Creative Tensions

By http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/creative-tensions.19138785
Russell Leadbetter
In The Herald, Sunday 14th October



A culture of materialism. Trapped in a Gulag of their own making. Scottish artists and writers have levelled a fierce volley of complaints at Creative Scotland, after more than 200 signed an open letter protesting at what they view as the "deepening malaise" within the national funding body.

 

 

Among the leading names who signed the letter last week criticising the quango's "ill-conceived decision-making and unclear language" and "lack of empathy and regard" for Scottish culture were playwright David Greig, authors Ian Rankin and Alasdair Gray and poet Liz Lochhead.

Yesterday hundreds more Scottish artists added their voices to the chorus of criticism after the Scottish Artists Union – which has nearly 1,000 members – called for more transparency in Creative Scotland's work. The union claimed there was a feeling of "no confidence" in the arts body, which has the task of spending more than £83 million of public and lottery money on supporting the arts annually.

A key point of contention among many artists has been a change from fixed-term funding to a more project-based approa
ch, while the commissioning role and structure of the arts body have also been criticised.
On Friday, Sir Sandy Crombie, chairman of Creative Scotland, admitted that the body has a major problem in its dealings with artists. Two inquiries, which will report before Christmas, have been set up to examine the organisation's operations and its lottery funding.
In a statement, Crombie said: "I want to give my personal reassurance that all matters brought to our attention will be thoroughly considered and, where possible and necessary, that improvements will be made."

However, some prominent figures have lent support to Creative Scotland. Among them is Michael Elliott, chief executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), who said the "continuing relentless public barrage of criticism" was unjustified and damaging to the long-term interests of the arts in Scotland.

He said Creative Scotland had supported RSNO initiatives such as the Astar project, which will offer a classical CD to babies born over the next year in Scotland to inspire a love of music.

"I have found Creative Scotland to be responsive to creativity, innovation and achievement, and to have a passion for enabling the arts and culture across the whole of Scotland to flourish," Elliott said. "The organisation has admitted mistakes, is learning from them, and is taking action to improve."

Andrew Dixon, chief executive of Creative Scotland, acknowledged that more needs to be done to listen to some of the concerns of artists.

However, he added: "We should point out that we have devolved funding to bodies that work directly with artists across various disciplines, including the Scottish Book Trust, Playwrights' Studio and Transmission Gallery.

"While we're keen for artist-led organisations to take decisions closer to the coal face, we also accept that we need to talk to artists directly ourselves. Some artists who have voiced concerns are people who we perhaps have not reached - We have to find lots of formats in which we can talk to artists."

Dixon said the body had been in talks since June with agencies including the Federation of Scottish Theatres and the Literature Forum on how best to engage on policy issues with artists.

He said: "We have cut £1.5 million from our running costs and have 30% less staff in order to put more money into the cultural sector.
"So there are fewer of us, but we are out and about across Scotland."
Tam Dean Burn, actor:

IT was the strength of feeling from the artistic community that made me sign the letter. I understand that a lot of people declined to sign because they were understandably reluctant to jeopardise any funding, even though they felt strongly about CS.
Personally, I've had a growing sense of disbelief and irritation about the way CS has been operating. I see no need for it, because we have a very successful Scottish arts community, whereas Andrew Dixon has come in acting as if there's some big problem that he can solve, and insisting that we have to learn to operate on a much more business-like basis.
Some people have suggested this attitude is a Thatcherite or Blairite hangover, but it is definitely from the era when the market was seen as the answer to everything. Combine this with CS's dumbing-down approach, which you can see most clearly in their awards. It's not the job of the funding body to initiate awards ceremonies – especially when they charge £110 for tickets. CS seem to think their job also involves advoca
cy for the arts. That is not how artists see it.

Prof Willy Maley, author, professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Glasgow:
EVER since CS came into being, I have heard nothing but bad stories. There have been stories about people who wanted to speak out and complain but couldn't, or were not listened to, or were met with a brick wall.

The situation is remarkably similar to what is happening in our universities, where there is a tier of management that will not listen, consult or communicate.

Artists and academics are in a similar, related position. There is something profoundly un-Scottish about it; I like to think we have a democratic ethos or principle. For a small, poor country we have an extremely rich artistic and literary culture. To try to turn this into something we are going to lose face, and faith, over is absolutely disastrous.
It has something to do with a culture of managerialism, of railroading things through, of using business-speak. In terms of the signatories to the letter, I am something of an outlier: I was asked to sign, but, from everything I have heard [about CS] I felt that, whatever its original intentions, it is not working out.

David Harding, former head of sculpture at Glasgow School of Art, now part of AHM collaborative group:

I HAVE no personal grievance with Creative Scotland but am opposed to its very being because of the neo-liberal policies and attitudes it is attempting to impose.
So this is not about its competencies, of trying to make it better, but one of conflict with the whole ethos. Neither is it about personalities. Andrew Dixon and Venu Dhupa [CS director of creative development] may not be the best appointments that could have been made to carry out the Scottish Government's wishes, but changing them will not change what CS is being charged to do.

Creative Scotland is a New Labour construct supinely embraced by the SNP. It should have been fought at the Bill stage, but artists have little enough time and security to make work, let alone to be able to take time to fight a Bill going through Parliament. However, since CS has now shown its teeth, and the cuts bite, artists can react. CS is damaged goods. As Ian Bell wrote: there are only two words needed – "art" and "work".

Fiona Robertson, administrator of Sound Festival, Aberdeen:
Following the changes in the funding to Flexibly Funded Organisations, Sound has been awarded £177,000 by CS over two years. Under the present circumstances, we're happy to have been awarded that grant for our projects, and it is slightly more than we had been awarded for the two previous years.

However, during the review process we were encouraged to articulate a vision for our development by CS, and this new funding level doesn't invest enough to achieve that vision. We would have liked to have had a fuller discussion with CS about our strategy and how their investment would help us achieve this. We believe this lack of discussion is part of the current problem, and there needs to be a re-think on how CS engages with cultural organisations and artists. Creative Scotland has also developed a business ethos, reflected in the language they use, including within the application forms. Whilst this may be appropriate for the creative industries, it feels at odds with the way arts organisations and artists operate.

Corrina Hewat, harp player, principal Scottish harp tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland:
I HAVEN'T had many dealings with CS since it changed from the Scottish Arts Council, purely because it was becoming bad for my health. Why? I don't understand the forms, and start to shrivel inside when I think about having to do any forms. I'm more into writing, collaborating with other musicians, taking the music to far-flung places, and teaching.
I seem to be in a never-ending loop – must work to pay the bills, need someone to help me, can't afford that, but if I just keep working to raise enough money to get someone to help me ... and so it goes.

I also don't want to complain about CS. I am not a complainer by nature and the whole ethos of supporting the arts is one I live by. I want to see the good in everything, and art in all forms is essential for life. So I'm happier stepping away from the forms and the business speak.

I have received funding through many ventures – touring and recording, many albums and many collaborations, none of which would have happened had it not been for the support we received. The funding enables us to tour larger groups to outlying areas, in venues that would not normally have such gigs going on. It enables collaborations, and enables workshops to be given to kids who are then inspired to keep listening and learning music
Also I don't want to have to cut down on band members, take less time rehearsing, or to change the show so it ticks all the boxes. Why should my art be undermined, and why should I change the way I think to fit? Shouldn't it fit with me?

I'm co-musical director of the Unusual Suspects. We started as a 32-piece, having to slim down to 22 for the tour as stages weren't big enough. Getting the band on the road was always an expensive thing and I was grateful the SAC supported us in those first years. There was a feeling of trust within the community that the folk working in the organisation had direct knowledge and interest in the field of expertise they were funding. But each time we asked for help, it had to be bigger and better, which was near impossible to do through lack of money.

Surely small arts organisations can be given some kind of assurance for a two- or three-year funding plan? How can the arts survive if we are in this constant short-term thinking mode? Art is not just for Christmas, it's for life.
John Byrne, artist:

I simply signed the letter because I'd heard so many gripes from people who run small theatre companies. You just pick up the vibe and think, for God's sake. I have never had any truck with Creative Scotland; I've no idea what Andrew Dixon or anyone else from the organisation looks like. I'm self-sufficient, and self-financing, and have been for many moons. I've no need to go cap-in-hand to them, but it sounds as if others do. You almost get the impression that it's like approaching the KGB – you have to queue up, and sign forms in triplicate. CS don't get out and about much, do they? They almost seem to be in a Gulag of their own making.
'We need to put artists in charge of the resources'

By Anne Bonnar, who helped to set up Creative Scotland
The current furore over Creative Scotland (CS) is the latest battle in a long war between the arts community and cultural bodies. Well-trammelled struggles over ideology and the control and management of funds have taken on particularly Scottish characteristics since devolution, with artists challenging funding bodies on fairness, trust, respect and ethics. The current public intervention by leading artists about the apparent lack of empathy from those who control the arts resources has tipped the discontent expressed about changes to funding streams over into a crisis.

Co-ordinated public intervention by eminent artists has been a game-changer in every recent battle. Protests from artists when I was Transition Director for CS influenced changes to the way that body was set up. CS has had a difficult birth and many of the factors influencing that have now been addressed. But the lack of a structure which recognises eminent artists and their contribution to the cultural leadership of Scotland means that many will continue to feel marginalised and to limit their contributions to a public attack when things go wrong.

State support for the arts and culture in Scotland has strengthened during the last few years after a period of uncertainty. There has been the appointment of a respected Culture Minister staying the course after nine short-term predecessors, the legal establishment of Creative Scotland through the Public Sector Reform Bill, and the appointment of a board and an experienced and committed CEO.

CS has invested in the arts. The merging of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council has reduced annual operating costs by more than £1m and provided some protection from deeper cuts during this time of reduced public expenditure.

However, board members of CS are appointed by Ministers and not remunerated, in contrast with Scottish Enterprise or NHS. Not only does this signal that culture is less important than enterprise but it precludes applications from those artists who must prioritise work which generates income. There is an artist on the board, musician Gary West, and others who practice art in their spare time but in selecting a chair closely associated with Scotland's financial services, Fiona Hyslop has prioritised financial stewardship. Alternative structures involving artists would signal government recognition of their importance and reduce the singular focus on what is just one part of the cultural landscape.

As Makar, Liz Lochhead occupies the sole official position for a leading Scottish artist. Establishing a national artists' academy with a role in national cultural leadership could bring artists in from the cold and allow more balanced and considered setting of cultural policy. In addition, increased fiscal autonomy could be used to provide a time-limited allowance for artists and creative workers to develop their work, either in tax incentives or a creative enterprise allowance. This would loosen the singular dependence on CS and create a more balanced system for artistic and cultural leadership in Scotland.

Anne Bonnar was Transition Director of Creative Scotland for the Joint Board of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, and is now a director of Bonnar Keenlyside, an international arts-management consultancy.

Arts chief admits problem

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/arts-chief-admits-problem.19134206

Published in The Herald, Saturday 13th October
Article by Phil Miller


Sir Sandy Crombie, chairman of Creative Scotland also revealed two board meetings, on October 22 and December 6, will play a crucial role in the future of the arts funding body.
Sir Sandy, responding unexpectedly for the second time in a week to the damning letter from more than 100 artists asking for change at the body, struck a notably less combative tone than his letter earlier in the week, which was described as "inadequate" by artists, with a tone of "patrician emollience".

 

 

His first lengthy response to the artists had said that "in choosing to be concise, you have of course sacrificed the provision of detail at a level that my board colleagues and I can investigate" and also stated "they who provide the money have a right to ask what will result from that investment". Both phrases, among others, antagonised artists.

However, in his second letter, days after a brusque "sort it" message from Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Sir Sandy admitted: "A number of artists and representative groups are taking issue with how we at Creative Scotland do things and how we relate to them.

"The board and senior management team are hearing these concerns and right now are taking stock and absorbing what has been said. I want to give my personal reassurance that all matters brought to our attention will be thoroughly considered and, where possible and necessary, that improvements will be made."

Two inquiries, made up of board members, one led by journalist Ruth Wishart, a columnist for The Herald's Society page, and the other led by Barclay Price, chief executive of Arts and Business, will look into the funding body's operations and its lottery funding.

The two committees will report before Christmas and major changes at the organ
isation, including in personnel, are expected to be prompted by their work.
Creative Scotland's problems have been prompted by not only the removal of "flexible funding", or fixed-term funding, for more than 40 organisations, but also its use of business language, its commissioning role, and its structure.

Creative Scotland is now also considering establishing a new "consultative forum" to help inform on issues affecting artists and organisations.

Sir Sandy, former chief executive of Standard Life, said: "It is also my intention that we will take informal soundings from a range of those who care deeply about our role, and how we discharge it, about possible approaches to dealing with issues before final decisions are taken. I do not want to put pressure on those we consult by calling them representatives. However, I hope it will be possible to find approaches that give us confidence the feedback we receive is representative."

Last night, the leading playwright, David Greig, responded: "This is a very encouraging statement. I get that sense that the specific concerns have been heard at Waverley Gate [Creative Scotland's offices in Edinburgh] and a process of practical change is being put in place.

"Rebuilding trust with the sector will be a more difficult matter. It will take time but, for the moment, this statement feels like a step in the right direction."

Yesterday, Ms Hyslop told The Herald: "I strongly believe in direct communication, that there will be a resolution and a way forward.

"I have made it clear to the board what I expect. They are taking it very seriously and I expect to see results."

The chairman of Scotland's national arts funding body admitted in a conciliatory letter it has a major problem in its dealing with artists.

Creative SCotland 'must be pulled apart' say campaigners

By BRIAN FERGUSON

Published on Thursday 11 October 2012 00:00
 

LEADING figures in the campaign against the management of Creative Scotland have urged culture secretary Fiona Hyslop to begin moves to “unpick” the flagship arts funding body.

A dramatic overhaul of the fledgling organisation led by former Standard Life chief ­executive Sir Sandy Crombie has been demanded by key cultural figures – with Ms Hyslop insisting she was taking the criticism levelled at it “very seriously”.

Despite Creative Scotland ­having “arm’s-length” status, Ms Hyslop was forced to make the latest in a series of interventions last night, declaring: “It is imperative that these issues get sorted.”

It has emerged an internal review was triggered last month after Ms Hyslop called for action to be taken to “strengthen relationships and build trust”.

But critics insist she needs to do much more to tackle unhappiness and distrust with Creative Scotland, which has an budget of more than £83 million. Sir Sandy, who has offered to meet leading figures in the campaign, has fuelled anger by insisting “they who provide the money have a right to ask what will result from that investment”.

Playwright David Greig condemned the official response to a letter of protest from 100 artists as “totally inadequate” and said artists were being treated like pupils being summoned to see the headmaster.

He said there was a growing clamour for Ms Hyslop to order a proper review into the running of the agency, saying it should be stripped of key responsibilities to focus on the funding of core arts.

Mr Greig accused Sir Sandy of using “emollient” and “patrician” language to dismiss the complaints from the 100 artists.

He added: “The key issue is that Creative Scotland is not the providers of this funding, they are merely the administrators of it. They are running it like it is a business when it is not.
“Creative Scotland is now completely bound up with the so-called creative industries and we have an industrial quango. It has got to the point where somebody within the Scottish Government needs to start to unpick Creative Scotland. Fiona Hyslop could ensure some good comes out of this crisis.”

Janice Galloway, winner of the Scottish Book of the Year award, said: “Sir Sandy’s response to our letter was a masterpiece of resentful condescension and showed how little Creative Scotland understand the concerns.

“Nobody is asking Fiona ­Hyslop to interfere in artistic decisions, this is purely about policy. This letter from Sir Sandy is an exemplar of the kind of change needed in Creative Scotland. It’s not their money they are demanding a return on, it is public money. And they still refusing to accept the scale of the problem by trying to use bigger words and insisting artists simply don’t understand them.”

Ms Hyslop said: “I am taking very seriously the criticism of Creative Scotland. That is why I have asked the board to engage directly with the sector, to ­address the point
s raised and communicate what action is already being taken.

“The concerns raised relate to internal workings and wider relationships that need to be dealt with. The government cannot and does not interfere in Creative Scotland’s artistic decisions.

“Sir Sandy and I have had constructive exchanges and I know he understands what I expect of the organisation.”

Meanwhile, Creative Scotland said it is producing a “plain English” guide for staff after being accused of using too much “business-speak and obfuscating jargon”. A spokesman said the guide had been in the pipeline for months following repeated criticism of official guidelines and application forms.

Creative Scotland 'must be pulled apart, say campaigners'

http://www.scotsman.com/news/arts/creative-scotland-must-be-pulled-apart-say-campaigners-1-2567606

‘Damaged at the heart’: artists pull no punches over Creative Scotland

In The Scotsman

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/damaged-at-the-heart-artists-pull-no-punches-over-creative-scotland-1-2565819

By BRIAN FERGUSON

Published on Tuesday 9 October 2012 01:01
 

A HUNDRED of Scotland’s leading artists have launched an out-spoken attack against the government agency in charge of the cultural sector.

In full: The letter to Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland, which has an annual budget of more than £83 million, is facing open rebellion after being accused of “ill-conceived decision-making and a lack of empathy and regard for Scottish culture”.

A stinging letter of protest to its chairman, Sir Sandy Crombie, will increase the pressure on chief executive Andrew Dixon to quit following months of criticism over his stewardship. Neither was available for comment last night.

However, composers James Macmillan and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, playwright and artist John Byrne, film-maker Andrea Gibb, actor Tam Dean Burn, singer-songwriter Karine Polwart and Scotland’s national poet, Liz Lochhead, are among those artists demanding “a fresh start” for the body. They have put their names to the letter claiming trust between Scotland’s artists and those who fund it was “low and receding daily”.

The artists behind the letter issued an accompanying statement saying they believe Creative Scotland was now “damaged at the heart” – but stopped short of calls for sackings or resignations.

Their dramatic move will also pile pressure on culture secretary Fiona Hyslop for failing to get a grip of a crisis which has dragged on for months. Last night, she insisted she still supported the super-quango for the arts, which was set up just months after she took over the culture brief.
Despite Creative Scotland’s “arms-length” status, she was forced to intervene last month to urge the agency to be more open and responsive to the concerns of artists.

The letter said Creative Scotland had “a confused and intrusive management style married to a corporate ethos that seems designed to set artist against artist and company against company in the search for resources”.

It makes seven demands, including ending “business speak and obfuscating jargon” in official communications, redesigning overcomplicated application forms and ensuring complaints are dealt with quickly.

Writers Ian Rankin, AL Kennedy, James Kelman and Janice Galloway are among the others to put their names to the letter, along with Turner Prize winner Karla Black, and Luke Fowler, who is a finalist in this year’s competition.

The letter has also been backed by a number of artists who have previously spoken out against Creative Scotland, including playwright David Greig and poet Don Paterson.
Creative Scotland was forced into a climbdown in June following a revolt after 49 groups and organisations were told they would lose regular funding.

The body later agreed to keep grants running for longer to give groups and organisations more time to discuss future grant schemes, and also allow the agency to publish detailed strategies for the dance, theatre, music and visual arts sectors.

However, it has faced mounting criticism over the way funding decisions are made, the level of bureaucracy artists and organisations face and a move by Creative Scotland to set up its own awards scheme in the face of such criticism.

David Greig, writer of hit plays Midsummer, Dunsinane and Monster in the Hall, said a mixture of “concern, disquiet and disbelief” from artists lay behind the letter.

He told The Scotsman: “We are looking for a clear acknowledgement of the problems within Creative Scotland and evidence of a clear change of direction. We have not seen that so far. There is simply no trust at the moment.”

Creative Scotland last night said it was “working hard” to restore trust and improve working practices with the arts and culture sector.

A spokesman said: “We recognise that we need to build positive, collaborative working relationships with organisations and artists.

“We are totally committed to working collaboratively with the arts and culture sector, we are listening very closely to what that sector is telling us and we are taking positive action as a result across a number of operational and strategic areas.”

Open letter to Creative Scotland

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/in-full-open-letter-to-creative-scotland-1-2565851

In the Scotsman 


Published on Tuesday 9 October 2012 00:56

THIS is the full letter sent to Creative Scotland, and signed by 100 Scottish artists

Dear Sir Sandy,
We write to express our dismay at the ongoing crisis in Creative Scotland. A series of high-profile stories in various media are only one sign of a deepening malaise within the organisation, the fall-out from which confronts those of us who work in the arts in Scotland every day.

Routinely, we see ill-conceived decision-making; unclear language, lack of empathy and regard for Scottish culture. We observe an organisation with a confused and intrusive management style married to a corporate ethos that seems designed to set artist against artist and company against company in the search for resources.

This letter is not about money. This letter is about management. The arts are one of Scotland’s proudest assets and most successful exports. We believe existing resources are best managed in an atmosphere of trust between those who make art and those who fund it. At present, this trust is low and receding daily.

In his address to Holyrood, Mr Dixon asked why more artists do not address their concerns to him directly: the answer is straightforward; they have. Letters of concern have been sent by representative groups from theatre, dance, the games industry, visual arts and literature. Individual voices have also been raised from many quarters both privately and in public. These concerns have gone unanswered or been met with defensiveness, outright denial, or been ascribed to problems with “communication”.

It is time for a fresh start. We ask that the board of Creative Scotland considers the following requests with the utmost urgency. We ask that you:
1. genuinely acknowledge the scale of the problem;
2. affirm the value of stable two to three year funding for small arts organisations;
3. end the use of business-speak and obfuscating jargon in official communication;
4. revisit CS policies with an eye to social and cultural as well as commercial values;
5. collaborate with artists to re-design over-complicated funding forms and processes;
6. ensure that funding decisions are taken by people with artform expertise;
7. establish an effective system of dealing with complaints as swiftly as possible.


We do not sign this letter lightly but we feel we are in an unprecedented situation. We call on you to act swiftly to make what changes are necessary to the organisation to repair trust and restore communication before any further damage is done to Scotland’s cultural landscape and international reputation.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Ainsley, Davey Anderson, Peter Arnott, Clare Barclay, Anne Bevan, Karla Black, Martin Boyce, Katrina Brown (Dr), Tam Dean Burn, Roddy Buchanan, John Byrne, Lorne Campbell, Richard Campbell, Jo Clifford, Nathan Coley, Deborah Crewe, Jeannie Davies, Peter Maxwell Davies (Sir), Chloe Dear, Finn den Hertog, Ella Hickson, Roanne Dods, Jude Doherty, Jaqueline Donachie, Joe Douglas, Rob Drummond, Oliver Emmanuel, Catrin Evans, Rob Evans, Graham Fagen, Andy Field, Pat Fisher, Luke Fowler, Fiona Fraser, Vivian French, Janice Galloway, Andrea Gibb, Suzy Glass, Douglas Gordon (Prof), Mickey Graham, Alasdair Gray, Stephen Greenhorn, David Greig, Kris Haddow, David Harding OBE, John Harris, Zinnie Harris, Ben Harrison, David Harrower, Lewis Hetherington, Corrina Hewat, Mark Hope, Philip Howard, Kieran Hurley, Chris Hunn, Callum Innes, Kathleen Jamie, David Paul Jones, James Kelman, AL Kennedy, Laura Cameron Lewis, Liz Lochhead, Ali Maclaurin, Linda Maclean, James Macmillan, Caoihin MacNeill, Aonghas MacNicol, Willy Maley (Prof), Andy Manley, Michael John McCarthy, Nicola McCartney, Francis McKee, Bernard McLaverty, Alan McKendrick, Linda Mclaughlin, Becky Minto, Alexander Moffat OBE, Gerry Mulgrew, Rona Munro, Andrew O’Hagan, Janice Parker, Don Paterson, Toby Paterson, Mary Paulson Ellis, Aonghas Phadraig Caimpbeul, Philip Pinsky, Karine Polwart, Lynda Radley, Ian Rankin, Robin Robertson, Fiona Robson, Muriel Romanes, Lesley Anne Rose, Lisa Sangster, David Shrigley, Ross Sinclair, Gerda Stevenson, Pete Stollery (Prof), Richard Wright

Open letter from Sir Sandy Crombie

On 8th October 2012 Creative Scotland received an open letter from David Greig, co-signed by a number of cultural figures in Scotland.

On 9th October 2012 Sir Sandy Crombie, Chairman, Creative Scotland posted the following Open letter on the Creative Scotland website:

http://www.creativescotland.com/news/an-open-letter-from-sir-sandy-crombie-chairman-creative-scotland-09102012


David Greig and others

9 October 2012

Dear David

I hope you will not mind if I address this letter to you as a means of reaching all those who put their names to the letter you distributed yesterday and kindly sent to me via a colleague. A copy of this letter will be sent to media contacts after a delay that will allow you to forward it to all of those you can reach by e-mail.

Before I turn to the points in your letter, let me put my response in the context of Creative Scotland’s development and its aspiration to create strong relationships with creative communities in Scotland.

Creative Scotland is two years old. It has a broader remit and in total distributes more funds than its predecessors. We make one third more awards with one third fewer staff. I think it is fair to say, and unsurprising, that in some cases our working methods are still developing. Are we perfect? No. Can we do better in a number of areas? Yes. But equally there is no shortage of evidence that we can and do perform well across a broad range of our activities.

Ironically, I saw your letter just after meeting a group representing a constituency of artists and organisations working across a range of sectors. The conversation with that group started after they wrote a letter in June expressing concerns similar to yours. For my part, I found that conversation positive and productive. I think it showed that Creative Scotland’s desire to create relationships based on trust and mutual respect is no less strong than that of those with whom we engage. Meeting one representative group like this is not enough, though. We are determined to engage with as many people as are willing to engage with us, through conversations in a range of places and formats in the coming months.

Let me turn to your letter. It is admirably concise, and, as one would expect from those named, eloquently expressed. Your points are well made. In choosing to be concise, you have of course sacrificed the provision of detail at a level that my board colleagues and I can investigate. Nevertheless, I assure you and all those who joined you in signing your letter that we do take seriously every issue, complaint or concern made to us, whether by individuals or groups. We will examine thoroughly every point raised with us. Two sub groups of our board members are currently working with staff to probe further into a range of topics that can influence both how we distribute funds and what artists and organisations experience when dealing with us.

Your letter coincided with the announcement of decisions on awards for the previously flexibly funded organisations that had applied into the first round of the new funding programme. Now that the decisions are public you will know that funds were generally awarded for two years, the only exception being the result of a request for a shorter award period from one applicant. These valuable organisations will be able to apply again in the future.

You have commented on the use of language and complications in our forms and processes. Every professional community – even the arts world – has its own jargon, but we have no desire to be anything other than clear and understood by all. I expect that the comments we have received directly from you and others and the planned conversations I have already described will help us be better informed of issues and able to test ways of expressing ourselves.

On processes, we share a desire to simplify. If applicants find things over-complicated then it is almost certainly the same for our people. We intend to simplify paperwork further and reduce processes to the minimum necessary to comply with audit requirements. We welcome your offer to join in helping to achieve this.

You have commented, as have others, on who is involved in funding decisions. As a first move, we are making more information available on how such decisions are taken. We believe that those taking decisions have both the knowledge and expertise to do so, but acknowledge that this can be questioned. One of the board sub-groups is considering this challenge. This same group will be looking at our handling of complaints.

In closing, I hope you will trust and accept that we have a strong desire to perform as an organisation for the people of Scotland. At current rates of expenditure one thousand million pounds will pass through Creative Scotland in the course of a twelve-year period to be used in support of arts and cultural activity. They who provide the money have a right to ask what will result from that investment. The return does not rest solely in economic or commercial benefits, important though those are. It can come through social, cultural and reputational gains and of course through artistic excellence. We at Creative Scotland are absolutely committed to playing our part in producing those gains, but realise we can achieve nothing without the active participation of artists and companies working across the whole spectrum of arts and cultural activity. We have every desire to engage with you, your co-signatories, either individually or collectively, and indeed any party who shares our aim of doing our very best for everyone.

I would therefore like to offer to meet yourself and as many of your co-signatories as you think useful to listen to your concerns in more detail and to create the foundations for a constructive dialogue that will help address the issues raised.

With best wishes,

Sir Sandy Crombie, Chair, Creative Scotland

Artists plan mass meetings amid concern over Creative Scotland

Article published in the Herald on Wednesday 3rd October

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/artists-plan-mass-meetings-amid-concern-over-creative-scotland.1349254874

 

Phil Miller

Arts Correspondent

 

SCOTLAND’S artists are to stage mass meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow next month after disquiet over the policies of Creative Scotland, the national arts funding body.


The events will be the first organised and regular “open space” rallies of artists from all genres who want their voices to be heard.

Criticism of the funding body’s actions was sparked in May following the removal of Flexible Funding – fixed-term funding – from more than 40 organisations, and its replacement by Lottery-backed project funding.

However, until now, criticism and debate about Creative Scotland has been confined to individuals putting their heads above the parapet or comments and discussions on social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Fiona Hyslop, the Culture Secretary, has written two letters to Creative Scotland, stressing its need to communicate better with the arts world.

Leading poet Don Paterson described the body as a “dysfunctional ant-heap”, and playwright David Greig has added his criticism.

Now, with a meeting of around 100 artists and commentators at a space lent by Creative Scotland at its Waverley Gate offices in Edinburgh on October 26, and another of around 100 people at the Tramway in Glasgow on October 31, organisers hope a more cohesive voice for artists and arts companies will be heard in the debate over arts administration and funding north of the Border.

The organisers of the meetings want artists to attend and provide a counterweight to, and opinions about, Creative Scotland’s policies and decisions.

Representatives from Creative Scotland are being invited to the meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Paterson and Greig are both invited to the Edinburgh meeting.

Jen McGregor, the writer and director who has organised the Edinburgh meeting, and Roanne Dods, the producer and former director of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, who has organised the Glasgow meeting, hope the events will be the first of many.

Ms McGregor, who is not funded by Creative Scotland, said: “What I am really hoping to achieve is to get artists to talk to each other, to express themselves, and argue their case.”