Culture Counts has published a crowd-sourced Cultural Manifesto to encourage political parties to make good decisions about cultural policy in their own manifestos for the upcoming Scottish Parliamentary Elections in May 2021.
Culture Counts works on behalf of a group of core members, including SMIA, to place culture at the heart of policy making.
This manifesto has been crowd-sourced by Scotlandâs culture sector.
8 asks have been identified for the next Scottish Parliament & Scottish Government for the next 5 year parliamentary term:
Place
A commitment to the development of a Culture Act that will integrate culture into communities, enabling Scotlandâs local economies and wellbeing to flourish and to deliver fair-work. Incorporate minimum levels of cultural planning, stakeholder engagement and allow for percentages of local infrastructure projects to be invested into culture.
Diversity
Invest in a leadership scheme to ensure that people from diverse backgrounds are heard at an early stage in the design process across Scottish Government policy-making and strategic thinking.
Climate & Environment
Introduce a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act; mirroring the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (introduced in Wales in 2015).
Brexit
In direct response to Brexit and in support of creative people across the nation: invest in an âOffice for Cultural Exchangeâ safeguarding international touring, festivals and residencies.
COVID-19
To ensure a rounded economic and wellbeing recovery from Covid-19, make a commitment to embed culture in Scotlandâs recovery action planning.
Education
Invest in a scheme to ensure that all children in Scotland of all ages are assured their right to regular access to a diverse range of cultural experiences.
Health
A commitment to cross-departmental working between Health and Culture, with a resourced action-plan to ensure an arts and culture offer supporting health, wellbeing and quality of life in all Health and Social Care Partnership areas in Scotland.
Procurement
Increase opportunities for local enterprises and for the self-employed by transforming procurement into a simple, transparent and open system that encourages local partnerships and consortiums; aligns structure and process with equality of opportunity.