Funding cuts and no policy mean death of Scots arts programme, finds Phil Miller

The children from Cradlehall Primary School in Inverness had probably never met a real war veteran before, but Caroline Leitch, a cultural co-ordinator for Highland Council, had spoken to a local veteran of the war in Burma - in which the British fought the Japanese from 1941 to 1945 - and thought his vivid and moving memories, and those of his fellow soldiers, would be interesting to the pupils.

So the youngsters interviewed two Burma Star veterans - one from the artillery, one a medical officer - and used their testimony to embark on an art project. The children were fascinated. The veterans had brought with them their memories in the form of an old kitbag, a poignant telegram, photos and medals. The children made origami based on their talks, as well as drawings and poems, and produced a book.

A simple connection between two generations had inspired a minor creative explosion. This story is just one of hundreds the cultural co-ordinator scheme, instigated in Scotland in 2002, has inspired, but now the future of the scheme is bleak. The Scottish Government has told the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) it is to cut funds to the scheme by 2010. Next year, its budget will be £2.65m, in 2009 it will be reduced to £2.15m and then in 2010 it will be zero. It is being wound up.

The reasoning behind the cut? "A tighter financial climate," according to a letter from Heather Jack, deputy director of the cultural department of the new Europe, External Affairs and Culture Directorate of the Scottish Government.

She goes on: "Both the Scottish Government and the public sector will need to operate within tougher financial constraints and deliver efficiencies. That will require some reprioritisation and some difficult choices."

Lesley Dunlop, who as creative links officer in Glasgow overseas the city's four cultural co-ordinators, knows the power of the scheme from first-hand experience. In Glasgow, (the scheme differs in its exact methods in each locality) the co-ordinators are teachers and, using money supplied via the SAC, for two days a week dedicate time to engaging pupils, aged three to 18, across the city.

There are artist visits, trips, arts projects, events and talks. It is, scheme supporters and practitioners say, a small but important bridge between the world of school and the wider world of theatre, art, dance, music, heritage and history.

The cultural co-ordinator programme currently operates across all 32 local authorities in Scotland. More than 100 staff work as co-ordinators, 70 full-time. "It's fantastic. I am a great believer in the scheme," said Ms Dunlop. "The results of it are there to be seen. Children who are disengaged from education are suddenly interested again - you can see them changing before your eyes, especially when artists come into schools and they meet the pupils. There is an impact on attendance and interest from the pupils. It opens them up to new things, new doors open for them."

The true effects of the cut in the service have, of course, yet to be felt, but already some are beginning to lament the future loss. "This represents a real step backwards," said James Brining, artistic director and chief executive of the Dundee Rep theatre, and former artistic director of TAG youth theatre.

"The co-ordinators are a way of connecting the arts sector and the education sector, a vital connection really. I am sure there are lots of different stories about the scheme because it varies so greatly in practice across Scotland but when it works well, it works brilliantly.

"This will be a step backwards in terms of entrenching the arts in education. As far as making education more holistic, helping education be about young people's growth as human beings - the things that are difficult to assess - I would say it has had a big impact.

"On a human level, there are now a lot of people who will have to leave their jobs - that is a real squandering of their capacity to be in involved in education."

The ending of the scheme may not mean, the government said last night, the end of links between the world of arts and culture and education in such a form, and the government is now asking the SAC to talk to councils about how to keep the scheme's "best practice" going. However, without money, it is hard to see how that would happen.

Indeed, one could ask, what is the new government's cultural policy? We have an interested and enthusiastic Culture Minister in Linda Fabiani, but her remit also covers Europe and External Affairs and, unlike her predecessor, she does not sit in cabinet.

The culture bill which will be put before parliament bears only a scant resemblance to its original form. Cultural entitlements are out. Now, called the Creative Scotland Bill, it exists merely to establish the new funding body of the same name, a merger of the SAC and Scottish Screen.

The Scottish budget - the strictures of which seem to have doomed the cultural co-ordinators - found £2m for an Expo Fund for the Edinburgh festivals, for Scottish groups who can show their wares abroad after the August season, and there has been constant support for the international touring of the National Theatre, and Black Watch in particular.

However, the axing of cultural co-ordinators comes on the back of a slightly embarrassing gap between the Scottish Government and the UK Government's attitude to the Venezuelan El Sistema youth music system, as revealed by The Herald last week.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport down south has allocated £2m for three pilot studies while in Scotland, Dr Richard Holloway has not - and, it appears, will not - receive anything for his venture in Stirling, despite the former Bishop of Edinburgh being years ahead of the English in spotting its potential to transform excluded and ignored youth in society.

Last night, the Scottish Government stressed its commitment to widening access to culture, but right now, the importance of culture to the world of education and children appears lost in the shuffle.

Black Watch goes home'
Black Watch, the acclaimed National Theatre of Scotland production, is finally to return home.

The award-winning play by Gregory Burke is to appear for the first time in Fife, the main recruiting area of the famous regiment, and the place where much of the play's action is based.

New dates released by the NTS yesterday confirmed that it will be performed at Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, from March 27 to April 5. Following its sell-out run in Glasgow earlier this year, Black Watch will also return to the SECC from April 11-18.

The play, along with fellow NTS production Aalst, will also visit festivals in Australasia and Black Watch will appear at the Luminato festival in Toronto next year.

The NTS also announced that, following the success of Mary Stuart, it will be joining forces again with the Lyceum Theatre and the Citizens' Theatre to present the Scottish premiere of Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of An Author, in a new version by David Harrower, directed by Mark Thomson.

Jan Svankmajer's cult Czech film, Little Otik, is also being transformed into a large scale stage adaptation, in partnership with Vanishing Point, directed by Matthew Lenton.

The NTS and Wee Stories will be working together for the first time, taking Wee Stories' work across Scotland and England, with a large scale tour of The Emperor's New Kilt.