Meeting of the Parliament 14 January 2025
I have not yet met representatives of either the council or the theatre, but I have offered and if there is a wish and a willingness to do so, I will of course be content to do just that.
We are now at a critical point in deciding how, collectively, we want to support culture in Scotland. How a nation values its many cultures and heritages, its artists, its creative people and its communities is an insight into the wider values and the priorities of that society, and I ask members to reflect on that during the debate.
As culture secretary, I am immensely proud of what is already being achieved in Scotland. The 2022 Anholt-Ipsos nation brands index ranked Scotland 11th for its cultural heritage and 12th for its contemporary culture when compared with 60 other participating nations. That is a testament to the expertise, dedication and practice of our cultural organisations, creative professionals and cultural workers, and to the vitality of community culture across the country.
In the past few years alone, I have witnessed astonishing growth in the screen sector in Scotland, with more quality productions than ever before choosing to come to Scotland, from Leith to Stornoway. Many members will have seen “The Outrun”, which used the natural beauty of the Orkney Islands to stunning effect and is just one of the recent examples of a successful Screen Scotland-supported production. Today sees the first broadcast of high-end Gaelic drama television series “An t-Eilean”—“The Island”—which can be seen on BBC Alba, BBC Four and the BBC iPlayer. I extend congratulations to MG Alba, BBC Alba, Black Camel Pictures, All3Media International and Screen Scotland.