ONE of the key points of contention in recent months in Scotland’s cultural scene is whether, or indeed, when, Scotland will have an international film studio of its own. Indeed, it has been a bone of contention for years.
And, in addition to this vexed issue of bricks and mortar, there is the question of cash: how should film and TV funding be run north of the Border? Does Scotland need its own film agency? Can a viable film industry be sustained?
Or can the hybrid model of Creative Scotland work best for film makers, both those based here and those from elsewhere who want to use the country as a location, as a backdrop.
There are some other interesting ideas in the various party documents – the Greens have a couple of intriguing plans, for example. But the debate over film in Scotland looms large. And, reading the manifestos, one can see a broad consensus that a shake-up of how public money is used is needed to aid movie making.
Every party, including the SNP – which is, one can say, extremely likely to win the election – offer ideas on film making and funding.
Right now, Scotland has no dedicated film agency – that body, Scottish Screen, was dissolved into the arts agency Creative Scotland from 2010.
Also there is no official national film studio, although plans are afoot in Cumbernauld (backed with public money), Straiton (wholly private, and currently being considered by ministers) and, it’s been mooted, possibly even Leith and Dundee.
The SNP are for minimal change to the present dispensation. They don’t urge a breaking up of the sometimes contentious six-year-old Creative Scotland, but say they will “create a new dedicated unit for film and TV, based within Creative Scotland, to streamline public sector support for the screen sector”.
How this will be actually different from the status quo is unclear. Creative Scotland already has what it calls a dedicated team for film: 12 members of staff led by director of screen Natalie Usher. In 2015/16 this team awarded more than £11 million in funding support for film and TV production. Perhaps the SNP will give this unit more public money to spend, but given the recent cuts to the Creative Scotland budget and elsewhere, this seems unlikely.
The SNP is also dedicated to a “permanent flexible studio space”. This probably refers to the Cumbernauld-based Wardpark studios, where the Outlander TV series is currently being filmed.
Scottish Labour says that the country “can compete globally but we face falling behind out UK counterparts due of film infrastructure”. It says it will work with “interested developers” to build a film studio but instead of the dedicated unit backs the “creation of a single lead body for the screen industry”. Which seems to herald the return of Scottish Screen.
The Liberal Democrat manifesto takes a dim view of how the film industry is administered north of the border and says “we think that the absorption of Scottish Screen into Creative Scotland has not been beneficial to the industry”.
Labour say they will “protect spending on culture and the arts in real terms”, a “small investment that will bring massive benefit to our society and economy”.
Fiona Hyslop has been culture minister since 2009, and while it remains to be seen whether she will continue in the role, the SNP manifesto suggests continuity and stability. There are new ideas: one of these is that a Cultural Experience Fund for primary school children has the “opportunity to visit Scotland’s historic estates, theatres, museums and galleries”.
The Green Party wish to introduce a scheme for working artists to receive a monthly payment during breaks in their work. It says: “This will help ensure that people from a range of backgrounds are able to access employment and stay in the creative industries.”
The party also say that the use of empty space, publicly owned but disused, can be better used for cultural purposes. They also promise to increase funding to Creative Scotland, the national companies and the national collections.
The Scottish Conservatives do not mention too much about culture in their manifesto, but do support the free access to museums and galleries, and they also call for the creation for more national parks.
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