SNP pledges more arts cash

Scottish National Party promises new breaks for artists if elected in May, whilst attacking Scottish Labours legacy on the arts.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has said that it will introduce new funding initiatives for the arts in Scotland, if it is elected to government in May. From a range of measures aimed at the sector, the SNP announced an Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund of £2m to promote Scottish work at the capitals festivals, along with an Artists Tax Exemption scheme.

SNP Deputy Leader Nicola Sturgeon said, The creative industries already generate more than £5bn of turnover in the Scottish economy and we think they could do even better with the right support. Scotland has talent in abundance and we need to work harder at supporting success.

Acknowledging the economic and cultural role played by Edinburghs world-famous festivals, Sturgeon said, The new Expo Fund will help support the costs of new productions, events or exhibitions which involve Scottish-based participants that are premièred at any of the Edinburgh Festivals and could also be used to support touring of events or performances after their première at the festival.

Under the SNPs proposals, artists resident in Scotland will be given tax exemption on the income they receive from the sale of artistic works, up to a ceiling of £15,000. A grant scheme will operate to allow artists to reclaim the cost of the tax paid on any artistic works they have sold. Spokesperson Stewart Maxwell said that the proposals would address the needs of grassroots artists in Scotland. Claiming that the SNP would not subsidise, but invest in the arts, he went on to criticise the Scottish Labour Partys legacy, saying, Theyve been in government for eight years now, and arts have never been top of their priorities. The Draft Culture (Scotland) Bill introduced at the end of the last Parliament was an exceptionally weak document. From one end of the spectrum to the other, Scottish Labour has failed artists in Scotland.

Louise de Winter of the National Campaign for the Arts also welcomed the SNPs announcement, saying, We welcome this initiative for the arts and creative industries in Scotland and would like to see support for the arts widened to the whole sector. Funding for the arts should not be a party political issue but one that all parties subscribe to because they recognise the value and the worth of the arts to peoples lives. The fact that the arts generate £5bn to the Scottish economy should make real and significant investment in the sector a no brainer. A spokesperson for Scottish Labour responded to the SNPs announcement saying, Labour has doubled the culture budget since devolution. Our plans for the next term of the Scottish Parliament include artists-in-residence as part of town centre renewal, an arts futures fund for arts graduates who want to work in Scotland, and a major new fund for commissioning new work. Were confident that its a strong package to build Scotlands creativity.

Elections for the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales take place on 3 May.