Spotlight on Scotland’s creative industries - Ian Murray

It’s a time of year that, for me, conjures personal memories. One of my first jobs out of university was helping out on a new venture to mount a live festival broadcast from the Ross Bandstand onto a giant screen under the Castle and Leicester Square in London.

I signed a new partnership with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo which will see them accompany future Scottish trade missions, including to Japan and Australia

The following year, I was put in charge of programming and infrastructure operations and spent the whole of August knee-deep in water and searching for gaffer tape.

The festivals are a reminder of Scotland’s thriving cultural sector. TV, film, music, video games, theatre, comedy; Scotland excels at them all. Glasgow has the BBC, STV and Channel 4 offices and studios, while Edinburgh is home to the festivals, the headquarters of Rockstar North, the makers of the hugely successful Grand Theft Auto series, and the Filmhouse, which re-opened recently after a hard-fought campaign by the ‘Open the Doors’ team.

But Scotland’s cultural dynamism extends well beyond its two biggest cities and can be felt across the length and breadth of the country.

Across the UK, the creative industries employ 2.4 million people and contribute an enormous £124 billion to the economy. It’s hugely important that they get the support they need to succeed, especially in a time of rapid technological change.

The Labour government plans to do exactly that. The creative industries are one of the eight high-growth sectors which are the focus of the government’s new Industrial Strategy, which was unveiled last month.

The creative industries sector plan, a key pillar of the Industrial Strategy, will support Scotland’s cultural landscape over the next 10 years, investing in research and development in the sector and supporting trade and exports to ensure that their success can be spread across the world.

This will support growth and good jobs across the country, driving higher living standards and putting more money in people’s pockets, delivering on this government’s Plan for Change.

We’re also taking other steps to support Scotland’s cultural industries. Earlier this year, the Labour government provided £2.6 million in capital funding to the V&A in Dundee. We’re also in talks with the organisers of Edinburgh’s festivals to see how best we can preserve access for the next generation of creatives and help them thrive.

Supporting the success of Scotland’s creative industries is also a key part of my Scotland Office Brand Scotland mission, which seeks to promote Scottish success around the world.

As part of this initiative, back in April I signed a new partnership with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo which will see them accompany future Scottish trade missions, including to Japan and Australia later this year.

It’s fantastic that this world-renowned cultural institution will now act as a cultural ambassador to promote Scotland’s success on the world stage.

Our strong cultural offering is a key door opener internationally for us to sell more of what Scotland has to offer to the world.

Scotland’s creative industries are the envy of the world. Labour’s Industrial Strategy and other measures to support culture across Scotland will ensure that they stay that way and can reach new heights. And it's mighty good fun too.