Cultural Review
Executive response on the Cultural Review
"Today our commitment has been stated, our ambition to achieve excellence has been declared, and the First Minister's St Andrew's Day vision of access and excellence is now becoming a reality." Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson, January 19, 2006
Scotland's culture sits at the heart of the nation's life and identity; the country has an enviable reputation reaching far beyond its shores for innovation, skill, and as an enthusiastic source of inspiration. It is essential that these attributes - in their 21st century diversity - should be celebrated and cherished, both here and overseas.
The Scottish Executive's formal response on the Cultural Review sets out matters that are the responsibility of government in Scotland - at national and local levels. It does not seek to provide a response to each individual recommendation, although all have been considered, and a response to each of the 131 recommendations will be posted on this website in due course. In view of the wide range of material in the Commission's report, it will provide a resource for policymakers for years to come.
Scottish Executive Response on the Cultural Review
Freagairt Riaghaltas na h-Alba air an Ath-bhreithneachadh Chultarail
Cultural Review - what happens next?
We are starting to implement the proposals in Scotland's Culture. This work will continue over the next 12 months and beyond. A summary of the main activities underway is provided below:
- Culture legislation - legislation will be required to implement some of the recommendations of the Cultural Review and we will publish a draft Culture Bill before the end of 2006
- Cultural entitlements - the Culture Bill will provide the legislative basis for the development of local cultural entitlements to be developed by local authorities. Work is underway with between the Executive, the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) and local government to develop Guidance and to explore the practicalities of delivering local entitlements
- Creative Scotland - the Culture Bill will provide the legislative foundation required to create a new cultural agency - Creative Scotland - charged with developing Scotland's cultural and creative talent. Work is already underway to develop the formal remit of Creative Scotland, to facilitate the transition of the functions and responsibilities of SAC and Scottish Screen (SS) to the new body, and to encourage areas of joint-working between SAC and SS in advance of the formal establishment of Creative Scotland
- National collections - work is underway to add the National Archives of Scotland to the existing National Collections (the National Galleries of Scotland, the National Museums of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland). A working group will be established shortly to examine methods of joint-working between the bodies to maximise administrative efficiency and to encourage the co-ordinated exhibition of the collections
- National performing companies - work is underway to transfer responsibility for funding the national performing arts companies (Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the National Theatre of Scotland) - from SAC to the Executive
This page will be updated as implementation progresses.
Cultural Review - Background
The Review of culture was inspired by the First Minister's 2003 St Andrew's Day Address which set out a vision for culture in Scotland, stressing the importance of widening access to cultural excellence.
A progress report has been produced, setting out a new agenda developed by Executive Departments to promote culture in the period November 2003 to November 2004, in response to the First Minister's address. See:
Progress Report of Initiatives Promoting Cultural Provision and a Wide Range of Other Policies.
A Cultural Policy Statement was launched in April 2004. That statement took as its context the First Minister's address and also contained the remit for a comprehensive cultural review to be undertaken by an independent, short-term body - the Cultural Commission.
The Commission started work on June 1, 2004. Its wide-ranging remit included headline tasks to:
- explore the notion of cultural rights for the Scottish citizen and those of its creative community
- define how these might be translated into a scheme of entitlements
- redefine the institutional infrastructure and governance of the Scottish cultural sector to enable it to deliver the entitlements that spring from these rights
The Commission presented its final report on June 23, 2005.
The cultural community and a wide range of key sectors and communities of interest engaged fully and enthusiastically with the Review. It provoked many helpful and detailed submissions and other contributions and these have influenced the Executive's response.