Youth Culture (Investment) (Cunninghame South)

Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 18 September 2024.

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Photo of Ruth Maguire Ruth Maguire Scottish National Party

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in supporting youth culture in the Cunninghame South constituency. (S6O-03719)

Photo of Angus Robertson Angus Robertson Scottish National Party

The Scottish Government places great importance on cultural activity in the local community. We believe that young people of all backgrounds should have the opportunity to access quality cultural services in their local area.

The Scottish Government supports a range of organisations through Creative Scotland. In the Cunninghame South constituency, those include the Irvine and Dreghorn brass band and the music education partnership We Make Music libraries group, which caters to young people specifically. We also provide upwards of £190,000 in support for North Ayrshire Council’s highly regarded youth music initiative programme, which is based in Cunninghame and whose work reaches all schools in the local authority area.

Photo of Ruth Maguire Ruth Maguire Scottish National Party

I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is increasing funding for culture. Arts and culture are integral parts of a thriving community. This summer, I had the pleasure of visiting Impact Arts, where I saw at first hand the vital work that it does to provide artistic opportunities for young people, the positive impact that it has had on their wellbeing and the prospects that it opens up to them.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that money invested by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland should be distributed across the country for the benefit of all, to ensure that the arts are developed for young people outside our main cities?

Photo of Angus Robertson Angus Robertson Scottish National Party

We know that it is vital to nurture culture and creativity across all of Scotland’s communities. The funding that we provide via Creative Scotland reaches individuals, organisations and projects across the whole of Scotland. For example, our long-standing investment—of more than £150 million since 2007—in the youth music initiative continues to support and empower young people in all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. It allows young people to access music-making and learning opportunities, with every pupil being offered a year of free music tuition by the end of primary school.

Photo of Baroness Katy Clark Baroness Katy Clark Labour

There is no doubt that there have been significant cuts to youth services in recent years. To what extent does the cabinet secretary believe that it is the impact of cuts to councils, in North Ayrshire and elsewhere, that have led to reductions in services, including in arts and culture, that are targeted at young people?

Photo of Angus Robertson Angus Robertson Scottish National Party

I have just outlined a series of ways in which cultural provision is being delivered and protected in local authorities, including in the region that Katy Clark represents. If she has particular examples of cultural services that have been cut that I may not be aware of, I would be perfectly happy to take a look at that.

I am absolutely committed to ensuring that Scotland’s culture and arts agencies, which deliver in different ways, do so right across Scotland, and that young people—no matter where they are or what their background—are given the option of participating in cultural activities. I look forward to the member reaching out to me with any information that she may have.