Our Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture - September 2023
Culture Counts met with Angus Robertson MSP on 25 July and sent this follow up letter at the start of September:
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
Thank you for meeting with Culture Counts and the members of our Steering Group on 25th July. As promised, I am following up on some of the key areas that we discussed and reiterating our offer to work collaboratively with you to achieve our shared ambitions for the sector.
Culture Strategies
We welcome the plans to refresh the Cultural Strategy Action Plan and the new cultural strategies under development and would encourage these to be integrated and forward-looking, taking a long-term strategic approach to cultural leadership, delivery and funding. As discussed, we are, however, concerned there is a mismatch between the level of ambition identified and the resources available. We also raised the need for a Creative Industries vision and strategy and sought clarity on where leadership on the creative economy currently lies. We reiterate our offer to work together to advocate to the UK Government for a share of the £77m earmarked for the Creative Industries announced in June.
Cross-policy working
It is clear that you share our ambition for the sector to contribute to positive outcomes in other policy areas and culture’s role in achieving overarching, long term goals such as the transition to a Wellbeing Economy. A strategic approach to Cross Policy Working is urgently needed with identified leadership that understands the transformative potential of culture and can identify ways to secure cross-portfolio funding. Your input is needed to access and develop the connections and relationships required to move this forward.
Evidence and Data
We agreed on the importance of robust data, reporting and evidence to demonstrate the value and needs of the sector. Culture Counts will gladly share intel and feed into calls for evidence but there is a need for mapping of the cultural sector, and we welcome your commitment to look at the issues regarding data, and whether Government may have a role in aggregating and bringing together sector data. You offered to connect us with your Special Advisor, Davie Hutchison, which would be extremely useful, please.
Culture Committee
Since we met, we have been preparing our response to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s Pre-Budget Scrutiny 24-25, which has involved consulting our members and the wider sector (I have attached our response for your information). As discussed in our meeting, the sector is still experiencing a continuation of the “perfect storm” of factors with many reporting an even bleaker picture ahead. Increased operating costs, inflation, and reduced opportunities for income generation have led to the depletion of reserves, the loss of workforce and challenges in recruitment and retention causing significant, immediate pressures. There are also the added financial burdens which come from the requirements to meet the ambitions of carbon reduction and moving to net zero, fair work and equality, diversity, and inclusion. In addition, at a local level the impact of Local Authority cuts are now being fully realised.
This letter comes at a crucial moment when future culture budgets are under significant scrutiny. The recently announced demand for Creative Scotland’s new multi-year programme and the cut made to their budget at the end of 2022 makes the sector and Culture Counts extremely concerned that decisions taken by the Scottish Government in the coming months have the potential for significant and long-lasting damage to the sector.
Sector investment
In cash terms, spend on the culture sector is small compared to other areas of the public spending portfolio. Through the Government’s close engagement with the sector, we know that it is widely understood that public spending in the Culture Sector delivers significant value for money. This is true both in terms of the sector’s output as well as the much wider economic and social benefit it creates. Given current economic conditions, only an increase to the cultural budget will address the effect of almost a decade of standstill investment in many parts of the Culture Portfolio, which has been a real terms cut. Without investment to redress the balance, resolve the crisis and ensure the stability and resilience of the sector, many organisations will be at serious risk of loss.
As we discussed, we are committed to exploring and supporting innovative ways to secure additional investment for the sector including any legislative changes. Our overriding ambition is for a baseline target for culture funding at least 1% of the Scottish Government’s overall budget. In the meantime, we have identified that a 30% uplift and introduction of a baseline for culture investment is required to prevent immediate, significant harm. Further details are outlined in the attached submission to the CEAC committee.
Further, implementing multi-year funding remains vital. Meeting this commitment would enable long-term planning and is key to future proofing. We continue our call for a % for culture scheme from all Scottish Government infrastructure projects which was a SNP manifesto commitment, which has yet to implemented, although some work began on this last year. We also agree there is a need to collectively develop a culture of philanthropic giving and support businesses to sponsor the sector.
The Scottish Government’s support and collaboration with the UK Government to secure the cultural tax breaks have provided a lifeline for many organisations and we would urge you to work to maintain these commitments and collaborate further with the UK Government on future investment opportunities.
As our shared ambition and vision for the Culture Sector continue to grow, any further cuts to culture budgets would demonstrate that this vision is not backed by action.
I very much look forward to continuing the relationship with you and as discussed would find a regular meeting very useful as we work towards our shared goals.
Yours sincerely
Lorraine Anderson
Director