Scotland's Culture, published in January 2006, described the Executive's new cultural policy. The main aims of policy are:
- Nationally, to make sure that we support talent and excellence in culture, and enable it to develop and to encourage more people to enjoy our world class national cultural collections and national performing companies. And, to utilise the positive impact culture can have in every area of Government.
- Locally, to encourage more people to enjoy cultural activities by asking local authorities to develop cultural 'entitlements' for their area, in consultation with local people and to ask local authorities to undertake cultural planning, feeding into Community Planning. Also, to support local museums and libraries.
A range of actions is being taken forward to pursue these objectives:
- Working with local authority representatives to consider how local cultural entitlements can be delivered. Entitlements will be specific cultural services and activities that local people want to see provided in their area
- Work with the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen to develop proposals for a new national cultural development agency, 'Creative Scotland', responsible for supporting cultural talent and excellence
- Work with the National Institutions and other national cultural collections' bodies to improve the exposure of their cultural treasures. Work is also underway with the Scottish Arts Council and the National Companies to deliver their excellence across Scotland
- Working with the Scottish Museums' Council to offer support to local collections of national significance; and with the Scottish Library & Information Council to help public libraries improve their service standards and to promote co-operation
- A draft Parliamentary Bill is being prepared that includes a legal framework for delivering entitlements, and establishing 'Creative Scotland', the new cultural development agency
This implementation overview gives more details of Executive activities, and with whom we are working. For more information about each of these programmes, please contact Greig.chalmers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
An information e-mail was issued by the Executive in June and an update on progress will issue later in the year.