Cultural champions

Plans to explore culture and creativity in education are being developed by Scotland’s Culture Minister Michael Russell and Schools Minister Keith Brown. Russell has announced a new scheme to “create new cultural champions within schools and local authorities, to bring together key organisations to work together to deliver a full appreciation of Scotland’s diverse culture to every pupil”. A spokesperson for the Scottish Government told AP that Creative Scotland, the new cultural development body, “will be particularly well placed to promote this good work”, while the education authorities and Learning Teaching Scotland (the Government agency for supporting curriculum development) would also play a important role. An event is to be held on 15 December to bring together “key organisations and invited members of Scotland’s culture and education sectors… to explore ways to ‘champion’ the role of culture and creativity in education”. It will emphasise the importance of bringing children “into direct contact with artists and creative practitioners”.