Dozens of artists, directors, arts companies, composers, and film makers will meet today in Glasgow to begin the process of creating a new National Cultural Strategy.

Fiona Hyslop, the culture secretary, said a meeting of nearly 100 people at the Glasgow Women's Library is the beginning of an "important national conversation" which will lead to the strategy, which was a commitment made in the Scottish Government's programme for 2016/17.

Arts figures involved in the meeting, to lead discussions, include Dr Bridget McConnell, chief executive of Glasgow Life, which runs Glasgow's museums and galleries, Kara Brown, director of the YWCA Scotland, Jackie Killeen, director of the British Council in Scotland, and Tom Pow, the poet and writer, among others.

The strategy is to be based on three principles, "access, equity and excellence", the government said.

Attendees will be asked what they want the future of Scottish culture to be like, and what the scope of culture is.

They will also discuss what is good about culture in Scotland and what needs to change, and "what prevents us achieving our strategic goals/vision"?

The resultant strategy, attendees have been told, will be a "dynamic innovative statement around which the sector and the people of Scotland can galvanise."

The meeting, which is private and invite-only, is the first of several meetings, which will at a later stage include public gatherings.

One of the key members of Creative Scotland, its director of arts, Leonie Bell, has been seconded to the Government for 18 months to help formulate the plan.

Ms Hyslop said: "Culture surrounds us and shapes us as a society – it contributes to the health, wealth and success of our nation. That is why we are proposing a culture strategy with the principles of access, equity and excellence at its core – we are committed to extending the reach of culture.

"The strategy will be underpinned by a vision that articulates the powerful and transformative effect that culture has on society, and we will ensure artists, organisations and the wider public are fully involved in its development.

"This important national conversation commences on Monday, when we will meet representatives of the sector to explore the strategy’s scope and purpose.

"Soon after, we will open up the conversation across the culture sectors and to the people of Scotland, and ideas and views shared will inform the development the strategy."