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Advancing Culture's Availability
| This review has focused principally on the means of extending access, to bring more people into contact with the remarkable world of culture and its creations. The Commission's remit highlighted the need to examine the role of the private and voluntary sectors, and the relationship between them. The Executive wished to explore whether and how their already crucial contributions might be developed further. |
Role of the private sector
The Executive applauds the sponsorship investment of Scotland's private sector and the work of Arts and Business, administering schemes that encourage the commitment of funding and expertise to bring arts and culture to audiences and into the workplace. We shall make available £400k per annum over the next two years to enable a new match-funding sponsorship initiative proposed by Arts and Business. Arts and Business will use our support to incentivise private sector sponsorship. That way, we aim to deliver over £700k in additional support for the arts each year, through a mix of public and private sector finance.
Role of the voluntary sector
Volunteering is a vital part of Scotland's cultural delivery infrastructure; and the Executive recognises that practice and endeavour which is inspired voluntarily is a key resource to be valued. At the Executive's request, the Commission procured research into the work of the voluntary cultural sector in Scotland and the problems it faces. The findings provide a comprehensive account of issues affecting that important sector and will helpfully inform new national guidance. That guidance will be produced by the new cultural development agency, mentioned later in this paper, and will be linked to the Scottish Executive's Volunteering Strategy which is aimed at embedding a robust culture of volunteering in Scotland.
The new guidance will be specifically geared to promoting cultural volunteers, and those who can help support local voluntary and community bodies and the conditions that sustain their activities. Specific outcomes would be around dismantling the barriers to volunteering, the development of volunteers' experiences - with special regard to the needs, aspirations and lifestyles of volunteers - and a higher proportion of organisations operating an inclusive practice. This is one of several areas where solutions for culture should be consistent with those relating to sport. sportscotland already has a volunteering strategy, and a similar response is needed from the arts and heritage sectors, to recognise and bolster support for the volunteers who are so crucial to delivery across the sector.
The Executive currently is undertaking work to support the voluntary sector, including work on the Strategic Funding Review, aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the sector as a whole. Work is also being undertaken to establish a vision for the Scottish Executive's relationship with the voluntary sector as it develops over the next fifteen years. Our intention is that through that vision strategic links will be built between the Executive and the voluntary sector on a whole range of joint priorities and joint agendas including the promotion of cultural volunteering.
The Executive looks forward to a host of enjoyable and interesting new volunteering opportunities coming to Scotland through the 2012 London Olympics - and it is hoped, through a successful bid by Glasgow to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Both arts and sporting programmes will be featured, and the Executive will liaise with the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games, and relevant Whitehall Departments, on their delivery.
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