For session 7 of the Scottish Parliament (2026-2031) Culture Counts co-organises the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Culture and Communities alongside the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS).

The first meeting of this new session is now scheduled for Tuesday 01 December 2026, 1800-1930. The meeting will be held in-person at the Scottish Parliament, and streamed online via Teams. Members are now invited to sign up to attend the 01 December meeting (in person or online) via this link. A full agenda and speaker bios will follow.

CPGs are for groups of MSPs and non-MSPs who are interested in a particular subject or issue. This group brings together MSPs and members from across and beyond the culture sector to discuss the role of arts and culture in communities across Scotland. The CPG was formally re-constituted following the election in October 2026, with the following MSP members:

• Q Manivannan (Convenor)

• Jenny Young (Deputy co-Convenor)

• Pauline Stafford (Deputy co-Convenor)

• Colin Beattie

• David Green

• Murdo Fraser

The MSP members have set the following topic of enquiry for the coming series of CPG members:

How to maximise the opportunities of culture for and within communities, by: 

• Making the most of recent commitments to increase funding for culture 

• Exploring and feeding into commitments toward cultural legislation 

• Widening (geographic and demographic) access to cultural opportunities 

• Understanding and maximising the social impact of cultural provision  

• Connecting practitioners and the culture sector with conversations and at national government level and within local authorities. 

If your work has resonance with the above theme, and you would like to be considered to speak at a future CPG meeting, you are warmly welcome to contact CPGCulture@scottishlibraries.org with details.

CPG membership is open to individuals and organisations; anyone can attend, you just need to register as a (free) member of the CPG in advance. You can do that here.

Members are now invited to sign up to attend the 01 December meeting (in person or online) via this link. A full agenda and speaker bios will follow.