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Progress towards set up of Creative Scotland
07/11/2007
Plans to establish Creative Scotland - the body that will support the country's creative practitioners and the Scottish Government's cultural policy plans were set out today.
Gaelic version at foot of page
Speaking in Parliament, Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani said:
"The Creative Scotland Bill will establish the amalgamated body which will cultivate and support the best of Scottish arts and creativity and will build on the successes of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.
"I believe that government should not arbitrate on artistic decisions. That is why Creative Scotland and artists themselves will have the freedom and power to determine their own creative direction.
"This body will have a licence from the Government to take risks - to stimulate controversy and challenge accepted thinking. I believe its efforts will inspire and support a culturally cosmopolitan Scotland - one which attracts and retains increasing numbers of talented people.
"Scottish Ministers are committed to widening access and participation to culture for everyone in Scotland. Our national cultural bodies are part of that drive to widen cultural access. We want to ensure that areas all across Scotland are involved and Richard Holloway has already visited local authorities to discuss aspirations for the national-local relationship.
"We have a rich and powerful culture in Scotland that we want to see celebrated both here and around the world - I know that Creative Scotland, the national cultural bodies, local authorities and interested bodies will work in partnership to champion this."
Richard Holloway, Chairman, Joint Board of Scottish Screen and Scottish Arts Council said:
"We welcome the Minister's support for Creative Scotland and her confirmation that the Bill will establish it at the heart of our public life. We are glad that she has calmed the anxieties of many in the sector by confirming her commitment to the principle of artistic independence.
"Her statement that Creative Scotland will have to take risks, if it is to be creative and enterprising, reflects our own ambitions for the new agency: we know that creative leadership is as much about finding new ideas and ways of doing things as it is about supporting the best examples of existing work.
"We look forward to developing our leadership role for the creative industries. Her exhortation to work collaboratively with all of Scotland's cultural leaders for the benefit of the country also reflects planning and consultation that we are already engaged in, particularly with local authorities and the recently-appointed Scottish Broadcasting Commission.
"The formation of Creative Scotland offers us an unrivalled opportunity to place creativity at the heart of the nation's life and we intend to rise to the challenge."
The Creative Scotland Bill will be introduced to Parliament early next year.
The Chair and joint board of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen are continuing to develop a plan and infrastructure for Creative Scotland.
Creative Scotland will be the Government's Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and will be accountable to Ministers.
The Creative Scotland Bill will endorse Creative Scotland's autonomy in providing support and encouragement to creative practitioners and artists.
Gaelic version
Bha planaichean airson stèidheachadh Alba Cruthachail - am buidheann a bheir taic do luchd-cleachdaidh ealain na dùthcha agus planaichean poileasaidh cultarach Riaghaltas na h-Alba air am mìneachadh an-diugh.
A' bruidhinn sa Phàrlamaid, thuirt Ministear a' Chultair Linda Fabiani:
"Stèidhichidh Bile Alba Cruthachail am buidheann amalaichte a bhios a' cruthachadh agus a' toirt taic do na h-ealain agus an cruthachadh ealain as fheàrr an Alba agus togaidh e air soirbheachadh Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba agus Sgrion Alba.
"Tha mi den bheachd nach bu chòir don riaghaltas breith a thoirt air co-dhùnaidhean ealain. 'S e sin is coireach gum bi saorsa agus cumhachd aig Alba Cruthachail agus an luchd-ealain fhèin co-dhùnadh dè an taobh cruthachail a ghabhas iad.
"Bidh cead aig a' bhuidheann seo bhon Riaghaltas a bhith tionnsgalach - connspaid a bhrosnachadh agus cur an aghaidh bheachdan gnàthach. Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gun toir na h-oidhirpean aige brosnachadh agus taic do dh'Alba le cultar os-nàiseanta - a tha a' tàladh agus a' cumail barrachd is barrachd dhaoine tàlantach.
"Tha Ministearan na h-Alba dealasach mu bhith a' leudachadh cothrom agus com-pàirteachadh don h-uile duine an Alba. Tha ar buidhnean cultarach nam pàirt den iomairt sin airson cothrom cultarach a leudachadh. Tha sinn airson dèanamh cinnteach gum bi ceàrnaidhean air feadh Alba gu lèir an sàs ann agus tha Richard Holloway air a bhith aig ùghdarrasan ionadail gus beachdachadh air miannan airson a' cheangail nàiseanta-ionadail.
"Tha cultar beairteach agus làidir againn an Alba a tha sinn airson fhaicinn air a chomharrachadh an seo agus air feadh an t-saoghail - tha fios agam gun obraich Alba Cruthachail, na buidhnean cultarach nàiseanta, ùghdarrasan ionadail agus buidhnean le ùidh sa chùis an com-pàirt gus taic a chur ris."
Thuirt Richard Holloway, Cathraiche, Co-bhòrd Sgrion Alba agus Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba:
"Tha sinn a' cur fàilte air taic a' Mhinisteir airson Alba Cruthachail agus a' dearbhadh gun stèidhich am Bile e aig cridhe ar beatha phoblach. Tha sinn toilichte gun do chiùinich i iomagainean mhòran san roinn le bhith a' daingneachadh a dealas airson prionnsapal neo-eisimeileachd a thaobh ealain.
"Tha na thuirt i mu Alba Cruthachail a bhith tionnsgalach, ma tha e gu bhith cruthachail agus iomairteach, a' comharrachadh ar miannan fhìn airson a' bhuidhinn ùir: tha fios againn gu bheil ceannardas cruthachail mu dheidhinn a bhith a' lorg bheachdan agus dhòighean ùra air rudan a dhèanamh a cheart cho cinnteach taic do na h-eisimpleirean as fheàrr den obair a tha ann.
"Tha sinn a' coimhead air adhart ri bhith a' leudachadh ar dleastanas stiùiridh airson nan gnìomhachasan cruthachail. Tha a h-earal a thaobh co-obrachadh le ceannardan cultarach na h-Alba gu lèir airson math na dùthcha cuideachd a' comharrachadh planadh agus co-chomhairle anns a bheil sinn an sàs a-cheana, gu sònraichte còmhla ri ùghdarrasan ionadail agus Coimisean Craolaidh na h-Alba a chaidh a shuidheachadh o chionn ghoirid.
"Tha cur ri chèile Alba Cruthachail a' toirt cothrom gun choimeas dhuinn air cruthachadh ealain a chur aig cridhe beatha na dùthcha agus tha sin an dùil aghaidh a chur air an dùbhlan."
Bidh Bile Alba Cruthachail air a thoirt a-steach don Phàrlamaid tràth an-ath-bhliadhna. Tha Cathraiche agus co-bhòrd Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba agus Sgrion Alba a' cumail orra a' dealbh plana agus bun-structair airson Alba Cruthachail.
'S e Alba Cruthachail am Buidheann Poblach Neo-roinneil (NDPB) a bhios aig an Riaghaltas agus bidh e cunntachail do Mhinistearan na h-Alba.
Cuiridh Bile Alba Cruthachail aonta ri fèin-ùghdarras Alba Cruthachail ann a bhith a' toirt taic agus misneachd do luchd-cleachdaidh agus luchd-ealain.