SEVERAL calls have been made for investigations into the Coventry City of Culture Trust after it went into administration last week.
The Trust’s administration last Tuesday followed ‘ongoing cash flow issues’ and put 50 people out of work.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said an investigation must be held into the trust’s failure, but felt the immediate priority needed to be securing the City of Culture’s legacy.
The trust said it had continued to work closely with those who had pledged legacy funding to try to protect those funds for the city and its cultural organisations.
It added details of these arrangements were expected to be clearer in the next few weeks.
A petition launched on change.org called for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to order an independent investigation of the Coventry City of Culture Trust and involved delivery partners.
It called for an investigation into the financial management, selection of leadership, training, culture, systems, structures, processes, procurement, partnerships, evaluation, community involvement and engagement.
The petition argued an inquiry would allow Coventry and DCMS to learn from the failure of the trust and allow action to be taken to prevent the City of Culture programme and future Cultural schemes in the city from failing in the same way.
Coventry City Council was contacted but was unable to comment by the time we went to press.
Click here to sign the petition.
