Independent Review of Creative Scotland

Theme 5: Collaboration, relationships and partnerships

For Creative Scotland to achieve its aims and fulfil its remit it is essential that it works with and through others.

Relationships

It takes time and effort to build lasting and collaborative partnership working. Throughout the engagement sessions for this Review limited capacity was repeatedly mentioned as a key constraint to Creative Scotland achieving its potential as a true partner and advocate. Capacity affects both the timeliness of communication and the depth of engagement. Officers within Creative Scotland were said to be committed professionals but the way they were currently being directed was thought to be preventing them from supporting the sector as effectively as needed. For example, Multi-Year Funding was cited as having pulled staff from their ongoing roles to support the assessment of applications resulting in many who work with Creative Scotland reporting that communication was a one-way flow from those seeking funding. At the same time, Creative Scotland’s decision to remove the role of Lead Officer when Multi-Year Funding was introduced was a concern to both sector and staff alike. They felt that the reduced support and advice was limiting the development work the organisation could undertake.

Many in the sector reported that Creative Scotland had become more distant in recent years. Rather than receiving emails from known Lead Officers, generic emails such as ‘multiyear@creativescotland.com’ signed off by a generic team name felt impersonal. This shift was seen to reflect a trend towards a more rigid, bureaucratic tone that many said felt inappropriate for a sector built on trust, creativity and collaboration.

Lead Officers were said to understand the sector’s work in context. Without them, and without alternative models of engagement, organisations felt less supported. Some suggested that the resultant lack of visibility may lead to more crisis situations. Most were not aware of the rationale for the decision to remove these roles, which many within and outwith the organisation said had been announced with no consultation. Timely internal communication is essential to ensure that staff are aware of decisions ahead of them being communicated externally.

Those individuals and organisations with already established relationships are in some cases continuing to contact the person they regarded as their Lead Officer;^[108] newly funded organisations do not have that established relationship and reported a sense of inequity.

Creative Scotland explained that the decision to remove Lead Officers was to improve consistency in messaging and reduce the time spent, by those with art form expertise, on administrative tasks. Improved workforce planning (see recommendation 11) would allow Creative Scotland staff to spend more time with artistic organisations and individuals.

There was a strong desire for more personalised communications to help foster relationships based on mutual respect and recognition. Some reported that the relationship between Creative Scotland and its clients is very parent-child, which has generated a dependency by the sector on Creative Scotland support. Simple changes in tone and approach would make a significant difference, helping organisations feel that they are in a partnership and have a clear route to the advice and support they need.

The use of informal communication by some officers resulted in information being shared on different timescales. For example, some applicants received updates on the decision to delay the Multi-Year Fund awards weeks ahead of the announcement, contributing to a perception of inconsistency and undermining trust in the process. While informal relationships are essential, it is challenging for the sector when information filters through word of mouth rather than official channels.

Recommendatio n 29: Creative Scotland should review the options for reintroducing relationship-based roles.

Regional input

Greater visibility of Creative Scotland staff was a key ask throughout the engagement process, but especially for those individuals and organisations operating outwith the Central Belt. Those taking part in the engagement sessions or who responded to the opportunity to feed into this Review suggested that Creative Scotland needed more regional visibility with greater local intelligence feeding into decision making. Local knowledge is also essential for Creative Scotland to fulfil its development role (see also recommendations 3 and 12). It is only when regional expertise is combined with national activity that priorities for areas requiring support can be identified.

The amount of time Creative Scotland staff spend in person with the sector was said to have reduced since COVID-19. Creative Scotland’s travel policy allows staff to visit different organisations across the breadth of Scotland while being mindful of their carbon footprint. Some Creative Scotland staff believed that there was a travel ban in place and that this was hindering face-to-face engagement. Clearer internal communication and discussions with staff on travel and the different ways that support can be provided to the sector requires to be improved (see recommendation 20).

Several participants at the engagement sessions commented positively about the Place Partnership Programme, which is designed to encourage and support local partners to work together with their creative communities and Creative Scotland.^[109] The partnerships identify shared priorities and build and maintain knowledge of local authority areas and their creative communities. There was demand for more transparency on how the places were chosen and the levels of funding allocated. This is a model that was thought to be valuable and one that Creative Scotland, as part of fulfilling its development role, should consider expanding to ensure greater geographic parity.

Outwith this programme, the Review learned of successful collaboration in the south of Scotland and in the Highland and Islands. In these two regions, largely as a result of the work of South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) with regional partners, collaboratives have been established that are driving local culture strategies (based on the national Culture Strategy) to boost social and economic benefit. It was particularly interesting to see that SOSE have developed a mapping tool on the creative economy to assist policy development and service delivery. Building on this to develop a nation-wide picture could strengthen the understanding of the impact of public funding in communities and regions.

Discussion with COSLA pointed to limited engagement with Creative Scotland. Engagement with the local culture teams varied from council to council. There is no recognised method for regular dialogue at a local level, unlike other national bodies such as sportscotland. Local authorities were reported to have reduced their spending on culture over several years because of pressures on statutory services. There are few councils with a dedicated lead for culture. Despite this, constructive engagement with local authorities and coordination of support would lead to a greater focus on local or regional culture strategies and more effectively sustain art and culture across Scotland’s communities.

Creative Scotland’s Visual Artist and Craft Makers programme^[110] and initiatives like Culture Collective^[111] are designed to empower decision-making at a local level. These demonstrate the value of place-based, co-designed creative work that delivers wide-ranging community benefits and were highlighted as being both successful and valuable. There was also positive feedback about Creative Scotland devolving power and allocating knowledge to the community during COVID-19, for example by asking Visual Arts Scotland to help deliver a hardship fund for visual artists. These successes should be built upon.

There are a variety of regional partnerships across the country that Creative Scotland could be part of to influence and use for development and advocacy purposes. With well-established networks already in place, for example The Stove, Creative Dundee, Creative Stirling, as well as existing partnerships, there are opportunities for Creative Scotland to tap into local intelligence and deepen understanding of regional needs (see recommendation 12). The identification of clear structures at a regional level is needed to support the sector. The approach adopted should build on existing arrangements rather than developing new ones.

Partnerships

Many spoke about the significant potential for greater collaboration between the various organisations, and a more joined-up approach to supporting individuals. Recognising the interconnections across art, heritage, museums, libraries, archives, creative industries and the historic environment, a more holistic approach, which recognises the roles of multiple agencies, networks and organisations who support culture in its broadest sense, would benefit the sector and enable limited resources to be prioritised and maximised.

It was not clear how Creative Scotland maximises opportunities by partnering with others. The focus on delivering funding limits Creative Scotland’s capacity to lead or participate in strategic partnerships to amplify impact. The predominately project-based funding model often leads to short-term collaborations, hindering the development of long-term, sustainable partnerships. Across the portfolio of Creative Scotland’s funded organisations and projects, significant match funding, earned income and in-kind support is leveraged. This could be better recognised and communicated for the benefit of others.

The lack of strong statutory requirement for others to deliver cultural services was cited by Creative Scotland as being a challenge for closer working. For example, some suggested that Creative Scotland should be named as a statutory partner, like VisitScotland and Historic Environment Scotland, or consultee, like sportscotland, in the planning system. Creative Scotland holds no equivalent formal role, which some considered limited its capacity for advocacy and influence.

Recommendation 30: The Scottish Government should consider whether Creative Scotland should become a statutory partner or consultee in planning legislation.

There appears to have been little consultation with Creative Scotland and no assessment by Creative Scotland of the impact on the sector of Scottish Enterprise’s move to missions.^[112] It is unclear how Creative Scotland advocated to update the Creative Industries Framework Agreement to account for the changes in the sector and support landscape. Some of the national bodies, such as Scottish Enterprise, have moved away from the spirit of the original agreement. Other bodies, such as South of Scotland Enterprise, did not exist at the time the Framework Agreement was developed. In line with the Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform Strategy,^[113] Creative Scotland could report on its delivery of the framework agreement as part of its public performance report.

It is important that Creative Scotland maintains a broader awareness of changes that will impact the sector and acts to influence and advocate for it. Evidence suggests that Creative Scotland is not sufficiently partnering with others or leading the coordination of support to achieve this. Creative Scotland’s leaders should act across public bodies that can support creative industries, with accountability structures put in place to support and require joint working. This should be mirrored within the Scottish Government, with greater collaboration between different directorates to ensure decisions regarding agencies are not taken without consideration of the impact on different sectors.

By developing partnerships with other public bodies (including the Scottish Government, Historic Environment Scotland, VisitScotland and the enterprise agencies), Creative Scotland could clarify how it collectively works to support the whole sector, identifying shared priorities or gaps, aligning funding approaches, and identifying opportunities for joint action around cross-cutting themes (e.g. co-investment in data and intelligence sharing or infrastructure). There is also an important influencing and enabling role with partners such as Education Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council, local authorities and others.

For example, the Review did not find evidence of active engagement with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the Scottish Funding Council, or universities and colleges despite the importance of skills development and career development for all aspects of the sector. Screen Scotland is an exception to this, having worked with SDS to support employment through frameworks for apprentices in Creative and Digital Media with businesses. Screen Scotland, Education Scotland and the Scottish Government have launched a national rollout of Film and Screen into Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence.^[114] Additionally, SDS and Screen Scotland have co-commissioned research into the skills demands of Scotland’s screen sector company base and freelance workforce to meet projected growth.

There was a stated need for Creative Scotland to collaborate more with parts of the sector that they do not fund, such as Museums Galleries Scotland and the National Performing Companies. This would help Creative Scotland deliver its development and advocacy roles for the benefit of the whole sector (see recommendation 3) and ensure there is a sector-wide approach to supporting future talent. For example several of the National Performing Companies raised concerns about future pipelines (see also theme 1).

Recommendation 31: Creative Scotland should clearly articulate its role in relation to other national bodies working across the cultural landscape, proactively working with them and the Scottish Government to influence collaboration, strengthen impact, reduce the risk of gaps or avoid duplication and ensure prioritisation to better support long-term sector needs including a strong talent pipeline.

A national body representing and developing arts, culture and creativity in Scotland requires strong and visible leadership, using its unique remit to bring organisations and individuals together to champion the sector, accelerate its growth and innovate. Creative Scotland, more so than other national bodies, has a power to convene which has not been evident in feedback to the Review but is necessary in understanding the wider needs of the sector and being able to represent this effectively in discussions with government.

There are opportunities for stronger communication, information exchange and accountability between Creative Scotland and the sector it supports. For example, a suggestion was made that Creative Scotland could establish a forum with development bodies (such as Culture Counts and Scottish Contemporary Art Network), relevant unions, and public sector bodies from across the sector to allow for better sector knowledge sharing.

Similarly, there is an opportunity to better use the independent thinking within Scotland’s academic research community and further afield through initiatives like the NESTA Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and the emerging Centre for Cultural Value.

Taking a systemic and ambitious approach, the national body should enable and leverage support and build strong delivery partnerships with others and create platforms for critical debate. By fostering stronger relationships with other national organisations, Creative Scotland could become more outward looking, strengthening their ability to ensure delivery for the whole sector.

Recommendation 32: Creative Scotland should review the networks it facilitates, in conjunction with representatives from the sector, to make sure that the appropriate partners are involved to ensure local intelligence and sector-wide representation feed into decision-making and delivery.

Relationship with governments

Public bodies are required to demonstrate their commitment to public service delivery and reform by recognising their role in the delivery of the National Performance Framework and Programme for Government.^[115] Creative Scotland also has an obligation to support the delivery of national strategies and work constructively with Government as a delivery partner.

The Scottish Government’s Culture Strategy is organised around three ambitions, all of which are within Creative Scotland’s remit.^[116] Creative Scotland now needs to work with government and the sector to enhance financial sustainability and evidence its plans to support progress in all three areas.

Recommendation 33: Creative Scotland should foster a constructive relationship with the Scottish Government sponsorship team, to inform decisions by the Scottish Ministers around priorities and subsequent funding.

Culture is fundamental to Scotland’s communities and society. The recent increase in Scottish Government funding to the sector is a testimony to a high level of political support. There is demand for culture to be embedded in the work of all of the government’s directorates to reflect the value of culture in all aspects of public life and lead to more joined-up, transformative policy. Greater delegation and join-up of the culture portfolio functions across the Scottish Government could allow creativity to be better recognised as a tool for addressing Scotland’s wider societal challenges. There was also a suggestion for Creative Scotland to put more emphasis on cross-sectoral working and developing partnerships beyond the culture portfolio to help embed the work of the culture portfolio across governmental policy areas especially education, health and wellbeing.

Recommendation 34: The Scottish Government should review how the culture portfolio functions within government, and how that the remit across other government departments.

The relationship between the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland should be transparent and mutually respectful. Some contributors to the Review felt that this was not the case. Several commented that the arm’s length principle was at risk of being compromised, talking about ‘very short arms’. Some of this may stem from incidents where Creative Scotland has not sufficiently clearly explained the rationale for the decisions it has made. Where it acknowledges mistakes were made, open explanations of its actions are also necessary.

Many mentioned frustration with the Scottish Government’s allocation of funding to Creative Scotland, notably when in-year changes result in Creative Scotland deciding to pause funding.^[117] Some suggested that this had led to a lack of trust between Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government. Issues played out publicly were said to have been damaging to the sector as a whole.

Several suggested that there are opportunities for Creative Scotland to strengthen its advocacy and influence on local, Scottish and UK governments, for example by ensuring it is a key partner of local government and influencing the direct funding allocated to regions by the UK Government. The Review did not see evidence of Creative Scotland seeking to influence the National Lottery or UK Government in relation to funding allocations, despite the significant changes and challenges the sector has faced since the allocations were last amended in April 2012.^[118]

Given financial constraints on the sector, many called for better advocacy for more sustainable longer-term, flexible funding models that better support the sector’s needs. There was insufficient evidence to suggest that avenues for advocacy went beyond calling on the Scottish Government for additional funding. For example, whilst Creative Scotland has responded to the City of Edinburgh’s consultation on the introduction of the Transient Visitor Levy^[119] the Review was advised that there has been no direct engagement on this. This tax is also being introduced by other cities in Scotland, and a single system of collection is being developed by local authorities. This is a rare opportunity which Creative Scotland could have influenced.

Recommendation 35: Through building relationships and using its intelligence Creative Scotland should strengthen its influence on local, Scottish and UK governments.

Facilitating international collaboration

One of Creative Scotland’s four strategic priorities is ‘developing innovative and sustainable ways of strengthening international collaboration and promoting artistic and cultural exchange.’ There were mixed views on how well Creative Scotland attracted and facilitated international collaboration. Some fed back that Creative Scotland excels across art forms and screen with a long history of success in this field. Others felt that, while international relations and opportunities are encouraged by Creative Scotland, there is very little financial support available and a need for more support to compete with international peers and to support sustainable careers. Some highlighted the importance of balancing international work with net zero.

Creative Scotland used to have engagement with the Scottish Government and other culture public bodies on a regular basis to horizon-scan and share knowledge. This has become more ad hoc in recent years. The Scottish Government’s international offices said that they contacted Creative Scotland if there was an opportunity to showcase Scottish talent but Creative Scotland had few “asks” for them to host Scottish artists or creatives.

Some contributors highlighted that clearer working with other arts agencies across the UK would be beneficial with respect to issues such as visas.

Recommendation 36: The benefits of international collaboration are so significant that the national body should explore options to do more in this space. Working with other bodies, Creative Scotland could better demonstrate the value of international activity, including both international touring and bringing international artists to Scotland.