The Scottish Government is fully committed to widening access to culture for all communities and individuals across Scotland. The policy is to: encourage and sustain artists and those who 'create'; ensure their work is accessible; give opportunity to all to take part in creative activities.
We are taking this forward in partnership with local authorities and other stakeholders, many of whom have discovered the benefits of working with, and through, creative and cultural activity. Local authorities already make a major contribution to cultural delivery, and we work closely with their representation bodies (and with authorities directly), regarding ways to build on this and to strive for continuous improvement and excellent outcomes for people across Scotland.
Scottish Government also works with its sponsored culture bodies (see links on the main web page) and organisations like Voluntary Arts Scotland, regarding the aim to extend cultural access and participation.
Recent collaboration with local government, and the culture sector has focused on developing new ways to engage those who do not participate in culture; forging links with Community Planning; promoting quality assurance; and building the policy evidence base. Links to current and recent initiatives and associated information resources include:
· the document, " Culture Delivers" (December 2008) sets out a wide range of ways in which culture and creativity can contribute positively to outcomes and objectives across the policy spectrum. It is intended as a useful resource for those developing the service plans that deliver the national and local outcomes set out in the Single Outcome Agreements. It derives from - and provides links to - Literature Reviews (commissioned by Scottish Government and the Scottish Arts Council) which describe robust evidence of culture's benefits for the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
· A strong example of partnership working between Scottish Government and local government in this area is the Cultural Pathfinder Programme. The independent evaluation report of the Programme was published on 2 July 2009, with an associated Research Findings paper, 2/2009. The programme of 13 projects was supported by Scottish Government (2006-08) and run by local authorities to explore effective and practical ways to get people involved in cultural activity. The projects reached out to groups who had previously faced barriers to participation. The Pathfinder Programme also explored links between cultural provision and Community Planning processes.
· A new unified Quality Improvement Framework (QIF), with its strategic element, " How Good Is Our Culture and Sport?" (HGIOCS?) [link will be added soon] has been drafted to assist local authorities and other service providers to evaluate the quality, effectiveness, efficiency and inclusiveness of their culture and sport provision. A partnership of local authority bodies, HMIE, national culture and sport bodies and Scottish Government has been developing the various elements of the draft QIF, and will soon be taking forward the trialling and implementation of the framework. In addition to the trials, roadshows will be held in Autumn 2009, to explain the background, purpose and best ways to use the QIF. Meantime, local authority chief executive officers - to whom the document will be sent shortly - are encouraged, in preparing for self-evaluation, to consider how it can support the development of their services and delivery of key outcomes.
Also part of the QIF, are two sector specific tools: Museums Galleries Scotland's (MGS) Quality Improvement System (QIS) - "Taking a Closer Look at our Museums and Galleries"; and the Scottish Library and Information Council's (SLIC) Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix (PLQIM) - "Taking a Closer Look at our Libraries". They will enable local service providers to look in more detail at those particular aspects of their culture provision.
It is hoped that other sector specific quality improvement tools will be added subsequently within the QIF. For example, the Scottish Arts Council is looking to develop a tool covering local authorities' arts activity, that would sit within the QIF, drawing from their "Quality Framework - second edition", produced recently for bodies within the arts sector. Sector tools for sport provision, archives and historic heritage are other possible additions. Once the results of the trials and feedback have been considered, it is planned that a final version of HGIOCS? will be launched in the first part of 2010.
· All culture providers require access to facts about their provision and its uptake, to inform their planning of provision with users', and potential users', aspirations in mind. Local authorities contribute information about their provision of culture (and sport) in an annual return, "Cultural Statistics in Scotland" to the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy. That survey collects data relating to culture and sport regardless of the service budget or source in which they arise - including expenditure administered by trusts. The 2009 survey will collect data on 2008-09 actuals and 2009-10 estimates. A Cultural Statistics Working Party reviews the operation of the survey and its completion, providing clarification and refining the notes to aid completion. It aims to promote accurate reporting of data. Any local authorities which have comments for the Working Party, or who would like to attend its annual meetings, are encouraged to come forward and contact Kenneth.humphreys@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
· The Impact Database ( http://www.gla.ac.uk/ccpr/) is another useful resource relating to research on the social and economic effects of arts, culture and major events. It is developed and maintained by the Centre for Cultural Policy Research (University of Glasgow) under contract to SG.
Information on cultural participation is collected through a number of surveys including the Scottish Household Survey.
· Collaborative work to produce a toolkit for Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) on working with culture is an ongoing project. It will build on "Culture Delivers" (see above), with practical advice, evidence and good practice examples. Such a document will aim to help CPPs appreciate how the use of culture can be a complementary, or new, and effective tool for advancing their 'well-being' agenda and improving the life of the community, in particular those who are disengaged and/or marginalised, and may be under-represented in terms of cultural participation.