Independent Review of Creative Scotland
An independent report considering whether the remit and functions of Creative Scotland remain relevant, evaluating how Creative Scotland delivers its functions, and assessing how appropriately and effectively Creative Scotland uses and distributes funding.
Foreword
In April 2025 I was appointed by Scottish Ministers to lead this independent Review of Creative Scotland, with Stuart Currie acting as Vice Chair.
Creative Scotland was established in 2010 and the context within which it operates has changed in the intervening 15 years. It is therefore timely and important to take stock of the remit and functions of a national body which has responsibility for funding, developing, influencing and advocating on behalf of the culture sector.
The Review comes at a key moment for the culture sector given the Scottish Government’s commitment to an additional £100 million per year by 2028-29, a clear indication of commitment to support and develop the sector. The timing of the Review also recognises that the culture sector has undergone a significant period of change since Creative Scotland was established. This opportunity has allowed me to hear from practitioners of the diversity and resilience of the sector and its importance to communities, the economy and Scotland’s reputation both at home and abroad.
From the outset my aim was to ensure that my recommendations were based on evidence and drew upon information and data available from a variety of sources. This included information provided by over 450 people.
In taking forward this Review, it was important to hear the range of views and perspectives of those in the sector and their partners on what is working well within Creative Scotland, and what might further strengthen art, culture and creativity. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who took time to attend an engagement session or to send me their views. The information provided has been immense and I have tried, given the short time frame for this Review, to reflect the variety and depth of this feedback.
I am also particularly grateful to all at Creative Scotland for their engagement with the Review process and their patience in responding to the endless questions asked of them.
I hope that Creative Scotland, the Scottish Government and others will act upon my recommendations to ensure that a strong national organisation can truly represent, advocate and support the culture sector in Scotland.
I would like to thank the Vice Chair, Stuart Currie, whose input has been valuable throughout. The secretariat who supported this Review have been exceptional and I am grateful for their assistance in preparing this report.
Angela Leitch CBE
Contact
Email: culture@gov.scot