Back Creative Scotland plea

SCOTTISH Arts Council chairman Richard Holloway has issued an appeal to Scotland's artistic community, asking them to back the proposed new quango Creative Scotland.

In a debate on the future of the arts at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, Dr Holloway acknowledged some people had concerns about the new body, a merger of SAC and Scottish Screen.

However, he said: "Once you have decided to cross the river and you get half way across, to turn back is a stupid thing to do. We are more than half way across and we have got to get to the other side.

Dr Holloway told the audience: "Please try and get behind the new body, and make it work better."