Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to debate and celebrate the significant achievements of the five national performing companies during the first five years of direct funding from the Scottish Government. I agree with the Scottish actor Billy Boyd, who said,

“I think Scotland has some great stories.”

The success of our national companies is a great story, and they are helping to tell the world the story of this confident, innovative and cultural Scotland in which we live. They help to shape our identity and hold an important place in the nation as leaders of our cultural life, showcasing the very best that we have to offer in the fields of dance, music, opera and theatre. This year sees not only the fifth anniversary of the direct funding relationship, but Scottish Opera’s 50th anniversary, which I very much look forward to celebrating with it in June.

The move to direct funding was a result of the thinking generated by the Cultural Commission in June 2005 around the definition of what qualities a national company should have and the expectations that the people of Scotland should have of their national companies. Many of those have been incorporated into the criteria by which we determine national company status today, including excellence of output, reach throughout Scotland and international profile. With cross-party support from the Parliament, the then Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Patricia Ferguson, introduced a new structure that was unique to Scotland to take the companies forward. The move to direct funding saw an immediate increase of £2.64 million of investment by the Government to stabilise the companies, and funding for the companies now stands at £23.5 million annually in revenue grant.

This Administration is proud to continue to support the companies in the face of deep cuts in public spending that have been imposed by the United Kingdom Government. We have managed to maintain revenue funding in 2012-13 for the five national performing companies at 2011-12 levels to ensure continued access to high-quality performances and services. In addition, we have maintained the national performing companies international touring fund. There has been no reduction in the £350,000 budget for this year, with a similar allocation outlined for the remainder of this spending review period. That will enable the companies to continue to showcase the high quality of Scotland’s contemporary culture internationally and to develop new international opportunities.

I have already announced a capital funding allocation of £11 million to support the redevelopment of Glasgow’s Theatre Royal, which will support Scottish Opera, and of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, which will provide new rehearsal space for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, in preparation for the Commonwealth games in 2014. Those two projects will support the construction industry to create employment in other sectors and will prepare Glasgow to upgrade its cultural estate.

The motion draws attention to the latest report covering the companies’ activities during 2010-11. In the interests of transparency, I will continue to report annually on their activities. I will talk about key points in the report, to give a flavour of the companies’ many and varied achievements. In 2010-11, the companies gave more than 900 performances and delivered just under 4,000 education and community events. More than 450,000 people attended performances and more than 110,000 people participated in outreach and education programmes.

All five companies are independent charities and are in good financial health. They operate a mixed economy and receive income from a variety of sources, including a revenue grant from the Scottish Government. The grant accounted for about 63 per cent of turnover during the first four years; the remaining 37 per cent was raised from performances, education work, merchandising and fundraising.

In that context, I note the Labour Party’s amendment, which I am happy to support. I pay tribute to the many private supporters whose donations help the companies to deliver such a wide variety of projects.

Support enables new partnerships to develop. There has been highly innovative media sponsorship. I attended a performance of an excellent production of “La Bohème”, which was supported by The Sun newspaper’s £9.50 ticket offer. Some 97 per cent of the audience that evening was new to a Scottish Opera performance, and the paper reported that it had had to close all its ticket lines, because the tickets had sold out in advance.

The companies are creating opportunities for Scottish audiences to see work of an international standard and key Scottish artists. This year, Scottish Opera produced a new version of “The Rake’s Progress” with acclaimed director David McVicar. In 2010 the actor Alan Cumming starred in the National Theatre of Scotland’s Edinburgh festival production of “The Bacchae”. The wonderful violinist Nicola Benedetti has regularly performed with the RSNO and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The companies also encourage talented UK and international artists to work in Scotland. I enjoyed an outstanding night of ballet at Scottish Ballet’s thrilling production of “A Streetcar Named Desire”. That world premier was conceived by American director Nancy Meckler and Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.

Key to the funding relationship between the Government and the companies are the criteria that are used to manage the relationship and what the public can and should expect from our companies. I will talk about five areas in particular.

First, it is vital that people throughout Scotland have the opportunity to see a variety of work by the companies. The five companies between them worked with all 32 local authorities in 2010-11. Activity spans a range of classical and contemporary performing arts, education and community work and takes place in a range of places. In March, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra spent a successful week working in the Shetland islands, producing 24 events, which were attended by approximately 15 per cent of the island’s inhabitants. Later in the year, Scottish Opera aims to tour to 50 Scottish venues, as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Secondly, audiences remain enthusiastic about the work of the companies. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the RSNO are reporting increasing audiences for their Scottish seasons. In the first five years, the total audience for the companies’ concerts and performances was in excess of 2.28 million. There are fluctuations year by year, as members would expect. The companies generate different programmes of work each year, and invitations to tour internationally or participate in festivals vary from year to year, which makes annual comparisons difficult.

Thirdly, the role of education, learning and community involvement is central to the purpose of all the companies. Each company delivers a range of work, to complement performances or to explore new ways of encouraging participation or involvement in the arts. I was pleased that Scottish Ballet went to Linlithgow academy, in my constituency, to talk about “A Streetcar Named Desire” because fifth years are studying the play as part of their higher studies.

In the first five years there have been more than 15,000 events and more than 500,000 participants. In 2011-12 there were more than 2,300 events and about 88,000 participants. The companies attract a range of audiences and participants to their projects. Early years projects, such as Scottish Opera’s innovative “BabyO” and “SensoryO”, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s popular big ears, little ears concerts allow parents, babies and toddlers to attend performances together.

On the other hand, Scottish Ballet’s regenerate project offers opportunities for adults aged 50 and above to enjoy dance. Scottish Ballet recently performed a new piece at the national museum of Scotland as part of the science festival.

The fourth area is talent development. The companies understand the need to develop new talent, and they are running a number of successful schemes to ensure that new talented artists get opportunities to develop. That can be a challenge in the current climate. For example, Scottish Opera, working with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, employs a number of young talented singers, who are given a range of roles to allow them to develop their singing and performance skills. When I was Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, with ministerial guidance, provided additional resources to what is now the Royal Conservatoire to support a dance programme. An outcome of that has been the introduction of a bachelor of arts in modern ballet, by the Royal Conservatoire and Scottish Ballet, to train the next generation of dancers to the high levels that are required to pursue a professional career in dance. Of course, degree status also helps to support more teachers in dance for our schools.

Finally, I turn to the companies’ international role. The Administration has placed a greater emphasis on bringing our cultural crown jewels to the attention of audiences across the world. The international touring fund supports international tours and events, and an emphasis is given to invitations from countries with which we wish to develop better economic and cultural ties. Today, I can announce that, with support from the Scottish Government’s international touring fund, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, with its new music director, Peter Oundjian, will perform six concerts in five venues across China in December and January. Overseas tours by the companies showcase Scotland’s creative talent on a world stage and further enhance our global reputation. They also strengthen cultural and diplomatic links with countries, such as China, that are identified as priorities in our framework for international engagement. Indeed, when I was in Chicago recently for Scotland week, I was struck by the fantastic relationship that the National Theatre of Scotland has established with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Some of the links are very well embedded—they provide a great opportunity for showcasing work in Chicago in particular.

The companies have visited a wide range of countries in the past five years. It is, of course, difficult not to mention the impact of “Black Watch” in raising Scotland’s cultural profile. All the companies are being encouraged to work with other Scottish Government agencies. Recently, both the National Theatre of Scotland and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra have supported events in Chicago, which I mentioned, and Bilbao.

Of course, not all the work requires our financial support, as the continuing success of “Black Watch” confirms. I am very hopeful for Scottish Ballet’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”, in which there is already a lot of international interest. However, the fund allows more projects across the arts to be seen and underlines the strength of Scotland’s cultural offerings.

The exchange of ideas and introductions across borders is also important. This year, the National Theatre of Scotland is again running its exchange festival, which brings together young people in Scotland with their compatriots from abroad to create theatre. The Uncommon Charter High School from Brooklyn is one of this year’s international guests. I visited it during Scotland week in New York and joined in their extreme ceilidh, and I look forward to welcoming them to Scotland in July. They will mix with young people from Aberdeen at an event in Stirling, which will really bring people together. The enthusiasm of the young people from Brooklyn was fantastic. They are keen to learn more about Scotland and will be able to showcase that work when they return to New York.

Those types of connection might not be obvious, in terms of international work, but they are important and show not only how serious we are about developing new talent, but also how the language of culture can reach across borders.

I want to put on record my appreciation of some of the new developments that are taking place, and my recognition of some of the senior level changes across both the RSNO, whose music director is moving on and whose chief executive has moved on, and Scottish Ballet, whose artistic director is leaving after 10 influential years. I pay tribute to Stéphane Denève, Simon Woods and Ashley Page for their major contributions to cultural life in Scotland. In turn, I offer a warm welcome to Peter Oundjian, the new music director at the RSNO; Christopher Hampson, the new artistic director at Scottish Ballet; and Michael Elliott, the new chief executive at RSNO.

The death of the great conductor Sir Charles Mackerras was a great loss to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and its audiences, but I know that, with the prodigiously talented principal conductor Robin Ticciati at the helm, the orchestra will carry on from strength to strength.

As we mark five years, it is clear that the companies have made a significant and enduring contribution to the nation, and in them we have much of which to be proud. The quality and range of their work showcases the many talented people who live, learn and work in Scotland. The companies regularly visit every part of the country, and those visits continue to highlight the cultural excellence that springs from Scotland to the many audiences across the world.

The Government will continue to work with the companies in that productive relationship, as we all accrue not only artistic but social and international benefits from their work. I look forward to hearing from members their reflections on the companies and the work that they have experienced as we celebrate a very successful five years.

I move,

That the Parliament welcomes the excellent work that Scotland’s world-class National Performing Companies continue to deliver; recognises that it is now five years since the start of a direct-funding relationship with the Scottish Government as set out in the recently published annual review of the companies; celebrates their ongoing commitment to delivering performances of quality and to distributing their work across Scotland; commends their innovative community and education projects, and recognises their importance in raising Scotland’s international cultural profile.

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