Hansard

I thank members for their speeches. As Murdo Fraser pointed out, Perth’s bid has cross-party support.

Local authorities have a crucial role to play in delivering cultural activity, and I welcome Perth and Kinross Council’s clear ambitions to use culture and creativity as a catalyst to promote regeneration. I am mindful that, as George Adam pointed out, other Scottish cities and areas have indicated—or may still indicate, given that the process is in its early days—a desire to bid to become UK city of culture 2021. I recently met Renfrewshire Council to hear of its ambitions for Paisley. There is a strong case for Scotland in the competition and our cities are in a strong place culturally. May the competition be constructive, and advertise our country’s cultural successes and potential collectively.

Claire Baker might be interested to know that the Scottish Government and our agencies, including Creative Scotland, EventScotland and Scottish Enterprise, provided significant support for shortlisted Dundee’s 2017 bid, which, although it was ultimately unsuccessful, helped Dundee to put forward a subsequent successful bid to become a designated United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization city of design. It was the first city in the UK to do so. The Scottish Government and our agencies, therefore, have recent valuable experience that we can use to help to advise future bidding cities through the process. My officials have also been in contact with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at Westminster, which runs the competition, to ensure that details of the bidding process will be finalised to help Scottish cities and areas to develop their plans.

Let us focus on Perth. As Liz Smith set out, Perth is at the heart of the story of ancient Scotland and the kingdom of Alba, and it was the crowning place of Scottish kings. As Willie Rennie mentioned, Perth also shaped modern Scotland, with key figures from the 20th century Scottish renaissance including the modernist and colourist painter John Duncan Fergusson, Patrick Geddes and William Soutar all being linked with the city.

Perth has a vibrant cultural scene, with exceptional cultural organisations based in the area including Horsecross Arts, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Perth Festival of the Arts and many more. We heard about the central importance of the Fergusson gallery and the extensive archives that it holds, which exhibit great talent and creative energy. The 1,200-seat Perth concert hall is one of the most significant Scottish public buildings of this century and is renowned for its first-class acoustics. I have been pleased to attend youth brass band championships there in previous years.

The city plan for Perth sets a new level of ambition for the city in improving connectivity, developing the knowledge economy and strengthening the business and tourism offers. As Claire Baker set out, it is clear that culture is central to Perth’s future aspirations in terms of both the economic benefits that culture can generate and its wider transformative power to improve quality of life and build a sense of identity and civic pride across communities in our newest city.

The transformation of Perth theatre, which involves the renewal and enhancing of the existing Edwardian theatre, is under way. The transformation of that much-loved building into the most modern and exhilarating theatre space in Scotland in the heart of Scotland’s newest city will perfectly complement the international-standard Perth concert hall. Within the theatre, Horsecross Arts will increase and diversify audiences through inspiring programmes, collaborations and the nurturing of new talent. A paved civic space is to be created adjacent to the new theatre development, and the vennels that link Mill Street and the High Street are to be significantly improved. Within the Perth city plan, Mill Street and its surrounding area is identified as a cultural quarter.

Next year, as a part of the town centre planning pilots, we are supporting the council to develop an innovative lighting project that is designed to help tell the story of Perth and attract visitors into the town centre. It will be launched in 2016, the year of innovation, architecture and design, which will spotlight, celebrate and promote Scotland’s heritage and modern attributes in architecture, engineering, renewables, fashion, textiles, science, technology and more, through an exciting programme of activity to inspire the people of Scotland and our visitors and to boost tourism in every corner of Scotland.

Creative Scotland has invested more than £3.29 million in individuals and organisations based in Perth and Kinross through 15 awards in 2014-15, including one of the highlights in Scotland’s cultural calendar—Perth festival of the arts, which celebrated its 44th year in May this year. Highlights of the festival included the Proclaimers, Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and “La Bohème” by English Touring Opera—something for everyone. I am sure that the 45th festival next year will be some celebration.

In recent years, all five of our national performing companies have performed in and engaged with communities across Perth and Kinross. Those activities have ranged from offering practical ideas for music making for local nursery staff and teachers to taster sessions for all ages in modern ballet. The Royal Scottish national orchestra inspired a 50-strong community orchestra to help Horsecross Arts to celebrate its 10th birthday this summer, and it also chose Perth to present its inaugural “Notes from Scotland” initiative, with five new works from young composers who were inspired by National Trust for Scotland locations around the country.

The National Theatre of Scotland has also now announced the first part in a brand-new cycle of three music pieces commemorating the first world war—“The 306: Dawn”, written by Oliver Emanuel with music composed by Gareth Williams. This work will be co-produced with Perth theatre and 14-18 NOW, in association with Red Note Ensemble, and will be directed by Laurie Sansom. The first part of the trilogy explores the stories of the 306 men who were shot for cowardice and desertion during the first world war. “The 306: Dawn” is set around the battle of the Somme in July 1916, and will be ambitiously staged in the Perthshire countryside from May 2016.

Our national collections and Museums Galleries Scotland have extensive learning and community engagement programmes, and there has been a recent increase in visits to the national museum of Scotland from schools in the Perth area—there were 10 in 2013-14, and the number increased to 15 in 2014-15.

Perth museum and art gallery and the Black Watch museum are among 10 partners in the “Next of Kin” touring programme, which commemorates the centenary of the first world war across Scotland. Each contributes stories based on local collections and they have developed a digital resource that is used by schools and community groups.

From what we have heard today and from what I have set out, we can see that Perth is on a journey. Earlier this year, it was announced that Perth had beaten off competition from 19 other Scottish locations to land its own customised game board to celebrate Monopoly’s 80th anniversary year. Scone palace was crowned as the Mayfair of Perth. It joins St Johnstone FC’s ground, the Perth museum and art gallery, the Black Watch museum, Perth College, the Fergusson gallery, the Fair Maid’s house and the concert hall on the board’s 22 squares. The Courier features on the spot that is normally occupied by Fleet Street, the traditional home of the newspaper industry, while Old Kent Road is taken over by the North Inch.

Perth is going places—not just on a Monopoly board—and I wish the city well on its cultural journey.