To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children and young people have opportunities to engage with fine arts and performing arts, such as music, drama and art. (S6O-03516)

The Scottish Government’s long-standing investment in the youth music initiative has helped young people across Scotland to access music-making opportunities and to develop their wider skills and learning. To improve the accessibility of theatre for school pupils, the National Theatre of Scotland, one of the five national performing companies that receives funding from the Scottish Government, manages a dedicated theatre in schools programme. Having expressive arts within Scotland’s curriculum provides a platform for teachers to use interdisciplinary approaches and to work collaboratively with cultural organisations to increase opportunities for children and young people to engage with the arts.

Many of us first engage with the arts, such as music, drama and art, in the school curriculum. We know that access to arts in school has been consistently eroded by the Scottish Government. Does the cabinet secretary still believe that a broad education should include the arts? What damage is the lack of access to the arts in the education system doing to the future of performing arts such as music and drama?

Like Brian Whittle, I had the good fortune to go to a school in which music and the arts were central to teaching. I learned a musical instrument and even reached the giddy heights of the Edinburgh secondary schools orchestra.

I agree with him that it is important that pupils right across Scotland get opportunities to take part in culture and the arts. In my initial answer to Mr Whittle’s question, I outlined the ways in which that works extremely successfully. If Brian Whittle has any specific examples of where there are deficiencies, I would be happy to hear from him.

Can the cabinet secretary outline how reductions to arts and culture spending by the Westminster Government have impacted Scotland’s budget?

Through the Barnett formula, the Scottish Government receives block funding based on the total changes in United Kingdom departmental allocations for areas of devolved competence. The changes in spending by a UK Government department do not necessarily reflect an increase or decrease in that UK department’s budget allocation, so they may not directly impact the Barnett consequentials. However, I note that, although the UK Tory Government and the Welsh Labour Government have both cut culture spending, we, in Scotland, are increasing it.

What assessment has the Scottish Government made or what assessment will it make of the viability of film in the curriculum, given that the funding for the screen educator in residence pilot programme, which the Scottish Government has supported, ends this month? How will the Government make sure that the progress that has been built by the programme is not lost?

Screen education has huge potential in Scotland’s schools. In fact, a number of pilot schools have been implementing screen studies, which I am very excited about. Screen Scotland is taking that work forward and there is significant international interest in it. I would be happy to update Neil Bibby, to let him know about the plans for screen education to be introduced into Scotland’s schools. I think that the work will have cross-party support.