The Scottish Government

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Since November 2003 - the cross-portfolio actions described below have been developed and promoted between the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Group and all Cabinet portfolio colleagues.

CULTURE, HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE

1. PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR BETTER HEALTH

Achievements since 2003

1.1 Through funding of £60,000 from the Executive's Health Department, YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) are providing all secondary schools with some assistance in dance delivery. This includes the YDance CD- ROM resource AnyBodyCanDance ( ABCD) and a teachers handbook. In addition, in a number of pilot areas, a total of 1000 hours of dance development work will offer a more in-depth programme of pupil workshops and teacher training. YDance will work in consultation with the Active School Co-ordinators to deliver this programme.

1.2 Through funding of over £6,000 from the Executive's Health Department and managed in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council, a short DVD film and portfolio of photographs illustrating the links between dance and health for all ages and abilities in Scotland has been compiled. This is being disseminated through health networks across Scotland with an information pack on how to get dance introduced into your community.

2. RECOGNISE THE ROLE OF THE ARTS AS CONTRIBUTING TO KEY POLICY AREAS OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Achievements since 2003

2.1 In collaboration between the Scottish Arts Council, and the Executive's Health and Education (Culture) Departments, a Mental Health Development Officer post has been created, based at the Arts Council. Funding for this 2 year post of £150,000 has been given by the Executive's National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being. This post will research this area and look at a proposal for an Artist-in-Residence initiative, whereby artists are placed in an organisation in the business sector highlighting 'mental health at work'; or placed in a school to raise awareness of mental health issues. The Scottish Arts Council's Mental Health Development Officer will be in post in early 2005.

2.2 In Greater Glasgow Health Board an Arts Development Officer post has been created through collaboration with the Scottish Arts Council. Action is in hand to fill the post.

2.3 In collaboration with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Scottish Arts Council, the Executive's National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being funded a £30,000 education programme consisting of education workshops and a resource pack developed for Primary 4, 5 and 6 to raise awareness of mental health issues and accompanying the play, "Wonderful World of Dissocia" by Anthony Neilson which addresses mental health issues.

2.4 In September, the Royal Lyceum Theatre invited community groups in the Edinburgh area to participate in an awareness raising and educational project using theatre and drama to explore some of the major issues around mental health and well-being. This community outreach project received funding of £15,000 from the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being to enable community groups to attend the Lyceum's production of "A Madman Sings to the Moon", by Mark Thomson.

2.5 The Health Department's National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being provided £10,000 to the Scottish Association for Mental Health ( SAMH) to fund the "One in Four" booklet and CD, plus an associated festival to promote its message. "One in Four" aims to raise awareness of mental health and break down the barriers surrounding it. Through music, "One in Four" highlights mental health issues and encourages discussion and understanding of the problems that many people may face. SAMH intend to re-print "One in Four" in early 2005 for students within further and higher education. It is proposed to re-produce the booklet and CD and issue it to all first year students aged between 18-21 as a pilot exercise. The National Programme will contribute £15,000 towards the re-print of the booklet and CD, which will cost approximately £50,000 overall. Following the pilot exercise, an evaluation will be carried out to measure its overall impact.

2.6 Through funding from the Health Department's National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being, the Highland User's Group ( HUG) Communications Project have worked in partnership with Lochaber Youth Minds and Eden Court Theatre to research, write, produce and perform an interactive drama production entitled "Stigma". This project is funded from the £25k allocated to HUG.. The production, which ran in Autumn 2003, aimed to examine misconceptions of mental health, historical stereotypes and attitudes of the media. The play and workshops were supplemented by teachers' resource packs, discussion sessions and follow-up workshops in schools. HUG have received a further £50k from the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being programme for year two of their Communications project.

Future action

2.7 The Scottish Arts Council is drawing up a proposal for a Challenge Fund which will promote arts and health initiatives in schools through the Scottish Schools Cultural Co-ordinators' programme. The Fund will reward innovation in making partnerships between, e.g. Healthy Living Centres and schools to deliver health messages through arts and culture. The proposal is being considered with Health and Education Department (Culture) officials.

3. EXPLORE ROLE OF ARTWORKS ETC TO BRIGHTEN UP HEALTH BUILDINGS

Achievements since 2003

3.1 Executive Health and Architecture officials are to establish links with art colleges and Architecture and Design Scotland, when the new body goes live in 2005, to develop further policies on artwork in hospitals.

4. RESEARCH

Achievements since 2003

4.1 The Executive's research report, "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, The Arts and Sport Policy" which identified clinical, hospital based research providing hard, undisputed facts on the improvement of health through cultural activities, was sent to Health Department colleagues and thereafter forwarded to NHS networks via Health Scotland.

Future action

4.2 There is scope for Health Department and Health Scotland to engage with the Education Department's new cultural research network to discuss focus of joint research, and collaborate on research to examine clinical benefits of culture-based health interventions.

4.3 Building on the successful Hearts & Minds' "Clowndoctors" programme in children's hospital wards, funding of £90,000 has been awarded from the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being, to extend the programme, develop a training pack and ensure its robust evaluation.

5. RE-USE OF HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

Achievements since 2003

5.1 Historic Scotland will explore the possible creation of a Scottish equivalent of the Historic Hospitals Working Group, and continue to work with the Executive's Health Department on the re-use of hospital buildings . Historic Scotland will encourage Health Boards to consider the regeneration and re-use of redundant health care buildings.

CULTURE AND COMMUNITIES & REGENERATION

6. USE CULTURE TO ADDRESS DISADVANTAGE

Achievements since 2003

6.1 In May 2004, the Minister for Communities and Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport endorsed the Edinburgh Arts and Social Inclusion Forum's report, "Arts for Social Inclusion in Edinburgh". The report highlighted examples of highly effective and important partnership working in which arts organisations have realised aspirations through projects such as: Altern8 - building strong, safe communities in environmentally satisfying settings; Cultivate - getting people back into work; Citizen Y - engaging young people; Young People Speak Out ( YPSO) - raising educational attainment; and Alcohol Awareness Campaign - improving health.

6.2 In 2003, the Communities Minister announced funding of £40,000 for the inception of Arts and Business Scotland's Arts & Disability Awards sponsorship scheme. The scheme is open to any organisation or agency that has secured business sponsorship towards arts and disability activity. Partnership projects between arts organisations and disability organisations are welcome. Arts and Business Scotland received further funding of £20,000 for 2004-05 from the Executive's Equality Unit for their Arts and Disability Awards scheme.

7. PLANNING: CREATING AND REGENERATING PLACES

Achievements since 2003

7.1 The Executive's Development Department Planning Division supports an annual planning awards ceremony to promote best practice and to raise awareness of design. The planning awards include an award for a planning student. The Communities Minister has agreed the benefits of carrying out a design competition for a community housing site which will be taken forward with the support of Communities Scotland, to highlight good design principles and the social benefits of 'quality of place'.

Future action

7.2 The Executive's Development Department Planning Division are preparing the Scottish Planning Policy statement which provides the policy context for the work of Architecture and Design Scotland ( ADS). ADS will continue the design review function of Royal Fine Arts Commission for Scotland ( RFACS), but will have a wider more proactive role in the promotion and advocacy of good design. The Statement will be launched at the "Designing Places" conference in February 2005.

7.3 The Executive's Development Department and Education's Tourism, Culture and Sport Group will consider ways to promote designer development of community facilities, e.g. A Community Centre for the 21C. This will be developed further once the new organisation, Architecture and Design Scotland is established in 2005.

8. COMMUNITY REGENERATION

Achievements since 2003

8.1 In celebration of the European Year of Disabled People 2003, and as part of its legacy, in June 2004 the Executive's Development Department supported Theatre Workshop's production of Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera" with funding of £30,000. This production was performed by a majority cast of disabled actors, local community volunteer performers and an ensemble of musicians to great acclaim. The production was also supported by the Scottish Arts Council and sponsored by Arts and Business Scotland.

8.2 City Heritage Trusts have been established in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and Stirling following a recommendation in the Executive's Finance and Central Services Department's Cities Review "Building Better Cities". Historic Scotland has allocated £3 million over 3 years to assist them in delivering improvements to the environmental and architectural quality, and help with the regeneration of the historic parts of our cities. The Trusts will also play a role in promoting the educational and tourism potential of each City's unique cultural heritage.

Future action

8.3 Development Department and Communities Scotland are being consulted by Historic Scotland on proposals to establish a Historic Environment Regeneration Fund as part of a revised programme of Historic Environment Grants. This will be used to realise the role of our cultural heritage in regeneration and address the decline of a number of areas in need of investment.

9. RESEARCH

Achievement since 2003

9.1 There is good, robust evidence available of the positive impact of participation in community-based culture, including improved self-confidence and well-being, and increased social interaction, educational capacity and community pride. These findings were included in the Executive's "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, The Arts and Sports Policy", and shared with all Executive Ministers and Departments in Summer 2004.

Future action

9.2 There is scope for Development Department to engage with the Education Department's new cultural research network, to discuss focus of joint research and collaborate on research examining the benefits of culture-based community interventions.

CULTURE AND ENTERPRISE

10. CREATIVE INDUSTRIES' POLICY AND SUPPORT FRAMEWORK - AGENCIES' ROLES AND PARTNERSHIP WORKING

Achievements since 2003

10.1 The Executive agencies i.e. the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (along with the local Enterprise network) - along with The Lighthouse and National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts ( NESTA) - individually, and in partnership, support and promote various aspects of the creative industries. Scottish Enterprise supports a number of large key projects such as Dundee Digital Media Park, Interactive Tayside, Pacific Quay (digital media campus and business park) Scottish Games Alliance, Dare to be Digital, IC- CAVE and the Proof of Concept Fund. £23.7 million has been awarded to 146 projects to date.

10.2 The Executive also in partnership with the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts ( NESTA) and Scottish Enterprise National, has provided support for the Creative Entrepreneurs Club ( CEC): an initiative run under the auspices of The Lighthouse. This additional funding to CEC will support the development of mentoring, networks, business-to-business collaboration and industry based research Scotland-wide. A further collaboration, through the forthcoming Ideasmart initiative to be launched in February 2005, will make awards to high risk creative ideas which have real market potential. This innovative 2 year awards programme - based in The Lighthouse - is jointly supported by the Executive, the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen, Scottish Enterprise National and NESTA. Each of these agencies also make awards to and support creative businesses and individuals through their normal art form and business support mechanisms..

Future action

10.3 Through a partnership of Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Arts Council, Glasgow City Council and EventScotland and with joint funding of over £500k, a new annual spring festival promoting visual arts in Glasgow is set for April 2005. The festival to be known as the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art, or the GI, will show some major exhibitions, and will build on the vast amount of work that is already happening in Glasgow.

10.4 The formation of a Sector Skills Council for the Creative and Cultural Industries, announced in 2004, is expected to go live early in 2005 and will provide a focus for considering the industries' skills needs.

10.5 Roll out of Cultural Enterprise Offices is on track to launch in April 2005. Cultural Enterprise Offices will recognise the particular needs of creative individuals and micro-businesses and provide support and business advice tailored more appropriately to the needs of this important sector of the economy. In pursuit of further data on this, consideration is being given by Scottish Enterprise and Education Department's (Culture) research units for a research study of this micro end of the sector in order to provide improved models for support.

11. SPECIFIC CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Achievement since 2003

11.1 The Enterprise and Education Departments received recommendations of the Screen Industries Summit Group ( SISG) in June 2004. The Minister for Enterprise and the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport have both publicly endorsed the recommendations. The overall aim of the SISG is to increase growth in production across all areas of the screen industries in Scotland, including television, feature film, animation, advertising and interactive leisure software/computer games.

Future action

11.2 Scottish Enterprise and the Education Department (Culture) are jointly sponsoring feasibility work by the Scottish Arts Council on the Music Industry Association which was to recommend positively, and provide a plan of action by the end of 2004.

11.3 The Minister for Enterprise has undertaken to raise music industry skills development issues with Scottish Enterprise.

Future action

11.4 Enterprise Department and Education Department's Tourism, Culture and Sport Group are pursuing opportunities to implement the Screen Industries Summit Group's recommendations. In particular the Executive is considering the creation of a specific funding framework to attract big-budget films to shoot in Scotland and working to encourage the BBC and other broadcasters to relocate production in Scotland. Education Department's Tourism, Culture and Sport Group are also working with BBC Scotland to explore areas where the BBC and the Executive can work together for mutual benefit. Currently the focus is on arts, culture and education. However, as the relationship develops it has the potential to involve other areas of the Executive.

12. ENTERPRISING ATTITUDES

Achievement since 2003

12.1 Connection of the Executive's Enterprise Department's Determined to Succeed programme to the Education Department's Cultural Co-ordinators and Youth Music Programmes is helping to maximise the impact of opportunities and resources on young people's creativity and confidence and enterprising attitudes and examine ways to increase interest in, and access to, careers in the creative industries.

Future action

12.2 A new Architecture and Design Festival project will receive a high profile launch by Ministers in February 2005: "6 CITIES" - an exciting collaboration between the Enterprise and Education (Tourism, Culture and Sport Group) Departments to initiate a nation-wide biennial festival of creativity and creative design. This centres on Scotland's six cities - Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling. Initial feasibility work undertaken by The Lighthouse proposes a festival which moves focus around the country from city to city over a 6-8 week period in the Spring. £3 million funding was allocated in the 2004 Spending Review. First Festival is proposed for 2007. The project has secured support in principle from the local authorities, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the DTI funded UK body the Design Council.

13. LIFELONG LEARNING AND THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT

Achievement since 2003

13.1 Historic Scotland's Education Unit works closely with the organisations Careers Scotland ( CS) and Springboard, a charitable trust which works with CS to raise the awareness of 'back to work', long-term unemployed and drug rehabilitation groups of job opportunities in tourism. In order to take this initiative forward Historic Scotland meets with its partner agencies on average 3 times a month.

14. RESEARCH

Achievement since 2003

14.1 The economic evaluations covered by the Education Department's "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, The Arts and Sports Policy", and shared with all Executive Ministers and Departments, demonstrated additionality by way of expenditure and employment, direct and indirect impacts, and revealed 'hidden' costs to be taken into account when calculating project outcomes.

Future action

14.2 Following the above-mentioned Literature Review, the Education Department (Tourism, Culture and Sport) is now considering the development of a robust and consistent methodology for evaluating projects, to improve focus, assist initial planning and reveal both social and economic impacts. This tool, when developed, will be shared with Departments, to assist cross-portfolio and general project work

CULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS

15. PROMOTE ACCESS TO RURAL FACILITIES

Achievement since 2003

15.1 Through the Rural Challenge Fund ( RCF) strand of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund ( SRPF), ERAD has supported local initiatives to bring cultural opportunities to rural communities, with particular emphasis on enabling young people to access facilities and events. This is a key strand of ERAD's policies for rural areas. Examples of successful cultural projects are the Log on to More Music project, Uig Art Attack (Children's art classes) and Young Musicians, a music access project.

15.2 The Integrated Community Schools model has an important role to play in increasing universal access to existing facilities, resulting in greater collaborative working between services, resulting in increased accessibility. A good example is Ardnamurchan Community School at Strontian, serving the remote and scattered Ardnamurchan and Morvern peninsulas. A number of bodies supported the initiative including the Scottish Executive, sportscotland, the Scottish Arts Council, the European Union and local agencies such as the University of the Highlands Islands Millennium Institute and Lochaber Enterprise. The school is designed to meet the needs of the entire community, comprising modern IT facilities, a fully equipped sports centre and an all-weather pitch, an arts venue with a state-of-the-art theatre and a library. A development co-ordinator is responsible for promoting social and community use of the school and attracting national and international musicians and artists. There is a Partnership Agreement commitment to all schools becoming Community Schools by 2006.

Future action

15.3 Environment and Rural Affairs ( ERAD), and Education (Culture) Departments will explore possibilities with relevant agencies to expand the range of local amenities and build rural audiences - e.g. through opening up rural facilities such as community schools to promote local cultural activity.

15.4 ERAD is working with Community Planning Partnerships ( CPPs) as part of the Executive's Closing the Opportunity Gap ( COG) policy agenda. ERAD will encourage CPPs to work together to develop best practice and share ideas on rural development, and consider how existing facilities, including community centres and community schools, can be used for cultural activities.

16. PROPOSAL FOR AN ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION FOR A VILLAGE HALL OF THE 21 ST CENTURY

Achievement since 2003

16.1 The Scottish Rural Partnership Fund ( SRPF) can encourage access to rural facilities by providing funding to community projects through the Rural Community Fund ( RCF) and through the Local Capital Grants Scheme ( LCGS). LCGS funding supports rural communities in building village halls, and can also be used to adapt existing facilities to provide better access. Through this, ERAD supports village hall committees in both new build and upgrade works to meet legal and social obligations toward disadvantaged groups. Such halls are frequently at the centre of rural cultural and social activities, and provide opportunities to bringing people together in partnership as a means of strengthening cultural heritage.

16.2 The Environment and Rural Affairs Department in collaboration with Education Department (Culture) and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland ( RIAS) have had discussions to explore possibility of running a competition for designs for a village hall of the 21 Century. This will be developed further once the new organisation, Architecture and Design Scotland is established in 2005. (This action may link with 7.3, above.)

Future action

16.3 The Executive's ERAD Analytical Services will shortly begin development of a practical tool for communities embarking on the development of a new village hall. This information will be promoted and consideration given to including the use of this tool as part of the village hall design competition, should the latter take off.

17. EXPLORE AND DEVELOP LINKS BETWEEN " SCOTLAND'S CULTURE": THE CULTURAL PORTAL AND THE RURAL GATEWAY

Achievement since 2003

17.1 The Rural Community Gateway website now has a link in place to " Scotland's Culture", the Cultural Portal. The ERAD and Education (Tourism, Culture and Sport) Departments are sharing information on cultural, rural and digitisation strategies to consider how to build on established web-links and co-promote activities to increase rural digital inclusion and cultural participation . (The Rural Gateway is a community focused on-line facility which provides access to useful information.)

18. PROMOTE WIDER USE OF LAND OWNED BY ERAD'S LINKED BODIES

Achievements since 2003

18.1 Recreational and cultural events take place across the national forest estate, on National Nature Reserves and other ERAD land as part of the commitment by that Department's linked bodies to work with communities.

Future action

18.2 The "7 Stanes" network is being developed across the South of Scotland to increase access to mountain-biking facilities, for example, with the dedicated Forestry Commission website providing a direct link to VisitScotland. ERAD's linked bodies will continue to work with the VisitScotland hubs as they are introduced as part of the single Scotland-wide network, by April 2005. ( ERAD bodies, such as the Forestry Commission, have historically worked at ground level with Area Tourist Boards to promote access to their landholdings.)

19. ERAD'S LINKED BODIES TO UNIT THEIR EFFORTS BEHIND SCOTLAND'S YEAR OF HIGHLAND CULTURE 2007

Future action

19.1 The Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage ( SNH) will work jointly to develop and take forward projects contributing to the Highland Year of Culture celebrations in 2007. Both SNH and Forest Enterprise have enlisted as Concordat partners to the project.

20. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Achievement since 2003

20.1 Following the implementation in Scotland, in July, of The Environmental Assessment (Plans and Programmes) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (known as Strategic Environmental Assessment - SEA), a major conference was arranged and substantially funded by ERAD and sponsored by Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency ( SEPA). It was designed as a consciousness-raising event and was addressed by the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development.

Future action

20.2 Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency will continue to fulfil their statutory roles under the SEA Regulations as the 3 consultation authorities for SEA purpose. As set out in the Partnership Agreement, the Executive is now moving to replace the Regulations with a Bill to extend their scope in Scotland. A consultation paper was issued by the ERAD Sustainable Development Directorate in September. The 3 consultation authorities continue to work closely with the Directorate on both the implementation of the current Regulations and the implications of the proposed Bill.

21. RESEARCH

21.1 The Education Department's Research report "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, The Arts and Sports Policy", and shared with all Executive Ministers and Departments, states "there is an under-representation of disabled and mobility impaired people (especially in rural areas) in attendance and participation in arts and cultural events; barriers to attending arts activities cited by respondents, include living in rural areas, where time and cost of travel is a constraint." Recommendations include the need to increase access for rural communities to arts activities, opportunities and resources.

CULTURE AND JUSTICE

22. DIVERSIONARY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THOSE AT RISK OF OFFENDING

Achievements since 2003

22.1 Justice Department undertook a review of local community safety partnership working and the community safety award programme that financially supports the partnerships - "Informal Review of the Future Direction of Community Safety Partnerships and the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme".

22.2 Justice Department also undertook a mapping exercise looking at:

produced a report "Community Safety Partnership - Additional Funding for Sport, Leisure and Transport Initiatives targeted at 12-16 year age group over the School Summer Break", mapping £1 million of youth-sport related prevention and reduction expenditure. This provides a detailed breakdown, year-on-year, of youth summer activities' expenditure across the 32 community safety partnerships.

Future action

22.3 Agreed changes to the Community Safety Partnership Award programme will come into effect from April 2005.

22.4 Justice Department will look at how culture and sports-related general crime reduction activities might contribute to a proposal for one or two flagship community safety projects with national resonance. 'Twilight Basketball' will be considered as one possible joint programme and the scope to promote more arts/culture centred activity will be explored.

22.5 The Education Department (Culture) will access feedback on the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's Positive Activities for Young People ( PAYP) scheme (launched in 2003) and share with JD. The PAYP programme targets vulnerable young people aged 8-19 years, to help "steer them into a positive direction in life". It provides a broad range of school holiday activities in quality arts, sports and cultural activities, designed to develop interests, build self-respect and help young people into further education or employment - key factors in preventing criminality.

23. YOUTH FUND LOTTERY PROGRAMME

Achievement since 2003

23.1 The Big Lottery Fund issued £20 million for the Young People's Fund. This includes:

The Young People's Fund is now in the programme development phase with the Big Lottery Fund.

Future action

23.2 In Spring 2005, Justice Department will consider diversionary programme proposals (with cross-portfolio relevance) which might be eligible for Lottery support; and Education Department (Culture and Lottery Units) will help to consider ways to maximise support from this source.

24. RESEARCH AND FUTURE INITIATIVES FOR OFFENDERS AND THE REDUCTION OF CRIME

Achievement since 2003

24.1 The findings of the Executive's research report "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, The Arts and Sport Policy" were shared with Justice Department. The Review found no research evidence that projects involving art and culture for development purposes ( e.g. new pastimes and life skills learning such as communications & literacy) are presently in use in prisons in Scotland, or in UK secure establishments.

Future action -

24.2 By May 2005, Education Department's Analytical Services Unit ( ASU) will conduct an extended search for international or other examples outside Scotland of arts/culture projects in secure establishments. Meanwhile, the Department's Cultural Policy and Sports Policy teams will consult and consider options with cultural and other bodies whose education projects might transfer to the offender community, and draft possible pilot proposals for discussion with JD.

24.3 In January 2005, the Education Department's Cultural Policy and ASU teams will share with JD (also FCSD, DD and HD) a brief for a research study to identify and assess culture's contribution to Quality of Life and general well-being - aiming to improve our understanding of the benefits and ways to plan projects that are effective in a range of cross-portfolio settings.

25. THE PRIVATE SECTOR CONTRIBUTION

Future action

25.1 Justice Department examine how cross-portfolio action can be advanced following its links into the results of a 'mentoring and befriending' mapping exercise being undertaken by the Befriending Network (Scotland) Ltd with Scottish Mentoring Network. This mapping project received funding of over £19k from the Education Department (as part of a commitment to support projects under the Laidlaw Youth Project with particular emphasis on effective partnership working and mentoring). A report of this work will be issued early in 2005.

CULTURE AND TRANSPORT

26. TRANSPORT AND ACCESS TO CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Achievement since 2003

26.1 CalMac ferry services won the Arts & Business Scotland Award in recognition of the 2003 Royal National Mod in Oban. The company has been a longstanding supporter of the Gaelic culture and heritage of Scotland. CalMac also supports other events of a more traditional nature throughout its network such as Highland gatherings including the Cowal Highland Gathering. These are perceived as being economic drivers which have a positive impact on often remote communities. CalMac also supports numerous cultural events including the Children's Mod and the Hebridean Celtic Festival

Future action

26.2 Ministers agreed that more needs to be done by Cities/operators to maximise use of 'open top' tourist buses in relation to cultural venues/events. The Transport Minister is considering writing to 'Guide Bus' operators in Edinburgh and Glasgow to engage them in drawing attention to Festival/Fringe events and venues in on-bus commentaries and marketing.

26.3 The issue of late night transport during the Festivals season, including trains, is currently being addressed through a study commissioned by EventScotland for the Executive's Festivals Strategy Group. The study will encompass infrastructural aspects - including transport - that will affect the Festivals' ability to keep ahead of the competition. Funding partners are the Executive, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland.

26.4 The Transport Minister is considering contacting operators of air, rail, bus and ferry links, to encourage them to explore mutually beneficial arrangements with cultural venues and to develop their role in linking audiences to cultural provision.

26.5 The Transport Group is considering how to support the accessibility of big events, particularly major events in less accessible locations: e.g. the national festival in 2007 to celebrate Scotland's Year of Highland Culture. Transport Group will advise Education Department (Culture) on the viability of additional support and how that might operate. For example, support could perhaps be provided by means of a fund accessible by regional transport partnerships or local authorities. It is likely that such funding would have to be linked to the provision of a travel plan for such an event.

26.6 A new National Transport Strategy will be drawn up by early 2006. Links between transport and culture will be one of the issues considered in the preparation of the document.

27. GREEN TRAVEL PLANS

Achievement since 2003

27.1 The Transport Group has offered to assist cultural organisations/venues with Green Travel planning. The Education Department (Culture) has contacted the Scottish Arts Council to encourage venues to produce travel plans as part of their audience development planning.

28. NATIONAL GATEWAYS AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Achievement since 2003

28.1 At Inverness Airport, the Gateway Arts Project involved the installation of works of art in the airport terminal, the publication of an anthology of poetry and an exhibition of work by Highland artists. The project was based around the theme of aviation and what it means to the remoter regions of Scotland. A co-ordinator, two writers in residence, a weaver and a painter were commissioned to work on the project which involved travellers and employees at airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports ( HIAL) and the communities they serve. The Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund was the principal funder with additional support from Arts and Business New Partners, HIAL, Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, the Highland Council, Writers in Scotland. Loganair and Highland Airways sponsored air travel by the writer in residence HIAL was the first airport operator in the United Kingdom to undertake such an ambitious project.

Future action

28.2 The Transport Minister is considering writing to operators of airports etc. encouraging extended use of high quality design, artwork, cultural adverts and exhibitions, to improve customer welcome and awareness, and to make clear to visitors that they have arrived in Scotland! The Transport Group will pursue the relevant activities during 2004-05, with Education Department (Culture) acting as facilitator, as required. This exercise could be synchronised with the 'First Impressions' review currently being undertaken by Cllr Eric Milligan on behalf of the Executive. The Transport Group's letter to local authorities on their Local Transport Strategies would draw attention to 'welcoming' and design aspects.

29. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE - TRAVEL TO VENUES

Achievement since 2003

29.1 The Transport Group informed Education Department (Culture) of demand-responsive schemes such as 'Dial A Bus'. Education Department has encouraged the Scottish Arts Council to promote better awareness of these schemes to e.g. the Schools Cultural Co-ordinators.

Future action

29.2 The Education Department (Culture) and Transport Group are to consider together how local authority travel operators can extend their present schemes to help young people access culture. The Education Department is collecting evidence of past and existing initiatives and their performance - e.g. the successful Glasgow City Council's "Class Connections" city-wide transport initiative taking children to museums; and the National Galleries' bus link initiative - to feed back to Transport Group for consideration.

30. ACCESS TO RURAL CULTURAL FACILITIES

Achievement since 2003

30.1 The Transport Group wrote to Rural Community Transport Initiative ( RCTI) project managers to encourage them to assist access to rural cultural facilities. Information on current provision was shared by Transport Department with Education Department (Culture) and Environment and Rural Affairs Department. Education Department informed the Scottish Arts Council about the RCTI with a view to informing the Schools Cultural Co-ordinators network that this is an initiative that they can tap into.

31. RESEARCH

31.1 The findings of the Executive's research report "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, The Arts and Sport Policy" were shared with Transport Department. The report found that one of the main barriers to participation in cultural activities was the lack of, or inaccessibility of, public transport (particularly for those living in peripheral or rural areas).

CULTURE AND EDUCATION

32. OPPORTUNITIES IN CURRICULUM REVIEW FOR CULTURE/CREATIVITY AGENDA

Achievement since 2003

32.1 The work of the Education Department's Curriculum Review Group was published at the beginning of November. The Minister for Education and Young People accepted the principles and purposes to emerge from this work and set in motion a programme of work to address issues of teaching and learning that need to be tackled as a matter of priority. These developments will be part of the process of creating a single, coherent, Scottish curriculum 3-18.

Future action

32.2 The review of the curriculum will, over time, examine all areas of the curriculum and test them against the purposes and principles set out in A Curriculum for Excellence. The subject reviews, which will include music and drama, will seek to address the issue of balance between breadth and depth of coverage.

32.3 The Cultural Commission appointed by Ministers to review cultural provision in Scotland is liaising with the Education Department's Curriculum Review Group as it works towards its Summer 2005 report.

33. MUSIC/DRAMA/ PE TEACHER NUMBERS

Achievement since 2003

33.1 The Minister for Education and Young People announced in February this year that there will be 1,000 additional teachers in PE, drama and music, visiting specialists in primary schools and those working with young people with particular barriers in their education.

33.2 Entrants to Music, Drama and PE Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses in 2004-2005 increased compared to 2003 as part of the build towards the overall commitment to increase teacher numbers.

Future action

33.3 The Education Department is working with the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, who are responsible for setting student teacher intakes to courses of initial teacher education, to ensure expansion in places to deliver increased teacher numbers.

34. YOUNG PEOPLE AND MUSIC

Achievement since 2003

34.1 Both the Education Department's Schools Group and Tourism, Culture and Sport Group are represented on the Youth Music Steering Group to ensure that the Youth Music Initiative and the developing National Youth Music Strategy link into both the 3-18 Curricular Review and the developing cultural review agenda. A further £10 million pounds per annum has been identified from the Education Department (Culture) for the development of the Youth Music Initiative over 2004-2007. This funding will be disbursed through the Scottish Arts Council. A mid-way progress report by the Scottish Arts Council's Youth Music Manager and a draft National Youth Music Strategy were published in November 2004.

Future action

34.2 Outwith but complementing the Youth Music Initiative, the Executive's Education (schools) and Culture teams continue to liaise over the teaching of traditional music in Scottish schools. Education Department (schools) with involvement in youth music provision - informal and formal sectors - is currently considering the establishment of a working group to ensure a holistic approach to national development of youth music tuition.

35. CULTURAL CO-ORDINATORS IN SCHOOLS

Achievement since 2003

35.1 In May 2004, a conference Diverse Elements, was held celebrating initial two years of the Cultural Co-ordinators in Schools pilot programme. An evaluation report was published in June 2004 highlighting best and most exciting practice and also those areas for improvement during Phase 2 of the pilot. Education Department's Schools Policy team sits on the Cultural Co-ordinators Reference Group and advise specifically in terms of curricular policy development.

Future action

35.2 The Scottish Arts Council continue to monitor Phase 2 of the Cultural Co-ordinators in Schools programme and are updating guidance documents based on subjects identified in the evaluation report, developing methods for strengthening the evidence-base supporting the initiative and considering future training requirements. Through the Cultural Co-ordinators Reference Group, the Education Department's Schools Policy team advises in terms of curricular policy development.

36. YOUNG PEOPLE'S ENGAGEMENT WITH CULTURE/CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Achievement since 2003

36.1 In April this year, the Executive's Education Department funded over £400,000, through its Future Learning and Teaching (FLaT) programme, a 4-year project designed to look at the contribution that moving image education can make to children's education during the transition years P6-S2. The project will focus mainly on literacy attainment with a secondary focus on a small group of other key educational priorities. The project is a collaboration between the Executive agency Scottish Screen, Education Department, Angus Council, Angus Digital Media Centre and the British Film Institute.

Future action -

36.2 In December 2004, the Scottish Arts Council received confirmation of substantial funding through the Scottish Executive's Future Learning and Teaching ( FLAT) programme for a three-year action research project entitled Arts Across the Curriculum. Under this project, teachers in participating local authorities will work together with artists, team teaching subjects across the curriculum. As well as producing benefits in terms of pupil achievement and motivation and exploring the efficacy of the expressive arts as a delivery mechanism across the curriculum, it is expected that teachers will benefit from the opportunity to develop their creative and collaborative working skills.

36.3 The Education Department's Culture team is maintaining contact with the Department's Youthwork officials over the development of a forthcoming National Youth Strategy consultation. The Strategy is still at development stage. However, the main thrust will cover facilities and activities for young people in the broadest sense, including culture and creative activities, and also music facilities and activities.

37. BROADCASTING

Achievement since 2003

37.1 The BBC Blast in Scotland programme launched on 30 August and a range of workshops and events encouraging young people to explore their creativity are underway until the end of 2004. The Executive is building on a 6-month BBC secondment which identified a number of ideas for further developing young people's links to culture through broadcasting. The Executive is working with the BBC to identify areas where the BBC and the Education Department (Culture and Schools) can work together for mutual benefit. Amongst these are ideas for projects involving remote access tuition and showcasing opportunities for young people and programmes such as the Youth Music Initiative and Cultural Co-ordinators in Schools. The Department's Schools Group is funding the initiative up to a total of £100k.

38. RESEARCH

Achievements since 2003

38.1 The Executive's Education Department (Culture) published "A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, the Arts and Sport Policy" in August 2004. A further Research publication in the Research Findings series entitled "Research Findings No 2, August 2004: A Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, the Arts and Sport Policy" was published in tandem. Robust and longitudinal research studies have shown that:

The findings of the Literature Review into the impacts of culture have been shared with Departments as the cross-portfolio work progresses.

Future action

38.2 The Executive's Education Department is considering a joint research project looking at how engagement with creativity/culture affects young people's choices into employment and how results match employers' requirements for creativity. Further opportunities for research collaboration between Schools and Culture policy areas are also in view.

CULTURE, INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS & PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM

39. PROMOTION OF SCOTLAND

Achievement since 2003

39.1 The Executive's Finance and Central Services Department ( FCSD): International team and the Education Department's Tourism, Culture and Sport Group ( TCS) have collaborated successfully in developing and supporting promotions showcasing Scotland's culture, such as Scotland in the Netherlands; and FCSD contributed towards the events celebrating the Executive's Co-operation Agreement with the Regional Government of Tuscany (and the 40th Anniversary of twinning by the Cities of Edinburgh and Florence).

Future action

39.2 The Executive's FCSD: International team will keep the Education Department's TCS team up-to-date with developments in the selection of international target countries/regions. Following that selection, FCSD and TCS will consider ways to build cultural elements into the programme of promotions, and what support might be given to cultural agencies in this regard.

39.3 The Finance and Central Services Department will review the focus of Tartan Day celebrations; and consider an idea to develop a themed, moveable 'kit' with some cultural elements for a 2-3 day promotion of Scotland capable of touring internationally.

40. DIGITISATION

Future action

40.1 Education Department's Tourism, Culture and Sport team will keep the Finance and Central Services Department apprised of progress with its digitisation strategy; and both will consider in due course how that plan might link with the Executive's 21st Century Gov and Digital Inclusion programmes.

41. CITIES AND DESIGN

Future action

41.1 New design standards - to be championed by Architecture & Design Scotland - might also be promoted jointly to local authorities by Education Department's Cultural Policy and the Finance and Central Services Department, building on contacts developed through the Building Better Cities programme as a result of projects funded by the Cities Growth Fund.

42. LOCAL AUTHORITY EXPANSION OF CULTURAL PROVISION

Future action

42.1 Education Department (Culture) will keep the Finance and Central Services Department in touch as the Cultural Commission's review of local cultural facilities unfolds.

42.2 If changes to patterns and locations of services and provision are proposed, following consideration of the Cultural Commission's report, the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform has indicated he will be pleased to raise as appropriate with authorities, and to help present a positive and balanced view of any changes affecting that key delivery sector.

42.3 The Finance and Central Services Department: Public Service Reform Group will keep Education Department's Cultural Policy in touch with cross-boundary and regional arrangements developing for some Community Planning Partnerships (such as the Clyde Valley CPP). Progress in that area is of direct interest to the cultural agencies trying to make inroads through Community Planning.