SAU manifesto

After Creative Scotland

A statement on the future of Scottish culture

The long-delayed advent of Creative Scotland will not transform the provision of
government-funded support for the arts overnight. Creative Scotland 2009 Ltd is
supposed to equip Creative Scotland with sufficient structures, guidance and
groundwork that they need not turn to anyone, least of all the government, for
instructions on how to fulfil their remit of support for the arts. Indeed ministers
are forbidden from giving such instructions at all. However the new agency’s
form will not be fully realised on opening day and there will be an inevitable
transitional period wherein things remain fluid. It is during this time that those in
the sector will have an opportunity to shape Creative Scotland and perhaps
make up for the inadequate and shallow consultation that has been the hallmark
of the preceding years.

As ever the SAU speaks for visual and applied artists specifically. We believe
that effective support of these invaluable workers depends on a handful of
principles. Should Creative Scotland fail to reflect these principles it will render
itself illegitimate and Scotland incapable of effectively supporting its visual arts.

1. REPRESENTATION: Practicing artists must be invited to sit on all
cultural decision-making boards and be fully integrated into all
cultural planning.

2. NEUTRALITY: Freedom from governmental or party political
agendas is required to allow the widest possible artistic
development and cultural dynamism.

3. REMUNERATION: We call upon the Scottish Government, Creative
Scotland and local authorities to adopt pay structures for artists
working on publicly funded projects that fairly cover research,
planning & development as well as execution.

4. PARITY: Creative Scotland must remain committed to a MINIMUM
£6.87 million budget of dedicated and publicly stated “support to
artists” (equal to The Scottish Art Council’s last business plan).

5. TAXATION: We call upon all members of the Scottish Parliament to
pursue expansion of tax powers so that individual practitioners
seriously disadvantaged by the current system may benefit from
reform.

6. ORIGINALITY: Creative Scotland must not only recognise the
intrinsic value of art but also, in that spirit, welcome risk without
undue regard to established critical or commercial successes.

© Scottish Artists Union 2010