Composite K (Covering Motions 61, 62, 63 & 65)
The Arts, Creative Industries, and Access to Culture
‘‘That this Congress notes that Culture is vital to the economic and social wellbeing of Scotland, but the reality for creative industries workers remains challenging.
‘‘Nobody can dispute the benefits to our mental health of a day in the Cairngorm National Park, a trip to the theatre, or spending the day surrounded by one of our amazing National Collections.
‘‘The Scottish Government is entrusted by the people of Scotland with the care and accessibility of much of our national heritage, that which the Government does not hold in care it has a duty to fund appropriately, ensuring that access to the benefits of culture are open to all.
‘‘Congress recognises that underfunding the arts means fewer jobs on lower pay. The Musicians’ Census found the average annual income from music is £20,700 and exposed worrying pay gaps in terms of gender, disability, sexuality, ethnicity and employment status.
‘‘Prospect and other union members play a key role in the interpretation, protection and delivery of our cultural assets, staff costs make up a large proportion of the budget of cultural bodies. When funding is cut the impact on staffing, and commensurately on the accessibility off, and engagement with, our cultural heritage, is huge. Funding cuts mean job cuts, with job cuts come restricted access to and restricted care of our cultural heritage.
‘‘Whilst alternative funding approaches should be considered, Congress notes the inherent concerns with sponsorship programmes funded by undesirable partners.
“Congress notes that increasing charging for access and events will simply mean that access to culture becomes unaffordable for working people and their families, and they are deprived of access to it.
‘‘Congress further notes the international reputation of Scotland is built around our cultural events and productions, and without significant long-term investment and a commitment to quality employment in the sector, this reputation will be irreparably diminished.
‘‘Equity’s Fund the Arts, Feed the Economy campaign, highlights the sector’s more than £5 billion annual contribution to the Scottish economy.
“However, uncertainty over Scottish Government funding for the arts has led to precarity of employment and threats to the long-term viability of organisations in the sector. Equity and other union members campaigned throughout 2023 to reverse the cuts to culture funding in the budget.
‘‘Congress welcomes the pledge of the First Minister at SNP Conference in October to ‘more than double… investment in Scotland’s arts and culture’ over the next five years, meaning ‘investment will be £100m higher than it is today’.
‘‘Congress considers this commitment particularly welcome given the impact of Covid-19 on the arts, the ongoing impact of Brexit on the ability of musicians and other artists to work in Europe, and the lack of certainty around arts funding in the face of u-turns and broken promises from the Scottish Government.
‘‘Congress believes this funding commitment should be front loaded with the funds being prioritised to support a sector at risk of existential crisis now, and not delayed until the end of the five year period which falls after the next Scottish Parliament elections.
”Congress notes that during these difficult economic times the Scottish Government has a great challenge to create a fair budget, however the 2024 Budget is an inadequate response, and the Scottish Government needs to go much further, much faster. Whilst restoring some funding cuts from the previous year, it has inflicted massive grant in aid cuts on public bodies and threatens to curtail the accessibility and enjoyment of our cultural heritage.
“Creative Scotland’s 119 RFOs (Regularly Funded Organisations) are still in a funding crisis. Many face collapse, or ‘downsizing’ in order to continue to exist. Currently, they “directly employ 5,000 workers, support 25,500 individual artists and provide millions of opportunities for people across Scotland to engage with the arts and culture.”
‘‘Local government arts funding is also in jeopardy. This compounds the crisis for arts organisations and RFOs and further reduces paid opportunities for freelance arts workers.
‘‘Congress is concerned that this crisis will disproportionately affect opportunities for freelance artists, musicians, writers, actors, dancers and technicians from populations that are already under-represented in the arts. It will impact all of our intersecting communities. Recent innovative pilot programmes and projects for artists from Black, Asian / Global Majority and ethnically diverse communities are already under threat.
‘‘Congress calls on the STUC General Council to work with creative industries unions to:
- campaign against cuts to culture funding;
- hold the Scottish Government to the First Minister’s commitment to improved arts funding for the arts;
- lobby the Scottish Government to immediately address the funding crisis affecting Creative Scotland’s Regularly Funded Organisations, by increasing Creative Scotland’s budget now, rather than over a 5-year period;
- lobby for designated arts funding for all local authorities so that there are resources in place to benefit local communities, and contribute to wellbeing and economic development;
- campaign for a review of how culture bodies can retain and use generated funding;
- develop a campaign to ensure access to culture, including access to our cultural heritage, remains open to all;
- lobby for further targeted funding for arts projects & organisations led by people from Black, Asian / Global Majority and ethnically diverse communities and intersecting under-represented strata; and
- support Equity’s Fund the Arts, Feed the Economy campaign which calls for a sectoral study into Fair Work in the arts and entertainment sector and for the Government to use conditionality of public funding to support and encourage collective bargaining, especially in growth sectors such as video game production.
Congress further calls on the STUC General Council to:
- work with Trades Councils to ensure the trade union movement is fighting for access to culture across all regions of Scotland; and
- work with all unions to develop cultural initiatives encouraging them to remember and celebrate the role of culture within the Trade Union movement historically.
Mover: Prospect
Seconder: Equity
Supporters:
Musicians’ Union
Scottish Artists Union
RSS