Hansard

On St Andrew's day 2003, the First Minister said:

"I marvel when I see what a fantastic country Scotland is for cultural expression … we need a greater sense of ambition in our approach to culture … we can set a course that will, over several years, make a huge difference."

My message today is that the enthusiasm of that occasion, when the Executive celebrated its passionate commitment to our nation's culture, is not reserved only for our patron saint's day. Our commitment is for all seasons. We remain ambitious for Scotland's cultural life—ambitious to promote our twin aspirations of excellence and access. Today, I will share with members how we plan to invest, as never before, to make our aspirations a reality.

On St Andrew's day 2003, the First Minister outlined the Executive's vision for culture. Today, my statement and the document "Scotland's Culture", which we published today, set out a new cultural policy for the years to come. They define the infrastructure and legislation to deliver it. They also describe our investment, which we are proud to make.

Scotland as a nation is blessed with immense creative talent. Let me start by briefly reaffirming why the Government has a passion to see that talent flourish. The importance of that talent could easily be overlooked because of its very centrality—but not by this Government. The artists whose work delights and touches us in turn help to articulate our experience of life—in pictures, words, music and movement—by adding their personal vision in ways that are immediate, universal and timeless. Therefore, it is fitting that we should define a cultural vision that seeks to provide creative expression and opportunity for all as

"the next major enterprise for our society".

The Scottish Government believes that culture is a vital ingredient in the country's success, both here and overseas. Culture is also central to the well-being of Scotland's citizens. Its inspirational qualities defy measurement—just as there is no adequate way to define the confidence and pride that culture's myriad works stir up in those who participate and in those who look on in admiration.

The First Minister proposed a fresh policy of cultural rights for every citizen to access high-quality provision. He said that the then impending review would examine whether the infrastructure was in place to realise our hopes for Scotland's cultural life. Today, we announce our decisions on the cultural review. I think it fair to say that the Cultural Commission's report, which is one of the most comprehensive examinations ever undertaken of Scotland's cultural life, received a mixed press. As I said in Parliament in September, I welcomed the enthusiastic contributions from people who hold our culture dear and want their aspirations to be realised.

The commission was asked to produce a route map to implement the ambitions that the First Minister had described. It was asked to suggest practical and efficient ways that would focus the resources available on producing culture, not on fuelling bureaucracy. I do not propose to dwell on whether that is what the commission did. My task today is to say what I think is the best course for policy, infrastructure and our strategic direction.

In policy terms, the Executive's objectives for Scotland's future cultural development are those that I suggested during our September debate. We seek to celebrate the country's cultural and creative talent and to develop it to the highest levels possible. We aim to maximise practical opportunities for all citizens to access culture of real quality. All the changes that I am announcing today are focused on those goals.

In November 2003, the First Minister said that Scotland should embrace the concept of cultural rights, to ensure that people have an equal chance to participate in the nation's cultural life and heritage. The starting point was to examine ways of ensuring rights of access for citizens and communities across Scotland, so that people can have more opportunities to take part in cultural activity.

We have studied the commission's proposals on rights and entitlements. The action that we shall take seeks to make a real difference in helping everyone to gain access to the arts. We believe that there are two elements to that. First, there is the framework of international and European rights that already exist, such as those that are laid down by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. In the policy document that is published today, we endorse the international provisions unreservedly. Secondly, there is the issue of how those rights are made real locally—in other words, entitlements. We see responsibility for such entitlements falling to local government, as part of its cultural and community planning responsibilities.

Local authorities already play a major role in delivering cultural services, so it is entirely appropriate that they should play a pivotal role in widening opportunities as part of our new vision. Legislation will require local authorities to develop cultural entitlements and cultural planning, as part of their lead community planning role. That will ensure that the needs and wishes of people and communities can drive cultural provision in their local areas. I believe that this represents a powerful package of rights for communities to access and enjoy the best and widest possible range of cultural activity.

The opportunities provided through entitlements could include access to information about a local area's cultural heritage, free access to a live performance or the chance to take part in a community art project. We shall work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to find effective and practical ways to fulfil that duty, reflecting high-quality standards of provision. We shall look to local authorities and their community planning partners to demonstrate the rich and invaluable contribution that culture can and will make to the lives of everyone living in Scotland, across the widest range of local services.

The approach that I have described mirrors very much what the Executive is doing in light of the First Minister's 2003 speech, when he announced the Scottish Cabinet's collective ambition to place culture at the heart of the policy-making agenda. As a response to the cultural review, all Cabinet ministers have pledged to consider how their future portfolio policy and financial initiatives might be assessed for the contribution that they can make to supporting and developing the Executive's cultural agenda for Scotland. Other portfolio contributions can impact in many ways, such as the Education Department's support for literature and arts in the curriculum and the Health Department's funding for projects improving mental health and physical activity through the arts. That shared commitment demonstrates my belief that, if we work together, we can make a real difference and bring culture into many more lives than it touches now.

As I indicated in September, I believe that the clarification of roles is vital if the change that we plan is to be effective. The new cultural infrastructure for delivering our policies is focused on what I see as the Scottish Executive's responsibilities for support and development. Beyond that, we shall act to encourage our principal partners and other providers to develop their contributions, to ensure that Scotland as a whole can enjoy the results. We have an important opportunity to establish the right cultural landscape and to reorganise activities to deliver our goals. I intend to explain how the Government's top cultural objectives will be served by the delivery arrangements that I am about to describe.

We have an obligation at national level to do three crucial things: first, to ensure that cultural talent in Scotland is recognised and nurtured and that excellence is developed as a national resource, recognising and advancing Scotland's outstandingly talented artists and their achievements; secondly, to promote the best of Scotland's rich cultural treasure trove, maintaining and presenting, as openly and accessibly as possible, Scotland's superb national galleries', museums' and library collections; and thirdly, to make the best of the nation's performing activity available, right across the country, providing national performing arts companies that produce excellence in and for Scotland.

The organisations that form part of our present cultural infrastructure have achieved much, and my ambition now is to build on that success. We must ensure that our future cultural achievements, and those of our partners, are delivered in ways that boost participation, access and enjoyment.

As I have said, the first thing that we must do is help Scotland's cultural talent develop to the highest possible levels by taking what I shall call the escalator approach. Too often, the success of talented performers and Scotland's creative community is more the result of good luck rather than good planning, of serendipity rather than support. We think that ambition and talent deserve a helping hand. We need to link up the stages in artists' career journey from the early discovery of cultural talent through education and training and into the world of work in the creative community.

The education and outreach activity that we shall expect from all nationally funded cultural organisations will help to give younger and older people right across Scotland a wealth of top-quality opportunities to learn and develop.

As far as the pre-school stage is concerned, we shall aim to build on—and perhaps extend the focus of—the successful bookstart programme. In schools, cultural engagement and creativity will have an important role to play, and we will bring together programmes such as cultural co-ordinators and active schools co-ordinators to work with teachers in dynamic teams to maximise pupils' experiences of culture. In developing the curricular framework, we intend that culture should be not just a context but a vehicle for learning, and we will want to build on the successes of our youth music initiative.

After school, further and higher education institutions will have an important part to play. The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the recently launched Scottish Screen Academy and other initiatives involving Scotland's renowned art colleges all have a role in facilitating access, developing talent and equipping their students to take advantage of creative opportunities.

Of course, it is not enough to develop talent through the formal education system. We also need to sustain it and to provide an environment in which it will flourish and be appreciated. As a result, we will establish a new cultural development agency called creative Scotland, which will be formed by merging the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen and which will have the key task of developing talent and excellence in all branches of the arts and in the creative and screen industries.

In establishing the new agency, we will ensure that we put in place the right support package to enable Scotland's creative industries to thrive. We will also promote the parts of the creative sector that deserve a new focus, such as publishing, literature and contemporary music.

Creative Scotland will lead the development of national standards for the creative sector and advise on cultural entitlements. It will also draw up national guidance to maximise the contribution of all parts of the cultural sector and other partners, including the private and voluntary sectors. Moreover, through Arts & Business Scotland, I will make available from April new funding to encourage wider sponsorship of the arts.

It is no secret that I am also particularly keen to ensure that we celebrate the role and contribution of our best creative artists. A new scheme to recognise their achievements will be launched later this year.

The Government's second key role is as the custodian of Scotland's rich cultural treasures, maintaining and presenting our superb national collections. I am keen to make those collections truly accessible to us all and to present them as widely and effectively as possible to domestic and international audiences.

We will expand the cadre of national collections bodies to help to maximise the presentation of their world-beating contents. As a result, to the National Galleries of Scotland, the National Museums of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, we shall add the National Archives of Scotland, the Scottish Screen archive and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.

We want to ensure that resources are directed not to where they will be wasted on unnecessary bureaucracy but to where they will make most impact. Although we will maintain our institutions' independent status, we will take this opportunity to explore how joint approaches can best improve delivery. Joint exhibitions and combined support functions and outreach activity are just some of the aspects that could deliver real benefits.

The national collections bodies will also play a part in delivering the cultural rights agenda. They will be responsible for developing national standards for their sectors and will help to develop and, as appropriate, provide cultural entitlements.

Of course, a range of other organisations throughout Scotland also hold collections of national significance and make a major contribution to the achievement of our national cultural priorities. Scotland's local museums and galleries will therefore benefit from increased national funding with the launch of the new recognition scheme developed by the Scottish Museums Council. Industrial museums will also benefit from increased funding. In collaboration with the Scottish Library and Information Council, I will also be making funds available to promote the maintenance and improvement of standards in public libraries throughout Scotland.

The third key role of Government is to support the national performing arts companies that are producing work at the highest level. As members know, our national performing arts companies are currently Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the National Theatre of Scotland. We are proud of our existing national companies and we want them to flourish. We have decided to establish explicit criteria to define the status of a national performing arts company so as to include adult and youth companies alike. Organisations that qualify for national performing body status will have to meet exacting criteria, including achievement of the highest artistic performing standards. Those standards will provide the target to which all budding arts companies should aspire and then continue to meet. In future, it will be open to performing companies—adult and youth alike—that are not presently counted among the national companies to join if they meet the qualifying criteria. We will expect the new national companies to co-operate with one another on joint projects and productions and to collaborate on common administrative functions.

To underline its commitment, the Executive plans to increase its funding to the companies that qualify beyond the level currently made available through the Scottish Arts Council. In future, the Executive will fund the national companies directly. That is consistent with our relationship to the national collections. We will therefore work with the companies and the Scottish Arts Council to put the necessary funding arrangements in place as soon as possible and to provide for the transfer of relevant Scottish Arts Council staff to the Executive. Nothing in those new arrangements will affect the artistic independence of those companies. That must not, and will not, be compromised. Like the national collections, the national performing bodies will also be expected to contribute to the cultural rights agenda and the development of standards and entitlements for their respective sectors.

The Executive currently dedicates 1 per cent of its total budget directly to culture—£187 million in the current financial year. That figure increases significantly when our contribution to local authority cultural expenditure is included. That contribution amounts to approximately £200 million, and it is supplemented by a further £200 million committed by Scottish Executive departments that use the power and creativity of culture to help to achieve their objectives.

By 2007-08, the Executive's annual cultural spend was already planned to increase to £214 million. In order to implement the decisions laid out in the policy paper, I have secured an additional £20 million per annum from April 2007 onwards. That is an exceptional increase of almost 10 per cent in the Executive's annual spending on culture in advance of the 2007 spending review. We will channel that new investment to bolster the ability of our national cultural organisations to develop and present for Scotland the best creative and cultural talent. We will bring the necessary budgetary revisions before Parliament later this year.

Today marks the start, not the end, of a new journey towards achieving our ambitious aspirations for Scotland's cultural life. That journey began on St Andrew's day 2003 and Scottish ministers are now determined to continue it to reach a Scotland that values and celebrates its culture and its experience of culture.

The commitment has been made, the ambition to achieve excellence has been stated and the vision is now coming into focus. What I have announced today will ensure that all Scots can share in the fruits of the culture that inspires and defines us. I invite members to support Scotland's cultural future, which I have outlined, and to endorse the means of achieving it.