Culture Counts Update for Culture Spokespersons

The following update was sent on 27 November 2020 to spokespersons for culture in the political parties represented at the Scottish Parliament.


I’m writing to you now with a brief update that I’ve recently brought together from the Culture Counts Steering Group. I hope this information is useful to you for your own sector advocacy over the coming months. Our cultural and creative businesses underpin the economy and provide enjoyment and social benefits to Scotland’s residents and visitors, but have been particularly badly hit by the suspension of public events, venues and attractions.

Budget & Sector Sustainability


In January 2021; the culture sector really needs a firm commitment to a sustained level of cultural budget across arts, heritage, historic environment and creative industries.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies need a minimum commitment of a three-year budget; we realise that it’s difficult for the Scottish Government who are locked into an annual budget cycle with Westminster; though given we are such a small part of the overall picture and that the precarious work in the sector is a huge issue; it makes sense for the Scottish Government to commit to a three-year deal, which we feel is manageable within the overall budget envelope.

A three-year deal would allow for greater confidence in the sector, with beneficiaries better able to plan, leading to more opportunities for NDPS and everyone they fund to offer fair-work.

Covid-19

Level 4 Announcement

We welcome the Scottish Government funds announced on the 17th November; which made funding available to local authorities. The funds available are to support people through level 4, which is to begin on 24th November 2020. We hope that the cultural and creative sector will not be overlooked by local authorities. We hope (for example) that local authorities understand that creative and cultural businesses and self-employed freelancers are workers in the same way that taxi drivers are, and as vulnerable to the current downturn in activity.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could contact the councillors within your political party and ask that they ensure that cultural and creative businesses and workers are not excluded from funds. The cultural and creative sector has been one of the hardest-hit and support is still very much required to help ensure the sector can survive and eventually return to normality.

It is important to support the next generation of culture sector entrepreneurs; and we welcome the recent announcement of funds for the self-employed. The UN have declared 2021 as International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development and we at Culture Counts will continue to advocate for culture to be part of a sustainable future and a leading part of the economic and social recovery from Covid-19.

Gaps in Support


There has been limited support (other than the Creative Scotland Hardship Fund) for:

  • Individuals who are directors of limited companies who do not operate from premises and who pay themselves from dividends; rather than as employees

  • Individuals who work from contract to contract (fixed-term contracts that were not renewed) and who earned more from employment contracts than from self-employed work in the last 3-years, making them ineligible for SEISS.

We hope that creative and cultural businesses and freelancers will be able to access support through the local authority scheme as outlined above; as well as through any further funds made available to Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland.

Live Events


The news of a vaccine has provided some much-needed positivity; though live events and festivals are particularly aware that they are still likely to be last to re-open. Targeted support has to continue for those organisations, charities and business that have to remain closed for public safety.

National Theatre of Scotland and BECTU agree that theatres should be able to open at level 2; just as cinemas are able to open at level 2. Theatres, due to the nature of the work have a good understanding of health and safety requirements, can manage and risk-assess getting staff on and off-stage in a safe and sensible way; and they should be trusted to do this. Pilot events for theatres should ideally begin as soon as possible in theatres within level 1 and 2 areas for any venues able to take part.

Venues in Inverness, within Level 1, are well placed to do this.

  • Funding for test-kits and technology should be provided by the Scottish Government. Particularly as tests likely to be available soon are £12 each which would impact ticket sales which are already going to be sold at vastly reduced capacity.

  • A technology-led test-system in partnership between industry and with Scottish Universities seems to make sense and we hope this is something that the Scottish Government can move quickly on.

  • Funding for venues able to take part should be made available by the Scottish Government to support Pilot events; covering programming costs and the cost of additional health and safety personnel and reduced ticket sales capacity.

  • The proposal that Scottish Government should set venue capacity does not seem practical. Venues are better placed to set their own reduced capacity limits as all venues are different sizes and configurations. A percentage of capacity may be more appropriate, though venues are always better to assess what would work themselves. We are hoping that this will be made clear through the Pilot events.

It may make sense for Scottish Government to set an upper limit on events in general for example all events are less than 500 people; this is due to concerns around people travelling on public transport to the event (at the same time).

Education


There is growing concern that Covid-19 will produce a ‘lost generation’ of for example: musicians, artists and writers as young people are not able to access specialist cultural experiences or learning. Scottish Book Trust have been rolling out the ‘Arts Alive’ project and we would like to see this level of access available in every-school in Scotland. Over the next twelve months, we need to ensure as much ‘real’ (non-digital) access where-ever it’s safe to do so. Mental health is as important as physical health and it’s important to provide children with hope, fun and inspiration for the future.

Scottish Parliament Election


In the next few weeks Culture Counts will be undertaking public opinion poll research based around the Crowd-Sourced Cultural Manifesto. We hope to be able to share these findings with you in early 2021.

Map of Covid-19 Support for Culture Sector

  • £15m Culture Organisation and Venues Recovery Fund

  • £5m + £3m Creative Freelancer Hardship Fund

  • £3.5m Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund

  • £2.5m Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund – in addition to the £10m already announced on 3 July.

  • £2.2m Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund

  • £3.5m additional funds to Creative Scotland’s Open Fund

  • £3m Youth Arts funding package

  • £1.5m for the Culture Collective programme

  • £10m to Event Scotland, including the £6m Events Industry Support Fund and the £2.75m Events Recovery Fund.

  • £21.3m to support our lead public body, Historic Environment Scotland to enable its properties to reopen and protect jobs.

  • £5.9m to secure committed grants to heritage organisations.

  • £4m to support historic environment sector recovery, including the £2.6 million Historic Environment Recovery Fund (HERF)

  • £4m Museums Recovery and Resilience fund for independent museums

  • £3.8m to protect jobs and reopen properties at the National Trust for Scotland

  • £2.5m to Capital Theatres, V&A Dundee, and Science centres

  • £270,000 to help secure the future of New Lanark World Heritage Site.

Total £91m. 


The Scottish Government are still in discussions with sectors about the remaining £6m. We are told that they plan to look, for example, at supplementing the funds already announced, once demand is understood.

Thank you for your continued support for our sector, we greatly appreciate it.

We hope this short update is useful and if you have any questions for us please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely


Jennifer Hunter