Does Scotland need a Culture Act?

Our Manager in Scotland, Alison Reeves talks about why Making Music are backing the call for a Culture Act for Scotland in the next Scottish Parliament.  

In the campaigning period running up to this May’s Scottish Parliament election, Scotland’s culture sector will be talking about this a lot – is it time for a Culture Act in Scotland? The last five years have been turbulent across professional, commercial and leisure-time arts; the huge lows of Covid lockdown damage, local authority budget crises and funding rows, but also big gains; a coherent National Cultural Strategy, record rises in the Scottish Government’s culture budget and the roll out of three-year funding awards from Creative Scotland. Across all parties there is a general agreement that Scotland’s arts and culture are a hugely valuable asset, for our economy and the health and wellbeing of our people. But there is less agreement over how to stabilise the supports needed to sustain and grow our cultural sector, particularly as the need to spend on other priorities grows ever more urgent.  

One suggested way forward being presented by Culture Counts (the network of arts and culture organisations, including Making Music, that advocates for the Scottish culture sector) and Community Leisure UK (representing the trusts that deliver public leisure and culture services) is to use legislation. The starting point would be a recognition that arts and culture deliver a multitude of benefits across society; for our economy including tourism, health and well-being, place-making and community building, and education. As leisure-time music groups we make this happen – our groups improve the lives of our members and our audiences, we contribute to community pride and make places great to live in, we put money into local venues, restaurants and pubs, and keep our music traditions alive for young people.

A Culture Act could create a strong framework of funding and support so culture could continue to deliver these important benefits. The framework would stretch over all government portfolios and include obligations for local authorities, recognising that a flourishing culture sector not only benefits but also relies on other areas of government than just a Ministry for Culture. Using legislation (rather than relying on policy) could mean that public bodies are given a statutory duty to plan for and support culture, and that long-term investment becomes more secure. It could be a lever for collaboration across different government departments – culture with health, or education. Importantly it could both oblige and support local authorities to recognise, value and protect their cultural infrastructure and services, which have been so depleted in recent years due to budget pressures.  

So what would this legislation look like? And will it work? The Culture Counts proposal doesn’t present any detail, instead laying out a process of development that would involve consultation and collaboration with the culture sector so it is inclusive, ambitious and effective. The ask is going to all parties during the campaigning period, as it will take cross parliament working and support to develop and pass it. But there is no template to work to and this would be ground-breaking work. No other UK nation has a Culture Act, and few across the world have adopted a legislative approach, although there are movements in other countries that are having an impact.  

In an event organised by Culture Counts in January, we heard about the success of the Creative Ireland programme which has demonstrated the impact of local authority culture and creativity teams on challenges such as migrant integration and ageing well. In France, cultural legislation supports cross-departmental investment in shared community spaces, that might host music groups and cinema nights, but also food markets and sports activity, delivering on a host of policy objectives. And in Wales, a requirement on all public bodies to demonstrate their impact toward creating "communities with a vibrant culture" means anyone delivering a public service (whether cultural or not) must justify how their activity contributes. 

For those of us who advocate for culture, whether it’s leisure-time music as we do at Making Music, ballet, theatre, Gaelic song or commercial festivals, coming together to ask for the same one thing from our new Government is powerful. The needs of Making Music members are not always the same as for professional and commercial organisations. We don’t need much public funding, but we do need a solid infrastructure of spaces in communities to rehearse and perform in, and we do need music to be taught well in schools so young people are prepared and enthusiastic to join our ensembles even if they never make it their profession. A Culture Act could deliver these things, as much as it could deliver on increased funding settlements and large scale infrastructure.  

So if you meet a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) candidate in the coming weeks, at a hustings, outside the supermarket, or knocking on your door, talk to them about Making Music’s election asks and if they would support a Culture Act for Scotland. Getting started on this quickly in the new Parliament, with cross party support, could make Scotland a global leader in harnessing the many benefits of culture for all our citizens.     

Useful links

• Making Music’s Doorstep Asks to your candidates
• The context to the proposal - Culture Act for Scotland
• The proposal - A Culture Act for Scotland: Strengthening and Enabling Local Democracy
• The notes from the event - Learning from cultural legislation and policy in Wales, Ireland and Europe
• Keep up with the parties manifesto pledges on culture - Party Manifesto Pledges for Culture — Culture Counts