Why Creative Scotland needs a kick up the arts

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/14/creative-scotland-arts-funding

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On the website of Creative Scotland, the nation's most important arts funding body, is a vapid statement that sets a new benchmark for corporate foolishness. "Creative Scotland's ambition is to see Scotland as one of the world's most creative nations by 2020." It is as fatuous as saying: "The Scottish government wants Scotland to become one of the nicest countries in the world by 2023." Why 2020 and not, say, 2019 or 2022? Was a report commissioned into which year would prove to be the most feasible in terms of creativity? Is 2020 a year when England and the US and Latin-America are expected to be particularly arid and lumpen in terms of their creative output and so there might just be a rare chance for Scotland to nip through and pick up international baubles for being creative?

And will it be sufficient to be inside the top 20 to be deemed one of the world's most creative nations? Or will it have to be the top 10, thus rendering the task to be one of Himalayan proportions? And how will creativity be measured? Is there an eternal panel of international judges, stravaiging backwards and forwards across the world, constantly assessing each country's creativity. "Gaston, regardez le bonne show à le Citz dans le Gorbals. C'est le Citz pour moi, à propos."

For those struggling with the concept of measuring creativity, Creative Scotland provides a welcome guide. "Creativity," according to this bizarre organisation, "is increasingly recognised as an essential higher order skill for learning, life and work. This tool is designed to develop a quality assurance methodology to allow creative organisations and individuals to engage with the Creativity Portal. Development has included a process of research and wide consultation across education and creative sectors." It is all utterly and despairingly meaningless. If this and the rest of the asinine mince that is carried on the Creative Scotland website is a barometer of our cultural and artistic health then we have absolutely no chance of being regarded as one of the world's most creative nations, in any year, let alone 2020.

In October this year, Creative Scotland declared that they wanted to spend significantly more on film and television than the £4m that these oeuvres currently get from the agency's annual £97.5m budget. Yes that's right, millions more to make irrelevant and sentimental tripe such as Sunshine on Leith and gentrified porn like Filth. Spending more money making films and television is simply a vanity project, a vain exercise in wish fulfilment and trying to make Scotland the Hollywood of the north. And now from next year there will be a lot less money for writers, poets, painters and playwrights to make art in which Scotland currently and historically excels. But at least the annual Scottish Baftas night can keep pretending that there are people who are actually desperate to win one of these, the international film industry equivalent of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

The organisers of Previously…, Scotland's world-class festival of history, must have wept when they discovered that Creative Scotland wants to make us the bad film capital of the world. This year's two-week festival, now in its third year, just finished last month and, once more, was a triumph in imagination and challenging our citizens to think differently about history and how it has affected and shaped our country and our lives.

The festival is studded with gems that demonstrate just how rich, vibrant and relevant Scotland's story has been. A few of this year's highlights included Rosemary Goring discussing After Flodden, her beautiful and highly acclaimed debut novel, and Andy Wightman, Scotland's cherished writer and campaigner on land reform. The title of his talk was the same as his book: The Poor Had No Lawyers: Who owns Scotland (And how they got it). Fittingly, it was free to enter, as were many of the other events.

There were events about Scotland's first referendum; about the Edinburgh Quaker women who fought to end slavery and for women's suffrage; and about Scotland's immense contribution to global football coaching. Previously… brings every facet of our nation and our culture vividly to life. The entire fortnight is an antidote to the grotesque, self-important parody of itself that the Edinburgh festival has become.

Every primary and secondary school in Scotland should have had the opportunity to attend one of the events. Most probably didn't, though, as it's doubtful if the organisers' budget would have stretched to mailshotting the nation's schools.

Previously…, you see, is a modern, Scottish cultural miracle that lives frugally and on its wits from year to year, not knowing if this year will be its last. This is principally because, for the third year in succession, Creative Scotland has refused an application for funding from the event organisers. On what grounds it has elected to do so, nobody knows as no reason is ever given for funding decisions. The organisers aren't looking for much: just a few grand to let the rest of the nation know about this national jewel in its midst.

Creative Scotland, meanwhile, has failed in its early attempts to find a director of film and media. This newly created £55k post was supposed to rekindle Scotland's film industry. Apparently, though, none of the candidates came up to scratch. Didn't come up to scratch? Who in God's name were they interviewing, the Krankies? For here, surely, are the only three key attributes for the job.

1. More than 50% of all films made in Scotland must feature Peter Mullan.

2. Candidates must have demonstrable knowledge of drug abuse; graphic and prolonged violence; alcoholism; gangland warfare and the sex lives of Catholics.

3. A grasp of how dysfunctional ("dysfunctional" as in "psychopathic") families in lowland Scotland always make good drama.

Perhaps the organisers of Previously… should be thankful that Creative Scotland doesn't think it is very cultural and creative. Soon they may be saddled with the mission statement: "To make Scotland one of the most historical countries in the world by 2021." As always there will be "outcomes".

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