Scottish culture tsar to be appointed amid search for more funds
Scotland is set to get its first culture tsar as part of a drive to overhaul pay and conditions for artists, tackle a squeeze on public funding and curb the impact of Brexit on the sector.
An experienced figure would join forces with leading “thinkers” to identify potential new sources of funding, as well as ways to boost Scottish Government’s own spending on culture in the future.
A key priority would be to ensure that as many artists as possible are moved above the “poverty threshold”.
The new role, which would involve making sure the benefits of culture are widely spread around Scotland, has emerged in a proposed cultural blueprint that calls for wide-ranging action to be taken to deliver greater diversity across the arts. The new cultural strategy has been a year in the making.
The Scottish Government report warns that many working in the sector feel “vulnerable, undervalued and unable to reach their potential”.
Artists and other freelance workers were often expected to work “for very little or for free”, with long-term careers said to be unsustainable “without juggling multiple jobs”.
The report states: “The culture and creative sector in Scotland comprises a growing, highly flexible and expert workforce. It is underpinned by a large freelance contingent working alongside sole traders, small to medium enterprises and those leading and employed by publicly-funded organisations, as well as wider support and related roles that reach into many other sectors.
“It is often defined by the issues, barriers and risks facing those working in the sector rather than by its potential to be an inclusive and socially diverse workforce populated by leaders and innovators.”
The blueprint said evidence had emerged during a 12-month consultation that “geographic, ethnic and social inequality appears to characterise culture in Scotland”.
The report calls for efforts to be stepped up to ensure greater diversity among employees, board members and volunteers in cultural organisations and funders.
The blueprint also raises concerns the diversity of the cultural scene is at risk of “narrowing” due to unfair favouritism towards well-established arts organisations.
New funding models for the arts could potentially include the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank and fresh legislative powers, the report said.
Some cultural organisations and festivals have been lobbying for local authorities to be allowed to introduced a tourist tax to help stabilise funding.
Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Culture is at the heart of everything we do, reflecting the past, challenging the present and shaping the future.
“The draft culture strategy plays an important role in articulating the fundamental value of culture.”