How is the SNP improving access to culture in Scotland?

Participation in culture is a force for good for individuals and society.

Our world class National Collections are enjoyed by over five million people every year. We are protecting free access and are working to widen the touring of our National Collections – beyond traditional settings – in our schools and communities.

We want to create a more sustainable funding model for culture which benefits organisations and freelancers. Learning from countries such as Ireland and the Netherlands, we will establish a “Percentage for the Arts” scheme which will create a requirement for a percentage of the overall cost of a construction project for new public buildings, places or spaces to be spent on community art commissions.

We will support the co-ordination of Scottish commissioning and create a Scotland Touring Fund for Theatre and Music as part of economic recovery, helping to take live performances directly into alternative community venues and revitalising year-round tourism.

We will abolish fees for music and arts education, including instrumental music tuition in schools, and expand the successful Youth Music Initiative model across other art forms.

We will continue the highly successful EXPO fund for Edinburgh’s major festivals, Celtic Connections and Glasgow International, reviewing how it can continue to meet its aims of ensuring the Festivals maintain their global competitive edge, increasing the funding available to Scottish artists and practitioners, and encouraging creative collaborations.