On Wednesday evening,
Scotland’s culture secretary Fiona Hyslop gave the annual lecture to the friends of the Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh.
In contrast to England's culture minister, Maria Miller, who recently spoke about the need for those in the cultural sector to demonstrate the economic value of the arts, Hyslop does not define culture as a “product” to be
marketed worldwide.
THE full text of Fiona Hyslop’s speech at the Talbot Rice Gallery,
Edinburgh is below, and can be read on the Scotsman website:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/arts/full-speech-fiona-hyslop-on-scottish-culture-1-2955236
I've highlighted a few important parts from her speech.
Past, Present & Future:
Culture
& Heritage in an Independent Scotland
Thank you,
Betty, for your kind introduction and may I say that I am delighted to
give this year’s annual lecture to the friends of the Talbot Rice
Gallery.
The Gallery is, of course, named after David Talbot Rice,
who was appointed to the Watson Gordon chair of Fine Art at Edinburgh
University at the remarkably young age of 31, a post he held until his
death. In many ways his life exemplifies some of the themes of the
past, present and future of our culture and heritage that I want to
touch on this evening. His life shows how much Scotland owes to those
who come to us from other lands and choose to make their lives here.
This Gallery is a fitting memorial to his work in encouraging modern art
in Scotland.
He also contributed much to preserving historic
art, far from Scotland, as the UK’s first lecturer in Islamic Art before
coming to Edinburgh, and as a leading authority on the icons of the
Byzantine Empire. I am proud to be associated with his memory through
giving this lecture this evening.
I am also delighted to be here
in the Georgian Gallery, this masterpiece by one of our greatest
architects, William Playfair. I have just come from a very different
building, the Scottish Parliament, the very modern creation of the
Catalan architect Enric Miralles.
For me, these two buildings
tell us much about what is great about Scotland - the way that past
achievements from the Scottish Enlightenment and other great periods in
our history mingle with modern successes and developments - and the way
in which our own artistic achievements can be celebrated, along with
those from other lands.
One of my favourite parts of the Scottish
Parliament is the Canongate Wall, adorned with a number of pertinent
Scottish quotations, chiselled into the sandstone and granite. I like
to think that it’s mirrored within the Parliament by an inspiring
sculpture called ‘Travelling the Distance’, which stands testament to
the contribution that women have made to the development of democracy in
Scotland. I pass by both of these walls many times each week and,
indeed, I did so on my way here.
This evening I want to set out
five key areas which underpin this Government’s approach to culture and
heritage in Scotland.
Firstly, I will take the opportunity to set
out how distinct this Government’s approach is from the position set out
last month by the UK Government’s Culture Secretary.
I then want
to talk about the value that I, this government and this nation places
on culture and heritage, in and of themselves. Why? Because they bind
and connect our past, our present and our future and tell the stories
about where we’ve come from, who we are and help us reflect on who we
could be.
I’ll then move on to talk about how culture and
heritage roots us in place, and helps to empower, enrich and shape our
communities.
I believe that culture and heritage in Scotland is of
us all and for us all, so I want to talk also about access and
participation and how we work to enable all of Scotland’s communities to
benefit, not just from the great cultural wealth and heritage of this
nation, but also the world’s.
I will then talk about the wealth of
other benefits that culture and heritage bring to our communities, both
social and economic.
Finally, I want to bring all of this
together to speak to you about our ambition and our vision – which is
to build an independent nation where our cultural and historic life can
flourish.
This is the most culturally ambitious government that
Scotland has ever had. We believe that public funding of the arts is a
fundamental good and we want the opportunity to take this to new heights
- carried on a wave of aspiration, optimism, energy and confidence.
[Intrinsic/Instrumental]
The
past year has seen significant debate across Scotland on the value and
role of culture and cultural heritage in Scotland. This debate has
often been difficult and challenging, but it has consistently been
thought provoking and stimulating. Regardless of whether the discussion
has been uncomfortable or exciting – it has often come down to a debate
around whether culture has a value simply in itself OR whether we
should also be considering a wider “public good” and how culture and
heritage contributes to economic, social and personal well-being.
Stanley
Baldwin, who was three times Prime Minister between the wars, had a
gift for pouring oil on troubled waters. After one heated debate he
started his summing up speech by saying “I am struck not so much by the
diversity of opinion, as by the many sidedness of the truth”.
That
is how I feel after the heated, but very necessary, debate that we have
had. Many views have been expressed and they all have their validity.
I was particularly struck by a statement made by Dumfries artist Matt
Baker at one of the recent Creative Scotland Open Sessions –quoting from
Hume - he reminded us that “truth springs from arguments amongst
friends”.
So, my argument to the friends of the Talbot
Rice Gallery is that we do not need to choose between culture for its
own sake, or for wider benefits. We can do both and, indeed, I know
that we do both –exceptionally well – because I see this every day in my
work as Culture Secretary.
I have said before that it is
not the Government’s job to tell artists what to paint or authors what
to write or craftspeople what to fashion. Nor is it the Government’s job
to tell people what art to see, what books to read or what crafts to
buy. It is our job, however, to create the conditions which enable
artists to flourish and as many people, groups and organisations as
possible to benefit from and enjoy our culture and heritage. I want to
talk to you today about how we do this and set out our aspirations for
how we could be so much more.
[Clear Blue Water -
The UK Government’s approach]
Recently, the
Culture Secretary for the UK Government set out a different approach to
culture and asked the culture sector to help her make the arguments
about the economic impact of culture in the context of economic growth.
I
don’t agree. That is not the future I choose.
The Scottish
Government already accepts the case for the role of government in
supporting the cultural sector. We actively support the case for public
subsidy of the arts. We understand that culture and heritage have a
value in and of themselves.
I don’t need or want the
culture or heritage sector to make a new economic or social case to
justify public support for their work. I know what these sectors can
deliver because I see it in action. I visit hardworking artists and
practitioners who are exploring new ways of working; and who are
creating dynamic and exciting new ways of enjoying and sharing their
work and the work of our ancestors. They think in new ways precisely
because they are artists.
So, for this Government, the case
has been made.
On the 18 of September 2014, the
Referendum will give us an opportunity to vote for a future based on
choices, predicated on a judgement about what kind of value systems we
want to shape our lives. In culture, the contrast between our approach
and attitude to artists and creativity and that demonstrated by the UK
Government is fundamental and profound. It reflects a choice of two
futures.
The UK Government asks what culture can do for the
UK Government’s purpose; it asks that cultural bodies, artists and
organisations justify public funding by demonstrating – and I quote from
the UK Culture Secretary’s speech – “the healthy dividends that our
investment continues to pay” and that “[British] culture is perhaps the
most powerful and most compelling product we have available to us”.
Of
course the culture and heritage sectors make an invaluable contribution
to our economic life, but despite these challenging times, we do not
measure the worth of culture and heritage solely in pounds and pence –
we value culture and heritage precisely because they are so much more,
because they are our heart, our soul, our essence.
This
Government does not look at our cultural life and heritage as if they
are merely products that can be bought and sold. If there was ever a
way to suck the vitality out of a topic that should energise,
invigorate, inspire and move – it is to make a perfunctory nod to
generic social benefits and then, in the next breath, reduce it to
nothing more than a commodity.
Now, in the emollient
tradition of Stanley Baldwin, I do not want to say that there was no
element of truth in Maria Miller’s remarks. Such truth as there was,
however, was entirely one- sided. I agree with her in thinking that the
economic effects of culture are valuable. I profoundly disagree,
however, in seeing that as its only, or most important, value. For me,
culture’s economic value is not its primary purpose but a secondary
benefit.
As Culture Secretary for Scotland, I cannot and
will not subject the cultural sector to this kind of reductive thinking.
It is our role to create the conditions for cultural and creative
excellence to flourish. Why? Because this is a prerequisite for all
those other benefits that culture can deliver … above all for our
quality of life, and our well-being and, secondarily, for our economy.
[2.
Culture & Heritage – our past, our present, our future]
I
believe that culture and heritage are both an intrinsic and
instrumental good for us all.
Scotland’s cultural life
and heritage cannot be reduced to a single style or image; rather, they
are a wealth of what we might describe as “stories” that take many
different forms, as diverse as the land, peoples and places of this
complex country.
There is no one thing that defines us.
There are, of course, iconic images, poems, films, artists, writers,
performers, compositions, buildings and landscapes that evoke a sense of
our ‘Scotland’. A Scotland that is steeped in meaning and history but
which is continually on the move - engaging with its past, looking
beyond borders, seeking new and innovative ways to engage with the
world.
From the Stones of Stenness, built, we believe, to
connect our ancestors to their past, through to the fragility and beauty
of the work of Scotland’s contemporary sculptors such as Karla Black …
whose work is shaped by both traditional materials and the by-products
of the modern world, immortalised by the tools of our digital age and
renowned far and wide. Our culture and heritage is nothing less than
dynamic, nothing less than rich and nothing less than inspiring.
The
connections and threads between our past, our present and our future
are flexible and fluid; we both take and create meaning when we look
deep into the history of our nation, shaped by those who have settled
here and those who have left for faraway shores; our connections with
other countries, other peoples all linked by these threads connecting
people, forms and ideas.
I want Scotland to be recognised
as a nation that not only nurtures and is nourished by wonderful songs,
poems, stories, drama, dance, paintings, and sculpture … but as a nation
that welcomes artists and creative practitioners from all over the
world to come, to inspire and to be inspired, to innovate and to create.
I want Scotland to be understood not just by what we do,
but by how we do it. Supporting the process of artistic development is
as important as recognising and appreciating the art itself.
Last
week, I attended the tenth anniversary of the Scotland + Venice
Exhibition at the Venice Biennale where Scotland is represented by three
emerging artists - Corin Sworn, Duncan Campbell and Hayley Tompkins -
not Scottish by birth but representing this nation by choice. Their
work is thoughtful, engaged and reaches out to the world. Supporting
artists as they develop has to be a hallmark of the Scotland we seek. So
too is Scotland’s constant dialogue with the world.
Last
year’s first ever global Culture Summit, attended by 33 nations from
across the world, was testament to that enduring belief in the power of
culture to transform lives, nations and to facilitate international
dialogue. It was also testament to a way of working that bears rich
fruit both at home and abroad. It was collaborative, in that it was
jointly delivered by four programme partners, with considerable help
from the sector and the Scottish Parliament as host. It was inclusive –
it brought Culture Ministers together with artists from across the
world. And it was here - in this wonderfully creative and historic city.
The
Culture Summit brought home how, worldwide, culture and heritage
inspires, enriches and challenges. Having said that, there is beauty
and joy to be experienced in a work of art, a piece of music, a film or a
book, and when setting out why we support and value culture and
heritage, that most basic of human needs must be remembered.
Art
is not always comfortable. It does not need to be easy or ‘feel good’.
I want us to cherish what’s difficult, what’s challenging and what’s
uncomfortable. It is the very measure of the health of our democracy to
welcome and embrace the role of artists to challenge our expectations,
to nudge us from our comfort zones and encourage us, individually or
collectively to reflect on how we could do better and be better.
History
is peppered with stories and ideas that define us. Some cause for
celebration, others almost for lamentation, because any nation’s story
has its darker moments and these are also part of our heritage - urging
us all to reflect on acts that both have harmed us and have done harm.
When
Picasso painted Guernica, he didn’t do so to merely adorn a wall, he
did so to make a profound and powerful political statement. I know that
contemporary audiences confronted with, for example, the National
Theatre of Scotland’s Black Watch also feel that profound sense of
contemplation, reflection, raw energy and emotion. It’s an
astonishingly powerful and impressive piece of modern theatre … that
also asks us to reflect on the meaning and impact of war.
Scotland
is more than a nation bound by a border and oceans, it is a nation of
ideas and our innovation and creativity is an intrinsic part of our
increasingly global lives. A story, a piece of theatre, a stone circle
or a song can expand those boundaries and take us beyond borders.
To
give you another quote from the Canongate Wall, Hugh MacDiarmid asked,
“Scotland small? Our multiform, our infinite Scotland small?”
Our
size is only limited by our imagination, our reach as extensive as our
desire and capacity to explore. This is a nation that truly values its
creative talents and heritage. That’s why we have prioritised the
funding for the National Performing Companies and maintained the
international touring fund. That’s why we have also prioritised the
funding for the grants administered by Historic Scotland. And, through
our Expo Fund, that’s why we continue to support Edinburgh’s festivals
and the development of new and exciting work which will be shared around
the world. That’s why we are maintaining free access to Scotland’s
national collections, including the newly refurbished National Museum of
Scotland, which welcomed more than 2 million visitors in its first year
of reopening.
Governments in the past have, of course,
done much to stifle and suffocate our culture and heritage. We only have
to look at Gaelic to see the harm done and why, to turn the tide, I
worked hard to ensure that by law we must ‘promote’ not just ‘protect’
the Gaelic language even when I was in opposition. We now celebrate
Gaelic everywhere, from increasing the learning of Gaelic in schools and
signage in railway stations, to vibrant Gaelic film awards. For young
Gaelic speakers, this is a different world.
This is also a
country where our historic environment is well managed and enjoyed by
many. We have five World Heritage Sites and we hope that the Forth
Bridge will become the sixth in 2015. We have over 45,000 listed
buildings, over 8,000 scheduled monuments, and 645 conservation areas.
In
the last year, Historic Scotland has been working with partners to
develop a new strategy which will reflect the huge value which the
historic environment has in its own right. Not only as evidence of past
creativity and ingenuity, but also in terms of other values, through its
contribution to social fabric, community cohesion and economic
wellbeing. I am excited by the new strategy, the first Scotland has
ever had for the historic environment. The aims and priorities, which
have been collectively developed, will facilitate even greater benefit
from Scotland’s heritage. To match this strategy, we have also
developed a new architecture policy so that this generation, in its
turn, leaves behind an architectural legacy of which we can be proud.
Our
towns, cities, villages and open spaces are enriched, not only by our
past but by our present. In 2011, five new or refurbished heritage
centres opened in Scotland – and these are all examples of high quality
architectural design. The Burns Museum in Alloway, the refurbished King
James the Fifth Palace at Stirling Castle, the National Museum and
National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, and the Riverside Museum in
Glasgow which is the recent recipient of a major European award, are all
fabulous visitor attractions. They also stand testament to our
relationship with the world – it is in Glasgow that the internationally
renowned Zaha Hadid brought a vision to life, capturing the relationship
between city and sea, industry and ship-building in inspiring
architectural form.
Glasgow City Council led on the
Riverside Museum and when I talk about the common and collective value
that we place on our culture and our heritage, I recognise that it is
not just this Government and the sector, but also the support,
collaboration and partnership demonstrated by Scotland’s local
authorities and, indeed, by the private and third sectors. I already
place a great importance on working with Scotland’s local authorities
during these challenging times to help facilitate the building of
effective networks, partnerships and sharing of best practice so that we
can all play our part in supporting and protecting our cultural,
creative and heritage services.
[3. Culture
& heritage – roots and place]
Culture and
heritage are not just the domain of public agencies and authorities or
private or third sector organisations. Culture and heritage are
fundamentally about people and places and I believe it is our duty to
ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access the arts and cultural
experiences, regardless of where they live in Scotland.
It
is our job to ensure that we enable and enhance the contribution that
culture and heritage make to our places because our communities are so
much more than a collection of shops, buildings and houses. Historic
Scotland is working with local government and many other partners to
ensure that historic environment plays a key role in making and
maintaining high quality places – through advice, proportionate
regulation, and financial initiatives.
Creative Scotland’s
Place Partnerships and the Creative Place Awards also demonstrate a
commitment to ensuring that communities across the length and breadth of
this country are supported to create and participate, so that all the
hard work and imagination that contribute to the cultural life of
communities, is recognised and rewarded. We need to work together
effectively and build on partnerships to really make the most of the
benefits that culture can bring.
Place is about more than
physical structures and landscape. Places are where things happen.
Places are where we listen to and play music, where we hear and write
stories, where we look at and create paintings and sculptures, where we
watch and produce films and where we dance. Places are where we take
part.
Last year, 2012, saw some fantastic programmes and
performances that were rooted very much in place. I’m thinking here of
the wonderful programmes that marked the Cultural Olympiad and the Year
of Creative Scotland.
It was a busy year and next year,
2014, promises to be even more so with Homecoming, the Commonwealth
Games and the Ryder Cup. When I think about all the performances and
events I was privileged enough to see last year, though, I am struck by
just how profoundly important place was to their impact and success.
Sistema
Scotland’s Big Concert at Raploch, in the shadow of Stirling Castle was
inspiring and moving, in spite of the dreadful weather – and the impact
that the musicians of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra have had on
the children and their families reverberates still almost one year
later. That concert worked because it demonstrated a fundamental respect
for the place that this work originated from – both here in Scotland
and in its connections back to the model developed in Venezuela.
How
we do things is just as important as what things we do. It would have
been easy – and a whole lot drier – to bring the Big Concert to a
concert hall in a city, but that would have undermined the profound
importance of place and community to that work. The Big Concert brought
some of the world’s finest musicians and an internationally renowned
conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, to Raploch. It is there that Scotland has
developed its Sistema model and it is there that a community came
together to enjoy classical music at its best and to celebrate the
achievements and ambitions of its young people.
That
shows the strength of the connection between people and places. We
need to build on that more in our cultural policy making. So, for
example, a key pillar of the Museums Strategy is precisely a focus on
strong connections between museums, people and places. That brings me on
to what I want to talk about next, access and participation and a
belief that our culture and our heritage are of us all and for us all.
[4.
Culture & Heritage – of us all and for us all]
I
think there’s a sense of place and of ownership that is both common and
individual and which is distinct to Scotland.
This is a
country that is proud and confident, rooted in culture and heritage; a
country where everyone should have the opportunity to participate and
benefit; where everybody cares about, shares and champions our culture
and our heritage – where everyone has a responsibility and can make a
contribution. A country where we not only cherish our diverse heritage
and traditions, but also continually seek to create opportunities to
share and celebrate.
That’s what we should be and that’s
what we could be. That’s not yet quite what we are.
Another
quote from the Canongate Wall is by the poet and social activist Mary
Brooksbank, it reads:
“Oh, dear me, the warld’s
ill-divided,
Them that work the hardest are aye wi’ least
provided.”
Our communities are alive with music, with
dance, with bands, gala days, literature, with theatre and poetry. I
want that recognised and celebrated. But, there are divisions in
society. Those who are least provided for, are often not just
materially deprived but lack opportunities to access culture. But we
know that not everyone is able or enabled to take part and to enjoy. I
want everyone to have the opportunity to benefit and the opportunity to
participate; I want everyone to be empowered and benefit from our rich
cultural life. I want to ensure that our collective efforts to tackle
poverty and exclusion tackle all aspects of experience. The UK is
currently one of the most unequal states on this planet and the future I
seek will tackle that in all its facets
Not everyone can
get to galleries, theatres, museums and performance spaces. How can we
innovate to bring our culture and heritage to people and communities who
are constrained by place, whether that’s through geography, incapacity,
or poverty or a sense that ‘this isn’t for me’? I want more people to
experience more art.
There are some great examples of
improvements to access through digital media and by taking art to
communities, by making sure transportation is effective and affordable
but I’m sure there is more that we could be doing,
Creating
the conditions for meaningful access and participation, ensuring that
everyone has the opportunity to benefit can be done in many ways, not
just in a cultural setting, but also in how we use culture to achieve
other ends. It’s not just about those places and spaces where you might
“expect” to find cultural and creative experiences … it’s also about
coming across cultural and creative activity in spaces and places you
may least expect.
I like the idea of a Museum of Scotland
that has no walls … no locked boxes … which sees items and expertise
from our collections shared far and wide for maximum enjoyment and
benefit. I’m also proud of our artists rooms which take the best of
contemporary art to all the airts and pairts.
Look at our
National Theatre of Scotland, whose home is a collection of hundreds of
venues, spaces and places that can be brought to life by a fantastic
piece of theatre.
The National Theatre isn’t dependent on
location. I’m interested in this idea of building and strengthening the
networks and partnerships that we have already in Scotland so that we
have cultural and creative hubs throughout Scotland for the benefit of
artists and communities across the country.
I would
welcome proposals from across the public, private and third sector as to
how we might achieve this.
This commitment to enabling
our people and our communities to participate is strengthened by the
value we assign to the wider benefits that our culture and heritage
bring.
[5. Culture & Heritage –
benefits us all ]
I believe that our rich culture
and diverse historic environment are unique assets which are not only
valuable in their own right, but which generate wider social and
economic benefits.
Whilst culture and heritage make a
profound and priceless contribution to our lives in and of themselves,
we can also be proud that we recognise that they can bring so much more.
[Social Benefits]
Culture and heritage are
fundamental to our quality of life. A vibrant heritage is central in
shaping our sense of place and making our communities attractive places
to live, work, invest and visit. Culture and heritage are a powerful
force for renewal and regeneration. They underpin our journey towards
better health and safer, more resilient communities, individual
well-being and enriched lives.
In a period of increasingly
limited resources, we must ensure that public, private and third sector
organisations work in partnership with communities, and with each
other, to design and deliver excellent cultural and heritage services
which meet our needs. We also need our communities to be empowered and
confident to express themselves.
As I said at the outset,
this isn’t always comfortable. Let me give you an example. Recently I
attended a theatre performance, in what could possibly be described as a
pretty soulless meeting room in Victoria Quay, a Scottish Government
building. It’s not a particularly inspiring space, but for one hour on a
Monday afternoon it was transformed into something wonderful,
terrifying and utterly profound. I was there to view a performance of
Wee Andy – a piece of theatre penned and directed by Paddy Cunneen that
evokes the emotional and physical horror and fall-out of gang culture in
Scotland. This play is an impressive piece of political and social
theatre. It can also, though, bring social benefits. Performances have
been shared with young offenders, who, indeed shaped the work in
partnership with the playwright.
Take too the wonderful
musical production the Glasgow Girls. It’s an astonishingly moving
story of how, in 2005, a group of teenagers from Drumchapel High School
in Glasgow fought against the deportation of a Kosovan school friend,
and won. You wouldn’t think that child detention and deportation would
be cheery topics for a night out. Yet this is truly a story-telling
triumph. You can’t fail to leave the theatre without riding high on the
energy of the performances and the power of the story. What’s more, if
you fail to be moved by the depiction of Jack McConnell as a gold lamé
suited-Elvis then I will have to assume you have a heart made of stone.
Continuing
the theme of thinking about culture’s wider social impacts, last year, I
pulled together a sizeable funding package for Sistema Scotland. Now,
you could argue that Government funding is Government funding, it
doesn’t really matter which ‘bit’ funds ‘what’.
But it
does.
When we fund a programme like Sistema Scotland we
demonstrate something powerful. Sistema is social regeneration through
culture.
So I pulled together a funding package in which
Culture contributed because we recognise that Sistema Scotland is making
a real cultural impact, as those of you who saw the Big Concert will
know; Schools put in funding because the kind of team training that an
orchestra provides makes a real contribution to the Curriculum for
Excellence; Children and Families contributed because Sistema does
wonders for children’s confidence and skills, with ten youngsters from
the orchestra now playing with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland;
and Regeneration found its share because the Sistema programme has been
recognised as playing an integral part of the wider regeneration of
Govanhill.
We know that immersion in cultural activity can
help bolster the resilience and well-being of communities and
individuals. I’m thinking here of Fèisean nan Gà idheal which is at the
forefront of Gaelic arts development, with research suggesting that
participation not only increases skills in young people but also
self-esteem and a sense of identity. This Government recognises the
importance of early intervention and is working very hard with the
public sector to deliver real and meaningful reforms. Our cross
portfolio funding of Sistema Scotland demonstrates this by supporting a
programme that exemplifies good partnership working, with a focus on
prevention, people and improving performance.
[Economic
benefits]
I said at the outset that I don’t expect the
cultural sector to have to make and re-make the case for culture in an
economic context. Acknowledging the economic benefits does not degrade
culture or heritage, nor does it damage the authentic meaning of the
intrinsic experience. Culture and heritage bring economic benefits to
individuals, communities and the nation – this is a simple fact, which
is clearly understood. You can’t have great film design, craft, and
textiles without a firm grounding in a vibrant cultural sector.
For
example, a study of Edinburgh’s festivals in 2010 showed that they
contributed over a quarter of a billion pounds to Scotland’s economy and
supported over 5,000 jobs.
We want to see cultural and
creative industries making a growing contribution to employment and
economic output, sitting also at the heart of regeneration, renewal and
change. Historic Scotland’s expertise and work in tackling carbon
emissions in historic buildings is an example of traditional skills
tackling a modern need. I will champion the use of traditional skills in
a modern setting – print, conservation, weft and weave.
The
Government’s Economic Strategy identified seven growth sectors as being
those holding the greatest potential for growth and
internationalisation. The creative industries form one of those
sectors, recognising both their direct contribution to the economy and
the way in which skills such as design and delivering content digitally
are becoming vital to other sectors such as manufacturing as well.
The
key common factor that marks the creative industries is that the output
has a creative originality that thereby creates intellectual property.
In 2010 Creative Industries contributed £2.7 billion to Scotland’s
economy. To put that in context, this is almost on a par with our
Tourism sector which contributed £2.9 billion.
As elsewhere
in our culture, we see the old joined by the new. The venerable
HarperCollins, founded by William Collins in 1819 is now joined by more
recent firms like Canongate Books. We must embrace digital challenge,
opportuanity and debate. In fashion, Harris Tweed, over a century old,
is selling at record levels, with over a million metres of cloth sold in
2012; Scottish tartan makes over £200 million a year for the Scottish
economy. I first met designers Bebaroque, who now design elaborate
body-stockings for the likes of Katy Perry, at a Starter for Six
creative industries showcase.
If I were to make one ask,
though, it would be for the sector to reach out to my public sector
colleagues – there is a whole raft of help, expertise, advice, services
and sometimes some cash – to help you get started and to grow and make
yourselves and Scotland flourish sustainably.
Scotland’s
traditional buildings make an enormous contribution to our economy and
our national identity. Our historic environment supports 60,000 jobs
and contributes £2.3 billion to our economy. The maintenance sector
overall accounts for just over a third of construction turnover.
Scotland’s 360 museums and galleries attract approximately 25 million
visitors a year and generate approximately £79 million for our economy
whilst sustaining over 3,600 tourism related jobs.
We
can’t discuss the economic benefits of culture without also
acknowledging the contribution that our cultural work makes to help
build long-term relationships and trust overseas. As a country, we
continue to punch well above our weight internationally, using heritage,
culture and creativity to attract other nationals to live, work, study,
travel and do business in Scotland – all of which contributes to
economic growth. Culture helps support engagement with the priority
countries and regions identified in the Government’s International
Framework and we have some good stories to tell. For example, in North
America through our cultural input to successive Scotland Weeks.
Historic
Scotland’s Scottish Ten laser scanning project has promoted Scottish
heritage and technology around the globe. The scanning of the Eastern
Qing Tombs formed a central part of a Memorandum of Understanding on
Culture between the Scottish and Chinese Governments.
Shelley
described poets as “the unacknowledged legislators of the world” but as
the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, today I would
like to acknowledge their role, and that of authors generally, as
cultural ambassadors. Poets like Liz Lochhead, novelists like Iain
Banks, dramatists like David Greig play a tremendous role in reflecting
modern Scotland not just to itself but to the world.
[6.
Conclusion]
As we move towards the referendum in
2014, I believe that culture and heritage must be at the heart of
Scotland’s continued development and must shape our engagement with the
world.
The case for independence is, in essence, a simple
one.
It is the fundamental belief that it will be better
for us all, if decisions about the future of Scotland are taken by those
who care most about Scotland – the people who live here.
The
decision about independence is, therefore, a choice between two
futures. It is a choice between two futures based on different values
and direction, perspectives and priorities.
There will be
consequences for both a Yes vote and a No vote.
A Yes vote
means that the opportunity to build a fairer and more prosperous
Scotland will be in our own hands.
It will mean supporting
the view that people who live here rather than in Westminster will do a
better job of running Scotland.
Here’s another quote from
the Canongate Wall –
“When we had a king, and a
chancellor, and parliament-men o’ our ain, we could aye peeble them wi’
stanes when they werena gude bairns - But naebody’s nails can reach the
length o’ Lunnon.”
The words of Sir Walter Scott, from The
Heart of Midlothian – I don’t want to encourage you to take this
literally – so please, put your stones back in your pockets.
Scotland
is proud to be viewed as a leading nation in a variety of fields,
taking our place as an independent nation will enable culture and
heritage to flourish as a driver in our continued development and,
critically, as an aspect of our everyday lives. In an independent
Scotland we can make the decisions about the right kind of environment
that will enable this to happen.
Governments can create the
conditions in which our culture and our heritage can flourish. I come
back to this, because, John Swinney as Finance Secretary and I pressed
the UK government for some years for tax breaks for computer games and
high end television drama. Those for television drama just started in
April and are already seeing a marked surge of interest in inward
television production investment into Scotland. With independence we
could look at developing such incentives further.
We have
also both called on the UK Government to consider reducing the rate of
VAT levied on repair and maintenance work to stimulate economic
activity, bring empty older houses into use, and most importantly, help
to improve the condition of these traditional buildings which form the
fabric of our streets, squares, towers, castles, tenements and houses.
The Scottish Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in support of such a
measure. So far, these requests have not met with success but nobody
expected the last budget to remove VAT relief on listed building
alterations. Another example of Scotland being held back by a government
it didn’t vote for with policies that don’t meet our needs.
With
responsibility, we can take full ownership for how we nurture and
support the sector and how the private and charitable sectors might be
enabled to contribute more and more effectively.
In an
independent Scotland we would see increasing opportunities to build our
national and international reputation for our culture, our heritage, our
skills and our traditions.
We want Scotland to be a
country that is increasingly recognised for its modern, creative and
innovative industries. We want Scotland to be recognised as a creative
nation that enriches our lives, enhances our learning and strengthens
both our society and our economy.
I believe that we have
worked hard to build confidence in the sector and I have talked about
many of the ways in which we have done this in this lecture today. We
have prioritised budgets and we have promoted and supported the arts,
culture and heritage wherever we can, the length and breadth of Scotland
and across the world. I want everyone to know about what we do and how
we do it.
As I bring this lecture to a close, I reiterate
my strong belief that culture and heritage are an intrinsic and a public
good that should be celebrated, nurtured and treasured.
Our
culture and our heritage root us in a place but don’t fix us in a place
– they help to empower, enrich and shape our communities.
Our
culture and our heritage are of us all and for us all. We should all
have the opportunity and the enthusiasm to participate and we
acknowledge the wider benefits they bring.
Finally, I
believe that an independent Scotland will be a place where our arts, our
creativity and our heritage is collectively celebrated, valued,
nurtured and supported across the public, private and third sector.
Culture will flourish in an independent Scotland.
I said
at the outset, it is not the Government’s job to tell artists what to
paint or authors what to write or craftspeople what to fashion.
It
is our job to work with public, private and third sector, effectively
and creatively, to create and nurture the conditions in which artists
and writers can develop and where our tangible and intangible culture
and heritage can thrive.
It is our job to make sure that
our infrastructure is supported, maintained and improved.
It
is our job to ensure that opportunities for access and participation
are widened.
It is our job to facilitate and support
collaboration, partnerships and connections for wider benefit both here
and abroad.
It is our job to support the cultural and
heritage sector to build strength and resilience and to work with our
partners across local authorities, the public
, private and third sectors
to make sure that this happens;
It is our job to
facilitate, promote and highlight the benefits of international
engagement, to support an increase in innovation, to encourage our young
people and our children to learn a love, a curiosity and a value for
these things; and
It is our job to lead a Scotland of the
world and for the world.
Finally, of course I want to see a
yes vote but I’m struck by the energy and stimulation that the act of
simply asking the question has brought to us. Imagine how much more we
could be if that question is answered in the affirmative. This nation
has many great minds, great thinkers, great artists – all of whom have a
part to play in building something exciting and new.
This
generation has been given the priceless opportunity to shape its own
future according to its own values.
So let me return to the
Canongate Wall one last time and finish with a quotation from Hamish
Henderson’s song which chimes powerfully with our vision for a just and
fair and independent Scotland – I hope you’ll agree.
“So,
cam’ all ye at hame wi’ freedom
Never heed whit the hoodies croak
for doom
In your hoose a’ the bairns o’ Adam
Can find
breid, barley bree an’ painted room.”
So let us paint,
shape, illustrate, depict, describe, illuminate that room, that future,
that Scotland.
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