12 recommendations for culture funding
Culture Counts wrote to the Scottish Parliament's culture committee with 12 funding recommendations. The recommendations were part of our evidence submitted to an inquiry into the government’s 2023-24 budget. Read our full response on our blog.
Recommendations
Legislate to allow local authorities to introduce Transient Visitor Levy schemes, to be used to support local arts, heritage, creative industries, and visitor attractions.
Introduce a % for culture scheme from all Scottish Government infrastructure projects as soon as possible. This is an SNP manifesto commitment and should be realised as a matter of urgency.
Increase the culture budget by 20%, to meet the ambitions of young people, improve skills infrastructure, ensure fair work, and carbon reduction and ensure that improvements in equality, diversity, and inclusion are realised.
Invest in a leadership scheme to ensure that people from diverse backgrounds are heard at an early stage in the design process across Scottish Government policy-making and strategic thinking.
Provide financial support to manage the decrease in ticket sales due to the cost-of-living crises and invest in audience development schemes to mitigate against Covid-19 habit change, and provide financial support to manage the increase in energy prices.
Introduce a fully funded apprenticeship scheme to support 10-20 apprenticeships in live events technical staff, which is a major current skills shortage.
Ensure that Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland are invited as Statutory Consultees on all Scottish Government Infrastructure Projects.
Explore the possibilities (within the review of the Community Empowerment Act) of leasing more venues to cultural organisations on ‘peppercorn’ rent agreements. This would allow for vital improvements particularly in town centres in terms of both the day and night-time economies.
Support local authorities to drastically reduce or remove rates for heritage, and creative industries organisations, allowing organisations to viably repurpose empty buildings in high streets across the country.
The Community Wealth Building Bill should explore the possibility of a nationwide policy, where any contract under £15k goes to the local anchor network or community interest company to source a delivery partner, and not out to competitive procurement.
Scottish Government working with the Centre for Cultural Value should host a Cultural Value Summit in 2023/24. There is a need to improve understanding of cultural value at the local level.
In direct response to Brexit and in support of creative people across the nation: the Scottish Government should invest in an ‘Office for Cultural Exchange’ safeguarding international touring, festivals, and residencies.
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