Fears are mounting that the recommendations of the £500,000, year-long Scottish Cultural Commission investigation into the cultural landscape of Scotland may be shelved due to political indifference. Ahead of a debate in the Scottish Parliament about the Commission?s controversial report (AP issue 104, 29 August), leading artists and some politicians have been accusing the Scottish Executive?s Culture Minister, Patricia Ferguson, of side-stepping the debate and refusing to engage with the arts community on the thrust of the report?s findings. The report, delivered in June, included 124 proposals such as the establishment of a ?super-quango?, Culture Scotland, to replace the Scottish Arts Council, and a boost of £100m annually in Scottish arts spending.
With a debate among MSPs scheduled for 22 September, the Scottish Green Party has hosted an advance meeting for arts organisations and politicians to discuss the report. At the meeting, which Ferguson did not attend, debate focused on the issues of arts in education and funding. Delegates called for local authorities to be required to increase spending on the arts and for the Executive to make a concrete commitment to cultural rights in Scotland.
Published: 26-09-2005