SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

SCOTLAND'S UNIQUE CULTURAL TREASURES AND TRADITIONS SHOULD BE CONSERVED, VALUED AND PROMOTED BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD

Creativity: nurtured, not taught
Creativity is nurtured, not taught. One of the ambitions of this cultural strategy is to develop the conditions in which creativity and innovation can flourish in all sectors of Scottish life. Not only is creativity central to the work of schools, but it is also essential in the business world where it is closely linked to enterprise and entrepreneurialism. In developing the creative potential of the young, parents and those working in the formal education system have the key roles. However, children receive their cultural education from the whole community. Volunteers and voluntary groups have a valuable contribution to make. Our cultural institutions have a primary role in fostering creativity. To do this successfully, they need to adopt a rigorous and professional approach.

Developing a climate supportive to those working in the cultural sector

Personal professional development and training

Our cultural achievements depend on individuals - organisations exist to support them. Those working in the cultural sector should have opportunities to continue to develop their professional skills, both as creators and businesspeople. The purposes of arts and culture go beyond providing a living for those working in the sector. Without vibrant cultural industries, not only are the needs of the audience likely to be neglected, but cultural expression itself can suffer. Those working in these sectors require:

• An appropriate range of opportunities to make a reasonable living and to benefit from good working conditions
• Continuing professional development in artistic, business, professional, and other skills, including opportunities to engage in high quality training, customised to their professional needs
• Access to advice about career development and pathways
• Good links between initial training or tertiary education and the artistic, business, commercial and or professional competences demanded by the world of work, including, as appropriate, formal qualifications which recognise prior attainment.

Opportunities for training and continuing professional development are essential. Many of those working in the sector do not have conventional career patterns, and for some opportunities to engage in planned professional development are limited. Training can come in various forms and is frequently on the job training or coaching. Tertiary education institutions, commercial organisations and funded bodies are playing an increasingly important role in meeting people's training needs. However, there is significant variability across the country. What is needed is better information about the range, quality and location of what is available so that decisions can be made about how to improve provision.

It is widely recognised that those working in the cultural sector can learn from the mainstream business sector. However, there is now a growing awareness of the potential contribution that artists and cultural organisations can make to training for the business community. For some time, many businesses have recognised the need to develop the skills of their workforce in areas such as team working, creativity, communication and problem-solving. In the arts, these are the core skills and some businesses are now commissioning arts professionals to support their training programmes. Arts and Business Scotland are working in partnership to raise awareness of this significant opportunity for the arts and cultural sector in Scotland.

We shall:

• Audit the availability of opportunities for training and continuing professional development for those working in the cultural sector, to identify areas which require further development
• Improve access to advice, relevant business skills and training for those working in the cultural sector
• Review existing forums for gathering the views of those working in the cultural sector about ways in which national arrangements might be adjusted and improved
• Create opportunities for networking amongst those working in the sector to stimulate sharing of experience and good practice, and the agreement of common objectives.

ENHANCING SCOTLAND'S CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

The creative industries

The Creative Industries contribute substantially to the Scottish economy. Scottish Enterprise estimates that they support 100,000 jobs and contribute around £5 billion to the Scottish economy annually. They are set to grow significantly faster than the economy as a whole, and there is every indication that this trend will continue.
This is a result of:

• Massive growth in the global infrastructure for rapid distribution of information and creative content
• The removal of barriers between industries through the digitisation of audio visual content which allows it to be more readily distributed on a global basis across different technology platforms, such as the Internet, digital television and broadband
• The emergence of a mass of niche markets for content
• New applications of technology which will generate new cultural forms and new businesses, such as web and digital arts, and computer games
• The change in emphasis in computer use from processing users' own data to accessing pre-published content, usually with an interactive element.

The success of the creative industries is based upon the effective combination of creativity, enterprise and the application of new technologies. There are enormous opportunities for export earnings in the creative industries which can highlight internationally Scotland's achievements in developing new forms of cultural expression. Scottish companies have carved out a niche in some of these global industries. Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council are working together to support innovation in publishing and music. There are potentials in many other areas. Scottish Enterprise is developing a strategy for supporting the creative industries. Future success will depend upon the contribution of a vibrant and innovative cultural sector. The Glasgow Collection provides a good example of how partnerships between designers and manufacturers can promote success.

A dynamic film industry

Recently, Scotland has been successful in attracting film and television programme makers to shoot and produce work here. In addition to direct economic and cultural benefits, this work helps to promote Scotland as a tourist location. We therefore aim to make Scotland film-friendly. To achieve this we shall support the development by Scottish Screen of a Film Charter for Scotland and initiatives to establish a Scottish film studio.