THE MAYOR of South Yorkshire has championed arts and culture at an event at Barnsley’s Digital Media Centre in a bid to attract visitors and future artists to South Yorkshire.
Mayor Dan Jarvis and Pete Massey, director for northern economy and partnerships at Arts Council England (North) spoke at the event and discussed how people can work together to inspire the next generation of artists, attract visitors and grow the region’s cultural economy.
Mr Jarvis, who is also MP for Barnsley Central, said: “Our region is home to nationally significant assets including galleries, museums, the largest theatre complex outside of London, and the soon-to-be-reopened Wentworth Castle Gardens.
“We also have a thriving music scene, a talented community of artists, sculptors and makers, and hugely successful tourist attractions that bring in visitors from across the whole of the UK.
“If we work together and combine this expertise, I believe we can be more than the sum of our parts. That’s why I am delighted to support this event; bringing together people who are experts in their fields to share knowledge, explore opportunities to work together and, ultimately, raise the cultural profile of our region on a national scale.”
Earlier this month Dan and other South Yorkshire council officials met with Sir Gary Verity, of Welcome to Yorkshire, at Cannon Hall Farm to explore ideas around collectively promoting the region’s tourism offer.
Working in partnership with UK Music, he has also created the first Music Board to meet outside of London, bringing together artists, venues, music businesses and festival organisers to help shape and grow the region’s music industry.
Michael Dugher, CEO of UK Music, said: “Dan Jarvis is a passionate champion of our creative industries and has shown real leadership in setting up the first meeting of a Music Board outside of London. It has been a great success in London.
“It’s time other parts of the country had the same.”
