​Investing in Scotland’s soul - Angus Robertson

David Greig, artistic director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh

Scottish culture and the arts is set for a major boost with plans to double culture spending by the Scottish Government.

The commitment was announced by First Minister Humza Yousaf to the SNP Annual Conference: “I want to send a clear signal today about my ambition for culture in Scotland. We’re not just going to protect our arts funding.

“We’re not just going to increase it in line with inflation. No delegates, we’re going to go further than that. I can announce today that over the next five years we will more than double our investment in Scotland’s arts and culture.”

What this means is that by the end of the five years, Scottish Government investment will be £100m higher than it is today. This is a huge vote of confidence in the future of our culture sector and in the vital work of bodies like Screen Scotland, Creative Scotland and our festivals.

Reaction from the culture sector has been positive, including David Greig of Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre: “This is a seriously important intervention at a crucial moment.

“Just the news will be a huge morale boost for the whole sector… ultimately this investment is to the benefit of all Scots as we build on our theatre, film, art, literature and gaming industries in which we are world class.

“Right now the world desperately needs imagination, joy, humanity, and empathy. By investing in culture, Scotland is investing in its soul.”