Let’s support and nurture our creative spirit

A Festival Fringe entertainer performs on the Royal Mile. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The arts contribute billions to Scotland’s economy. But they also make an equally important, if less quantifiable, contribution to the life of our society, by offering new perspectives, telling stories and through this, changing lives.

Of course, we who are lucky enough to live in Edinburgh already know this, with the festivals pulling in people from across the world to our cultural scene. I know it well, having worked early in my career on a new venture at the festival screening a Glastonbury stage under the castle, spending my summers searching for gaffer tape and trying (and sometimes succeeding) to work a walkie-talkie.

Despite all the turbulence for the arts over the past year, the awards last week were evidence that the artistic ambition and energy across the city is as strong as ever.

But a turbulent year it has been. Over the summer, the Scottish Government announced that they were withdrawing £6.6 million in arts funding, prompting fears that the Open Fund for Individuals would close. That fund has been one of Creative Scotland’s most successful initiatives and has supported the work of countless writers, artists and performers. Many in the creative industries in Scotland say that without its support, they would not have been able to establish careers. After a huge outcry, the Scottish Government backed down and recommitted the funding.

It’s been a turbulent year for some of Edinburgh’s most iconic arts venues too, with the battles for the futures of Summerhall and the Filmhouse ongoing. And the ongoing challenges of recovering from the Covid period.

Away from the big venues, there is a whole world of grassroots groups which sustain the arts in our local neighbourhoods. In the Inch and Buckstone in my constituency, there are the Inch House and Buckstone community choirs, who meet regularly and welcome everyone regardless of experience. The Inch House Community Centre also run art classes and dance classes, making this a great spot in which to try something new in the southeast of the city.

Over in Morningside there is an upcoming free dementia-friendly concert at Morningside Parish Church at the end of the month alongside an art exhibition. Down at the Gilmerton Miners Welfare and Social Club, there are weekly tea dances for older people. These are fantastic ways to get involved in the arts locally and to meet other people.

At a time when people are drifting further apart and seem to be getting angrier online, there’s something to be said for coming together in these kinds of settings, and for the power of art to unite us. So, whether it’s a community choir or local dance group, all the way up to seeing a concert at one of the big venues, let’s enjoy and support all that the city has to offer.

And use the soft power of our world leading Scottish cultural offerings to enhance our economy, create jobs and opportunities and open doors for others.

Ian Murray is Secretary of State for Scotland