Change on way at Creative Scotland

Dec 7 2012

The board behind Scotland's arts funding body has vowed to make changes to the way it operates and admits it has made mistakes.

Creative Scotland's board said it will simplify the way in which individuals and organisations can access advice and funding.

It said it will give staff freedom to use their specialist knowledge more efficiently and that forums will be set up to allow artists and other creatives to contribute to policy development. Artists and creative practitioners should be "at the heart" of its thinking, it said.

In October, more than 100 artists and writers, including national poet Liz Lochhead, author Alasdair Gray and crime writer Ian Rankin, joined forces to criticise the body.

In an open letter to the organisation's chairman Sir Sandy Crombie, they called for a fresh start, asking that Creative Scotland acknowledges the "scale of the problem" and commits to more stable funding for small arts groups.

In a statement, the board of Creative Scotland said: "The commitments outlined in this statement recognise the issues raised in recent months by external commentators, through open sessions with artists and creative practitioners and also, importantly, by Creative Scotland staff.

"Central to many of the concerns communicated recently to Creative Scotland has been an inconsistency in our dealings with external partners, and there is clearly a need to create a culture and ethos where trust and mutual respect can thrive.

"Both the board and the senior management team recognise the need for substantial changes which will address the principal concerns made evident in our internal reviews, extensive external feedback, and the submissions sent to us by a range of organisations and individuals, including our own staff.

"We are very conscious that future success depends on us functioning as a team with shared goals, operating in an environment of mutual respect."

It comes days after the head of Creative Scotland, chief executive Andrew Dixon, announced that he is standing down. Mr Dixon said the time was right for a change of direction for both him and the organisation. He will leave his post at the end of January and the process of finding his replacement has started.