Benefits of enhancing cultural cooperation with the EU: evidence from Scottish stakeholders

In Scotland’s culture and creative sector, organisations and individual practitioners are inherently international. Exchange, collaboration and dialogue are at the heart of how the sector operates, grows and innovates. Engagement with other cultures, ideas, and approaches is fundamental to the sector, helping it to continue to develop both in its practice and its business models. Cultural exchange supports the development of new ideas, learning, innovation and knowledge exchange. Ongoing cultural exchange also helps to build enduring relationships and networks that facilitate this.

International collaboration can also be an important source of income, supporting the sector’s financial health and sustainability. It supports organisations and individuals to take their work to wider audiences and access new markets, increasing the range of income streams upon which they can draw. For some, the additional income that international activity generates is what makes a career in the sector financially viable. 

In 2024, the Scottish Government published our International Culture Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, we consulted extensively with the culture and creative sectors in Scotland. 

In their responses, a wide range of stakeholders highlighted the importance of cross-border cultural cooperation, and how enhancing this would be a positive step. The next section of this paper contains some excerpts from key cultural organisations providing examples of why international collaboration and cultural exchange is so important.

The full list of consultation responses and evidence provided can be found on the Scottish Government website.