One of the key figures at the national arts funding body, Creative Scotland, is to leave to help write the government's new culture strategy.

The director of arts, Leonie Bell, is to join the Scottish Government for 18 months to help write the strategy, which was a manifesto commitment of the SNP in the Holyrood elections last year.

Ms Bell, who under her new employment not be able to be part of the key decisions over Creative Scotland's regularly funded organisations this year, is to head the "cultural engagement team" at the government's culture and historic environment division.

Ms Bell has made a mark on Creative Scotland since becoming director of arts, where she leads decision making on

the arts, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts.

The recent Arts Strategy, published in August last year, believed to be largely penned by Ms Bell, called for better artist pay and a shake up of "disengaged" arts boards.

The SNP manifesto said the new cultural strategy would be "be based on the principles of access, equality and excellence."

Ms Bell has become one of the key figures in arts strategy in Scotland - she will now oversee the Government's first official national arts strategy, which will itself have an impact on the work of Creative Scotland.

Creative Scotland has advertised for a fixed term replacement.

A spokesman for Creative Scotland said: "While this secondment presents a great opportunity for a key member of our Leadership Team to contribute to the development of this important strategy for Scotland; it also presents an exciting opportunity for prospective candidates to take up a key role at Creative Scotland, supporting the arts, screen and creative industries.

"As such, we are currently conducting a recruitment process for a replacement."

Yesterday Creative Scotland announced it has awarded over £800,000 through the Open Project Fund in December 2016 to 36 recipients, including individual artists, musicians, dancers, writers, community arts, festivals and organisations working across the arts, screen and creative industries.

More than £750,000 of these awards are supported through National Lottery Funding.

Recipients include the artist Luke Fowler, the writer Jenni Fagan, Black and White Publishing, the Scottish Contemporary Art Network and the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland, among others.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "Leonie Bell will lead work on cultural engagement and the co-ordination of the development of the National Culture Strategy. 

"Ms Bell has extensive experience supporting and engaging with artists and cultural producers throughout Scotland. 

“The National Culture Strategy will deliver an ambitious and creative vision for the whole of Scotland’s diverse culture sector, based on the principles of access, equality and excellence.”