Scottish Government high level action plan in response to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

21: Cultural rights

Thematic tags

Culture; Science; Sports; Maximum available resources; Non-discrimination; Rural; Disability; LGBTQI+; Gender Identity

Concluding Observation 59a

The Committee requests that the State Party […] Take the steps necessary to strengthen the protection of cultural rights and respect for cultural diversity […] by increasing the budget allocated to promote the development and dissemination of science and culture, guided by the Committee’s general comment No. 21 (2009) on the right of everyone to take part in cultural life.

Context

We published a Culture Strategy in 2020 which draws on the themes raised by artists, creative producers, organisations and communities across Scotland. In December 2023 we published the refreshed Culture Strategy Action Plan to support delivery, which responds to recent challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased cost of living. In March 2024, we published Scotland’s International Culture Strategy.

Since 2023, we have progressed a number of actions to deliver the strategy. This includes, but is not limited to, a review of how the culture sector is supported, including an independent Review of Creative Scotland led by Chair Angela Leitch CBE; established a Culture Sector Support Programme, which will consider the wider sector support landscape to help inform future funding models and make the most of opportunities for collaborative working; restarted our Culture Collective programme; continued work to implement the recommendations of the Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums Steering Group; and continued collaboration and active engagement with the UK Government and devolved administrations on how to implement the ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Key Actions

The First Minister has committed to investing at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by 2028-29. We have demonstrated this commitment by increasing the culture budget by £15.8 million in 2024-25 followed by a further £34 million in 2025-26. Through this increased investment we want to drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works, and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad.

Subject to budget processes in January 2026, we aim to provide a further £20 million in 2026-27, taking the total multi-year funding for Creative Scotland budget to £74 million. This will ensure that more people have access to cultural projects which will benefit their health and wellbeing as well as bringing enjoyment.

We have committed a further £34 million in 2025-26 to support cultural participation and engagement. This is over £50 million more in culture funding than in 2023-24 and is the biggest increase in culture funding in the history of this Scottish Parliament after the COVID-19 pandemic recovery support.

We increased funding to Youth Music Initiative in 2025-26 totalling £9.8 million annually. This fund is delivered by Creative Scotland.

We fund Screen Scotland who are supporting a range of work to encourage better equity of access to the creative industry. This includes the British Film Institute Diversity Standards pilot, which is a new framework designed to tackle under-representation and encourage equality of opportunity in the screen sectors.

We are also supporting public libraries through our funding to Scottish local authorities, and our own annual Public Library Improvement Fund.

We are investing over £3 million per year in science centres, festivals, and other public science engagement activities. This supports our commitments to making science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) accessible to a wide audience.

We continue to fund Science Centre £2.67 million and Science Festival £220,000 annually, to deliver key science engagement activities to the public, including disadvantaged community groups, women and girls, to enhance access to and interest in STEM to inspire Scotland’s next generation of scientists and engineers.

We fund STEM for Young People £93,273 annually to address economic and social barriers by encouraging young people, particularly young women and girls, to study STEM subjects and consider STEM-related careers.

Concluding Observation 59b

The Committee requests that the State Party […] Increase resources and improve programmes for the development of accessible recreational, art and leisure spaces, in both rural and urban areas, for persons with all types of disabilities and make the existing sports and recreational infrastructure accessible to all persons with disabilities, in line with the promotion of independent living.

Context

The National Performing Companies deliver live and interactive creative learning and storytelling activities through touring programmes and lead the way in the use of innovative digital technologies, to reach children in communities and educational settings. The National Performing Companies’ work in educational settings reaches across the country and prioritises children in some of the most deprived and remote areas of Scotland. Last year 28% of the primary school pupils the National Performing Companies engaged with lived in the most deprived areas in Scotland and 23% lived in rural or remote areas.

In October 2024, we launched our National Physical Activity for Health Framework which provides a context for those developing plans and strategies at both national and local level. The framework is firmly founded on evidence based international guidance from the World Health Organization and other global partners as to the approach, which is needed to deliver sustainable change.

Our Active Schools flagship sportscotland programme, which is delivered across all 32 Scottish local authorities, provides free high quality opportunities for all young people to take part in sport and physical activity before school, at lunchtime and after school. Active Schools is delivered in both mainstream and ASN schools, and with close to 50% female participation, it is one of the most gender-balanced large scale sporting programmes.

Our latest Scottish Household Survey results from 2023 show that disability inequality in sports participation decreased since 2013. This is driven by an increase in disabled people taking part in sport. We recognise that there is more to be done to address gaps in participation, and we continue to work closely with sportscotland, organisations and individuals across Scotland to breakdown the barriers that keep too many people from leading active lives.

Key Actions

We are providing an additional £20 million in multi-year funding to Creative Scotland for its programme in 2025-26 totalling £54 million. A total of 251 cultural organisations are receiving multi-year funding in 2025-26, which is more than double the number that previously received regular core funding from Creative Scotland. Of these 251 organisations, 164 have an equality, diversity and inclusion focus to their work.

We are re-starting the Culture Collective and allocating £4 million in 2025-26. This project gives funding to a number of creative projects that are based in the local community. In previous years, this has worked throughout Scotland including rural and island projects, and our intention is to continue to support rural and island communities.

We are investing £46.43 million in 2025-26 in our ongoing commitment to sport and active living. Our investment is targeted at addressing inequalities in participation to break down the barriers that keep too many people from leading active lives.

We continue to provide £2 million annually to Walking Scotland to provide programmes which encourage and support people to walk more. This includes a Health Walk Network which is specifically designed to support people with long term health conditions and disabilities.

Sportscotland has also increased investment in Scottish Disability Sport up to £754,080 for 2025-26 to help improve access to sport for disabled people.

Concluding Observation 59c

The Committee requests that the State Party […] Ensure non-discrimination in cultural participation and sports, particularly based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and guarantee that all individuals, including transgender persons, are supported in sports participation, in line with the principles of reasonableness, proportionality and equality.

Context

We are committed to non-discrimination in cultural participation and to provide opportunities for everyone to lead active lives. Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, alongside the wider UK Sport Councils, have developed the Moving to Inclusion Framework. This framework helps Scottish governing bodies of sport (SGBs) to tackle inequalities and enhance participation across groups. Sportscotland are supporting over 40 SGBs with wrap-around support to implement the framework. Our Non-Binary Equality Action Plan 2023-28 also sets our ambition for non-binary people to increasingly feel welcomed and able to take part in sport.

We recognise that it is essential that there are options for everyone to lead active lives, and to participate in an enjoyable, safe and fair sporting environment. Sport governing bodies know their sports best. They set their own rules on domestic transgender participation in line with the UK Sport Council Guidance. This Guidance is primarily aimed at National Governing Bodies of sport and considers the needs of people of all genders. Sports are incredibly diverse and there can be no, ‘one size fits all’ approach. There may need to be different solutions for different sports, which is why the guidance encourages sports to consider options around fairness, safety and inclusion. The UK Sport Councils, including sportscotland, are reviewing the guidance in light of UK Supreme Court judgment of 16 April 2025 on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act 2010.

Key Actions

We have provided £71,402 in 2025-26 to LEAP Sports Scotland through our EHRF. LEAP Sports works for the greater inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in sport.

We continue to deliver our annual Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week campaign, which aims to increase the visibility of women and girls in sport, highlight opportunities to participate, and discuss barriers and drivers to participation.

We continue to support sportscotland’s Fit for Girls, Young Ambassadors Programme and Female Athlete Performance Group which all play a key role in addressing barriers to participation, while also increasing the visibility, confidence and leadership of women and girls in sport.