Collaborative Advocacy Themes
These resources are to support cultural organisations in ongoing communications with Scottish Government, Parliamentary committees, and discussions with decision makers. Resources:
Factsheet of quotes from research to quote in your advocacy work
Folder of Twitter Cards to post on social media
Use the text in this blog post or the PDF below to find facts on the following themes.
Mental Health
Place
Economy
Diversity
Employment & Skills
Isolation
The PDF version of this page is available at the link below.
Any questions please contact andy@culturecounts.scot.
Mental Health
The arts are good for physical and mental health - there is evidence that participating in cultural activities leads to improved health, and strong evidence that participating in arts and culture improves mental health, for example by reducing stress and isolation.
“Artistic creative activities have been shown to affect emotions, moods, and mental health.”
FANCOURT, D., et al. 2019. How do artistic creative activities regulate our emotions? [online]. [viewed 29 March 2020].
“Participating in cultural activities leads to improved health and life satisfaction. Strong evidence exists that participating in arts activities improves mental health.”
CASE, 2015. A Review of the Social Impacts of Culture and Sport [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“Demographically representative participants in a public dialogue demonstrated that cultural activity improves wellbeing.”
WHAT WORKS WELLBEING., 2015. Music, Sport, Culture and Wellbeing: a wellbeing public dialogue. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“Visual and performing arts in healthcare environments help to reduce sickness, anxiety and stress.”
APPG (ARTS, HEALTH AND WELLBEING)., 2017. Creative Health: the arts for health and wellbeing. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“The arts have a positive effect on the physical and mental wellbeing of older people.”
CUTLER, D., 2017. The role of local authorities in creative aging. [online] Baring Foundation [viewed 8 February 2019]
“Participating in the arts can improve mental health by reducing stress and isolation, and improving self esteem. Engaging in arts activities can benefit caregivers, particularly by alleviating stress.”
FANCOURT, D. and FINN, S., 2019. What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing? A scoping review. WHO. [online]. [viewed 29 March 2020].
Place
Arts and culture are important to the people who live in Scotland, and to people who want to visit or move here - 84% of Scottish people say their local area would lose something of value if arts and cultural activities were lost, while the arts and culture are an important factor in rating the attractiveness of a country.
”Arts and culture are more important than weather in rating a country’s attractiveness.”
BRITISH COUNCIL, 2014. Culture Matters: why culture should be at the heart of future public policy. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
90% of people in Scotland were culturally engaged in 2018.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2019. Scotland’s People Annual Report 2018. [online]. [viewed 29 March 2020].
84% of Scottish people say their local area would lose something of value if the area lost its arts and cultural activities.
CREATIVE SCOTLAND, 2018. Creativity Matters. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“Scotland’s creative industries contribute £4.9 billion to the economy”
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2020. Growth Sector Statistics. [online]. [viewed 29 March 2020].
“Scotland’s Creative industries are made up of 15,845 businesses”
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2020. Growth Sector Statistics. [online]. [viewed 29 March 2020].
Sector diversity and access
Financially supporting the creative sector is vital for the survival of the arts, as well as the diversity of the renewed sector - creative and cultural workers on a lower income are already more likely to be restricted in their options by their socio economic background, while parental responsibilities are already cited by 30% of women and 10% of men as a significant barrier within cultural work.
“Creative and cultural workers on a lower income are more likely to be restricted by their socio economic background.”
CREATIVE SCOTLAND, 2017. Understanding diversity in the arts survey. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“30% of women with children and 10% of men with children cite parental responsibilities as a significant barrier within cultural work.”
CREATIVE SCOTLAND, 2017. Understanding diversity in the arts survey. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
”Access to culture in the first 7 years of life influence future consumption and participation.”
ARTS CONNECT, 2018. Young people’s cultural journeys. [online] Arts Council England: Wolverhampton [viewed 8 February 2019]
Employment & Skills
“Around 5% of the working population of the UK are in cultural employment, and Scotland’s creative industries employ 68,500 people, around 21,000 of whom are employed on a freelance, portfolio, or uncategorised basis.”
DC RESEARCH, 2012. Economic Contribution Study: An Approach to the Economic Assessment of the Arts & Creative Industries in Scotland. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“Around 21000 people employed in creative occupations in Scotland are on a freelance, portfolio, or uncategorised basis.”
DC RESEARCH, 2012. Economic Contribution Study: An Approach to the Economic Assessment of the Arts & Creative Industries in Scotland. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“Scotland’s creative industries employ 68,500 people.”
UNIVERSITIES SCOTLAND, 2016. Universities Scotland briefing on support for the UK’s creative industries & their contribution to the economy. [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
“The UK has a relatively high percentage of cultural employment (around 5% of the working population) within Europe.”
EUROSTAT, [no date]. Culture Overview [online] [viewed 8 February 2019]
Isolation
The arts are a lifeline for all sectors of society, and are particularly effective at connecting older people within their community, while having a positive effect on their physical and mental wellbeing.
"The arts are effective at connecting older people within their community.”
CUTLER, D., 2017. The role of local authorities in creative ageing. [online] Baring Foundation [viewed 8 February 2019]
“The arts have a positive effect on the physical and mental wellbeing of older people.”
CUTLER, D., 2017. The role of local authorities in creative ageing. [online] Baring Foundation [viewed 8 February 2019]