Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland
Alba Chruthachail
Creative Scotlan
Agency overview
Formed2010
Preceding agencies
TypeExecutive non-departmental public body
Agency executive
  • Iain Munro, Chief Executive
Websitewww.creativescotland.com

Creative Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba Chruthachail [ˈal̪ˠapə ˈxɾuhəxal]; Scots: Creative Scotlan)[1] is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.

The organisation was created by the passing of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 [2] and inherited the functions of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council on 1 July 2010. An interim company, Creative Scotland 2009, was set up to assist the transition from the existing organisations.

Creative Scotland has the general functions of:

  • identifying, supporting and developing quality and excellence in the arts and culture from those engaged in artistic and other creative endeavours,
  • promoting understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts and culture,
  • encouraging as many people as possible to access and participate in the arts and culture,
  • realising, as far as reasonably practicable to do so, the value and benefits (in particular, the national and international value and benefits) of the arts and culture,
  • encouraging and supporting artistic and other creative endeavours which contribute to an understanding of Scotland's national culture in its broad sense as a way of life,
  • promoting and supporting industries and other commercial activity the primary focus of which is the application of creative skills.

Since its inception, Creative Scotland has been involved in some controversies, and been challenged by key figures in the arts and film industries in the country. In 2012, 400 artists, writers, playwrights and musicians' protesting of Creative Scotland's management led to the resignation of Creative Scotland's then-chief Andrew Dixon.[3][4]

In March 2011, Creative Scotland was debated in the Scottish Parliament after suspicious expenditure, such as the funding of £58,000 to finance a dance programme based on the works of Alfred Hitchcock and a trip to Tonga to study Polynesian dancing, was uncovered.[5][6]

In January 2015, the organization was lambasted by filmmakers for offering less than half of the money required to a blockbuster film The Rezort wishing to shoot in Scotland, which resulted in the production moving to Wales.[7][8]

In June 2018 Janet Archer resigned as chief executive of Creative Scotland after joining the organisation in July 2013.[9] She was replaced by deputy chief executive Iain Munro, who assumed the role of chief executive.[10]

Notable critics of Creative Scotland in the Scottish arts world include Liz Lochhead,[11] Don Paterson,[12] Ian Rankin, Andrea Gibb, David Greig,[13] John Byrne, Alasdair Gray and James Kelman.[14][15]

  1. ^ Niven, Liz. "Scots language policy" (PDF). Creative Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010". www.legislation.gov.uk.
  3. ^ "Under-fire Creative Scotland chief quits after rebellion". www.scotsman.com.
  4. ^ "Creative Scotland chief quits after artists' revolt". HeraldScotland. 4 December 2012.
  5. ^ "Scotslanguage.com - Radio activism".
  6. ^ Report, Official (24 January 2014). "Official Report".
  7. ^ Reporter, Record (21 January 2015). "Glasgow misses out on film blockbuster over lack of Creative Scotland funding".
  8. ^ Brooks, Libby (18 February 2015). "Scottish film industry 'left to wither' and lags behind neighbours, Holyrood finds". The Guardian.
  9. ^ "Janet Archer stepping down as Chief Executive". www.creativescotland.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Boss of troubled arts body quits". 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Makar Liz Lochhead leads nation's artists and intellectuals as they line up to attack Creative Scotland". HeraldScotland. 15 November 2015.
  12. ^ "A post-Creative Scotland". HeraldScotland. 14 September 2012.
  13. ^ "Culture Secretary tells Creative Scotland to sort out criticisms". www.scotsman.com.
  14. ^ "Creative Scotland 'crisis' slammed by leading artists". BBC News. 9 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Creative Scotland shake-up after criticism by artists". BBC News. 23 October 2012.