Independence would mean stronger cultural sector for Scotland, says Culture Secretary

The Scottish Culture Secretary has hit out at the way the UK Government is justifying cultural funding. Delivering the David Talbot Rice Memorial Lecture  at the University of Edinburgh, Fiona Hyslop sought to differentiate Scotland’s attitude to culture, which recognises its wider value to the country, from that set out by the UK Government’s Culture Secretary Maria Miller last month  – which is focused on economic gains derived from the sector. Hyslop said justifying culture on economic arguments alone was “reductive thinking” claiming the arts were important “because they bind and connect our past, our present and our future and tell the stories about where we’ve come from, who we are and help us reflect on who we could be.” She dismissed arguments over the instrumental vs intrinsic value of the arts, saying “we do not need to choose between culture for its own sake, or for wider benefits.  We can do both…” and made a commitment to continued public funding of the arts: “The Scottish Government already accepts the case for the role of government in supporting the cultural sector. We actively support the case for public subsidy of the arts. We understand that culture and heritage have a value in and of themselves”. In asserting that “supporting the process of artistic development is as important as recognising and appreciating the art itself” she also issued a welcome for “artists and creative practitioners from all over the world to come, to inspire and to be inspired, to innovate and to create”.
On the matter of independence, Hyslop claimed that Scotland’s cultural scene would thrive on separation from the UK, as it would allow decision makers to develop an environment in which culture and heritage could benefit. “Taking our place as an independent nation will enable culture and heritage to flourish as a driver in our continued development and, critically, as an aspect of our everyday lives.”