The Scottish Government has dropped plans to transfer responsibility for the creative industries from Scottish Enterprise, the country’s economic development agency to Creative Scotland.
The decision will mean that up to £300 million of funding will not be directly available to Creative Scotland, the new body formed by the merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. Instead all agencies involved in the creative industries, including Scottish Enterprise and local authorities, will be expected to work together on the basis of a framework laid down by ministers. Only the Scottish Cultural Enterprises office, with a budget of £100,000, has been transferred to operate under the Creative Scotland banner.
Launching the framework, Scottish culture minister Linda Fabiani said Creative Scotland would have “an advisory, advocacy and brokering role”, in developing the creative industries in Scotland, which are estimated to be worth £5.1 billion and which supports 60,000 jobs.
Ms Fabiani admitted that SNP controlled government had broken its 2007 manifesto pledge to transfer the budgets for the creative industries from Scottish Enterprise to Creative Scotland . “When you are in opposition you don’t get all the facts,” she told a press conference. “I am perfectly content to say we listened and we learnt from that listening. This agreement means everyone is clear about their role.”
The move has come under fire from critics who point out that the rationale for the merger was to create a body with overall responsibility for creativity in Scotland. Opposition MSPs have questioned whether Scottish Enterprise or Creative Scotland will take the lead in funding artists. And a petition signed by more than 400 artists and writers last month attacked the merger plan, saying the rumoured £7 million costs attached to setting up the new body will lead to cuts in grants.