Agency a long time in the making

THE birth of a single new arts agency for Scotland has been a long and often tortuous process, which has been dogged by delays, allegations of political interference and the departure of a string of culture ministers since the idea was first floated.

Its genesis can be traced back to a speech by then first minister Jack McConnell in 2003, when he pledged to deliver a host of new cultural rights and entitlements.

Plans for Creative Scotland were mapped out in a lengthy report produced by a special commission ordered by the Scottish Executive, which endorsed the proposal in January 2006.

However, a change in administration at Holyrood led to a further review and the SNP suffered a blow when its Culture Bill was defeated two years ago. The failure of the bill was widely blamed for the sacking of then culture minister Linda Fabiani.

However, despite widespread opposition from many arts industry figures, the SNP administration pressed ahead with a merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, which finally took effect on 1 July.