Letter: Culture clash

Forest Pitch is part of a UK-wide programme of Artists Taking the Lead projects, a collaboration between all UK arts development agencies as part of the Cultural Olympiad programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a highlight of the London 2012 Festival.

The Cultural Olympiad is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Scottish creativity to the global audience that will flock to the UK for the games. Twelve projects have been supported across the UK and Forest Pitch was selected as the Scottish project.

Each of the projects must have a demonstrable public benefit and this was assessed as part of Craig's, and the other projects. The arts, film and culture are one of the National Lottery's "good causes" and is a separate resource to public investment in sport.

The Forest Pitch project is more than a single game on a single day. There is a 14-month plan of school and community involvement, which will build on the Cultural Olympiad ideals that link sport to culture and involve schoolchildren and sports coaches from across Scotland.

Forest Pitch will have a 60-year lifespan: following the matches, the site will replanted, re-introducing species such as the broadleaved native species and will become a lasting living sculpture that visitors can return to year after year.

Creative Scotland has invested 500,000 in the Awards for All programme this year, which supports small grants to communities. We will spend a further 6 million specifically on community participation projects for the Year of Creative Scotland, London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and we'll invest a further 6m to make the 2014 Commonwealth Games a national celebration of creativity.

Andrew Dixon

Creative Scotland

Waterloo Place

Edinburgh