Scottish Parliament elections - Ask your candidates to support leisure time music

The Scottish electorate are going to the polls in May, to elect MSPs to the Scottish Parliament for the next 5 year term. Campaigning periods are a great time for constituents to speak to future decision makers about leisure time music, and what they can do to make sure the environment for leisure-time music making is protected and improved. 

If you’re a member of Making Music in Scotland, you are not only speaking for yourself and your group, but can represent the almost 300 groups who are also members here; that’s over 16,000 individual music makers and promoters. So we’ve put together two Doorstep Asks – 2 key things you could talk to candidates in your area about that we think would make a big difference for your group, and all members in Scotland. We’ve added some context about the size of this sector in Scotland so candidates know they should take notice of us. And don’t forget to tell them about your group particularly; who takes part, what you achieve for your community and what you need from your MSP. 

You may get a chance to speak to candidates face to face – at a hustings, outside the supermarket, or they might knock on your door. You can also write an email to candidates, using our asks as a prompt. We’ve put the asks into a 1 page PDF if you want to send it on to your own group members who may also get a chance to influence. 

If you, your candidates, party representatives or journalists would like more detail on our asks, contact our Manager in Scotland (based in Edinburgh) via info@makingmusic.org.uk

DOORSTEP ASKS – to candidates in the Scottish Parliament election May 2026

Context:

Our music group is a member of Making Music - the UK’s membership organisation for leisure-time music. This year they are celebrating 90 years of supporting music groups, including many who are well over 100 years old such as Ayr Choral and Glasgow Orchestral Society. 

The membership in Scotland is almost 300 groups, from large established orchestral and choral societies to small emerging community groups and includes festivals and concert promoting societies. There are groups in every local authority in Scotland, run mostly by volunteers for non-professional music makers and community audiences. We represent over 16,000 people, playing fiddles to gamelan, folk to jazz, singing opera to barbershop, aged 3 to 93. You can search for groups in your constituency here . We think we are only 1/3 of all music groups in Scotland, and that there could be 50,000 people who regularly make music in a group as a hobby
 

Our asks:

A Culture Act for Scotland 
We are joining the call for all political parties in Scotland to support a Culture Act in the next Scottish Parliamentary term. Scotland has a rich and varied tradition of leisure time music, a key element in a culture sector that supports our economy, international profile and the health and wellbeing of our people. But we need new legislation to protect our infrastructure, enable growth and help our sector thrive. A Culture Act (like the Irish Arts Act 2003) can deliver long-term security and recognise culture as key to achieving wider public outcomes. It can help ensure everyone can participate in and benefit from cultural activities, regardless of where they live or their situation in life. Read the proposal here 

Make Space for Music 
Our members don’t draw significantly on state funding; income from fees and ticket sales makes them mostly self sustaining. But they do rely heavily on an infrastructure of venues and spaces in their communities to rehearse and perform. Arts centres and concert halls are vital, but more important are the church, school, community and village halls that 90% of members hire regularly. We ask that in this Parliament, National Planning Framework 4 and other planning policy is applied to protect and develop the spaces communities use to make and perform music, and counts spaces used for cultural activity as essential. Every community in Scotland should have music rehearsal and performances spaces that are fit for purpose - financially and physically accessible with suitable transport links. Read our campaign page here

You can download the Doorsteps Asks PDF above.