Independent review of Creative Scotland - Easy Read Version

Recommendations (what can be done better).

Creative Scotland could do more.

The Scottish Government should work with other national bodies to agree how to support the creative industries.

Creative Scotland should gather more information so it can represent the whole of the sector.

It should look at how it manages its 4 roles: funder, advocate, developer, influencer.

It should work with others to get better results and save money.

Creative Scotland needs to tell everyone about its long-term plan. Every year it should tell people about its progress.

Creative Scotland should listen to ideas from partners from all of the sector.

The Creative Scotland Board needs to be more open and challenge Creative Scotland’s performance more closely. Changes are needed so Board members should spend more time to make this happen.

Creative Scotland should look at the skills needed to be a Board member. The Board should be diverse and reflect the changes in the sector.

Creative Scotland leaders need to have greater ambition. They need to be willing to take more risks.

Creative Scotland should make a three to five year staff plan. It should make sure that it has different kinds of people on the team.

Creative Scotland should work across Scotland. It should find out what people in different regions want and need and make connections with local organisations.

Screen Scotland is well known. It should be helped to have its own identity and promote itself. The Screen Committee should be able to do things quickly when it needs to.

Creative Scotland needs a plan for the most important changes that will be made to the organisation so that it can get better and meet the needs of the sector.

The Board must check often to see how well the plan is working. It should also check how well the organisation is running.

Staff from Screen Scotland and the rest of Creative Scotland working closely together should be a top priority. They will learn from each other and make a better impact.

Creative Scotland cares about fair work. It should have a good system to make sure that all funded organisations follow the rules.

The website should be improved so that it is easier to understand.

Staff should know about decisions and the reason for them before they are made public. Better talking and listening will help make sure that the same messages are being shared.

The Scottish Government should explain why it funds some cultural organisations directly and think about whether it would be better to do things differently.

The Scottish Government should think about the conditions it puts on Creative Scotland. Creative Scotland should use its freedom to make funding fit better to sector needs.

Creative Scotland should look at what infrastructure the sector needs in Scotland. A capital fund should be set up.

Creative Scotland funding applications should be simpler.

Creative Scotland should make plans about how it will spend its money to allow the culture sector to grow and develop.

Creative Scotland must get better at analysing. This will mean that it can show how:

• Funding arts, culture and creativity is good for society and the economy



• Things are going in the whole sector so that it can speak up for it



• Creative Scotland has achieved its goals



• Creative Scotland is helping the people and organisations it funds to become more independent in future.

Creative Scotland should make sure that the funding it gives is based on local information. This will lead to better decisions and outcomes across Scotland.

Screen Scotland should look at how it gives out funds. It should make the process quicker.

Creative Scotland should look at the different ways that relationship-based roles could be brought back.

The Scottish Government should think about whether Creative Scotland should be a partner in or be told about planning decisions.

Creative Scotland should tell everyone what it does and how it works with other national cultural organisations.

It should work with the Scottish Government and others to:

• have a bigger impact
• avoid doing the same things
• avoid things being missed

This will make the sector better for the future. It will help new talent to be supported.

Creative Scotland should check the networks it supports to make sure they have the right people involved. Choices and actions will then be based on both what people in the area know and what people from across the sector have to say.

Creative Scotland should work to build a good relationship with the Scottish Government sponsorship team. It can help the Scottish Ministers make choices about what is important.

The Scottish Government should look at how culture works in the rest of the Scottish Government.

Creative Scotland should use its knowledge to influence local authorities, the Scottish Government and the UK Government.

It should think about how it works internationally. Working with other organisations will help Creative Scotland show how important it is to bring foreign artists to Scotland and go on foreign tours.