ILTC distributed £398,479 in 48 grants to 39 unique organisations. 27% of grants were awarded to music projects, 13% to theatre projects, and 13% to film projects. 98% of grants awarded 'Promoted access for all to participate in the City of London's cultural offer', and 63% contributed to the delivery of the City of London's Destination City policy.

The report stated that the Central Funding and Charity Management Team is in the process of reviewing its small grant programmes, which will include a review of the Inspiring London Through Culture programme at align with the City of London's new Cultural Strategy.

Appendix 2 listed the Inspiring London Through Culture Fund grants approved under delegated authority for 2024/2025. These included:

• £10,000 to The Baytree Centre to support integration work with refugee and migrant women and girls through visiting the City of London.
• £7,000 to Serious Trust towards artist fees, backline and management costs associated with EFG London Jazz Festival Free-stage Programme at the Barbican Centre.
• £9,400 to Compass Collective for staff and project costs associated with running a series of drama workshops for young refugees and asylum seekers and a final performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
• £2,120 to Sutton's Hospital in Charterhouse towards tour guide fees, workshop facilitator fees and workshop materials associated with a programme of free tours and workshops around the newly restored 1611 Letters Patent of Sutton's Hospital in Charterhouse for Golden Lane.
• £6,840 to East London Advanced Technology Training towards staff time, staff travel costs and ticket entrance to paid attractions in City Welcome Club.
• £7,000 to CurvingRoad to support SHIFT + SPACE for early career performing artists to present works-in-progress to public audiences in Theatre Deli.
• £8,084 to Phosphoros Theatre to facilitate free and subsidised performances within the City of London during Refugee week.
• £8,000 to Queer East CIC to support Queer East Festival presenting LGBTQ+ cinema and live theatre at the Barbican.
• £7,700 to Arab British Centre to fund SAFAR Film Festival 10th edition.
• £9,960 to Umbrella Dance to produce and deliver a double bill of public performances by two international artists at the Barbican Centre as part of Dance Umbrella 2025.

Other Matters

The committee was also scheduled to:

• Approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22 September 2025.
• Note the committee's forward plan.
• Receive verbal updates on the National Year of Reading and the Audience Agency.
• Receive a report on the Culture Strategy.
• Consider a motion to exclude the public from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.
• Approve the non-public minutes of the previous meeting held on 22 September 2025.
• Receive the report of the Executive Director Environment on The Monument 2025-26 mid-year update.