Recommendations for Scotland's International Culture Strategy
1. Having an International Cultural Strategy for Scotland that meets the aims of both the cultural sector and government would help to align priorities, ambition and impact. The culture sector is well placed to support government aims and a reciprocal relationship where government supports the aims of the sector and provides funding, support and finds solutions to address the challenges and barriers to enable the sector to support their own and government aims should be considered.
2. It is vital that an International Cultural Strategy integrates, connects to and flows down from the Cultural Strategy and its refreshed Action Plan. A clear and concise vision that outlines the goals and objectives of the strategy, the key actions and measures that will be taken to achieve them and the role and available resources of the Scottish Government and its key agencies must be considered and will help to align and provide direction and focus for all stakeholders involved in delivery.
3. This welcome examination by Scottish Government of the Culture Sector's international activity comes at a time where the sector faces significant social and cultural challenges and severe financial challenges here at home. Culture Counts would reiterate its previous asks for a % for culture scheme and an increase to the culture budget of 20%.
4. Delivering international cultural activity comes with logistical challenges and can be timeconsuming and complex and often requires significant resources to develop and deliver. Developing an International Cultural Strategy that sets ambition and changes how we engage internationally at a strategic level will require resourcing and funding from the outset.
5. Brexit, the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis have seriously impacted the cultural sector’s ability to work internationally. The development of an International Cultural Strategy has the potential to develop the support and environment that is required to protect and promote the international dimension of Scotland’s cultural sector. The strategy should aim to find solutions to the barriers to international working, establish ways to support different approaches, share learning, refresh and maintain relationships and build new opportunities. We hope that this strategy, combined with work to refresh the domestic culture strategy will help to meet these challenges.
6. The four themes identified for the International Cultural Strategy (cultural connections, economic impact, diplomacy, reputation) are foremost but favour more tangible outputs and only go part way to capture the full scale of motivations and outcomes of international activity. Other themes that should be considered are: sustainability, inclusion and diversity, well-being, education and learning, innovation and digitisation and policy context.
7. The Strategy should aim to ensure that international cultural activity is delivered in a way that is ethical and responsible, and that considers the impacts on different communities and the environment.
8. Improving equality, diversity and inclusion is a central and vital task for the culture sector, and society at large. The varied nature of international work and the diverse range of people and organisations who engage with it holds potential for complex, intersectional inequalities, and disadvantages. Therefore, it is essential that the aim of advancing equalities sits at the core of this strategy, even when challenges seem too great or budgets too tight, and that this work takes place in a way that is aware of and responsive to these complexities.
9. An International Cultural Strategy must consider the impact of international activities on climate change. The Strategy is an opportunity for leadership, promoting sustainable practices and advocating for change. It has potential to develop standards, provide guidance and facilitate collaboration between Government, cultural organisations and partners on climate action and help to contribute to global efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
10. Data will be key to implementing and measuring the success of the International Culture Strategy and must be considered further. Any mapping, research or data gathering regarding the international component of Scotland’s cultural sector must take place as part of a wider, concerted effort to improve the evidence base for the cultural sector’s impact, including building upon the work of the Measuring Change Group undertaken as part of the development of the domestic Culture Strategy.
11. The International Culture Strategy is an opportunity for Scottish Government to implement a longstanding policy ask of the Scottish Government, to establish an ‘Office for Cultural Exchange’ safeguarding international exhibiting, touring, festivals, and residencies.
12. With the increasing difficulties of securing mobility for temporary creative workers between the EU and UK post-Brexit, establishing an Office for Cultural Exchange to advise and support the cultural sector to overcome the barriers to international working and connect with individuals, organisations and institutions across Europe and target countries, making Scotland an attractive partner for European Partnership Projects and for wider global collaborations.