Scotland aims high

Two million pounds of savings, an £8m programme of events for the Cultural Olympiad and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and a 50% increase in film investment this year are among the commitments made by Scotland’s new body, Creative Scotland (CS), in its first business plan. Scotland “will be recognised as a leading creative nation” by 2020 if CS fulfils the ambitions laid out in ‘Investing in our Creative Future’, which describes its priorities for 2011–2014. Although the plan only goes as far as 2014, the ambitions it sets out have a deadline of 2020, presumably allowing CS to assess progress and realign its funding and priorities in 2014 if necessary. The Scottish Government has published illustrative budget figures up to 2014-15, but the UK Government’s cuts to public spending mean that the figures do not represent final decisions. What happens to CS’s budget beyond 2012 remains to be seen. The plan sets out specific, measureable goals for the arts and for the distribution of CS’s £70m funding for 2011/12. Goals leading up to 2020 include: Scotland having the highest levels of participation in the arts in the UK, a cultural economy that exceeds the UK average; giving every child in Scotland access to the arts and for 2,000 alumni from its artists’ residencies programme to act as champions and ambassadors for a creative Scotland.

Grouped around five priorities, the plan is specific as to how these goals will be achieved, and where money will be invested. ‘Quality artistic production’ will receive the largest share of investment, including a national calendar of festivals and events. During 2011–2012, CS will begin a review of Scotland’s cultural ecology of the performing arts, visual arts and crafts to identify gaps and inform future strategic commissioning of production and touring franchises. The second goal is to ‘invest in talent’, leading to the development of Europe’s largest programme of artists’ residencies, developing and sustaining a network of ‘talent hubs; and building a network of creative incubator spaces.

In response to concerns that “there are sections of the population and places with limited access to, and engagement with, the arts” the plan also sets out an aim to invest in audiences, access and participation. CS will develop a National Youth Arts strategy, reach into every school, continue to invest £10m each year in the Youth Music Initiative and invest in a major programme of cultural work with older people in partnership with a major charitable foundation.

The plan also describes a decision to expand the Made in Scotland programme of cultural showcases and to undertake an economic impact study on the cultural economy. The final priority is ‘Place’, which covers a new £20m capital programme for cultural facilities, a new programme of public art; partnerships with VisitScotland and EventScotland; and working to maximise the potential of UNESCO Cities of Literature and Music.