Chamber and committees

Does anyone else have any final thoughts?

I have a right-hand bias, so I will go to the other
side of the table first this time.

Our second agenda item is to take evidence on our culture in communities inquiry, which is focused on taking a place-based approach to culture. We have two evidence sessions this morning.

For our first session, we are joined by Kresanna Aigner, chief executive officer and creative director of Findhorn Bay Arts; Rachael Disbury, co-director of Alchemy Film and Arts; Caitlin Skinner, chief executive officer and artistic director of Stellar Quines; Arthur Cormack, chief executive of Fèisean nan Gàidheal; Murray Dawson, who is chief executive of Station House Media Unit; Robert Rae—he is not yet with us but we hope that he will join us soon—co-director of Art 27 Scotland; and Steve Byrne, director of Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland. A warm welcome to you all.

This is a round-table discussion and we are hoping that it will be very free flowing, so please indicate if you want to comment or come in. Do not feel that you have to answer every point unless you have something new to say, as time is tight on a Thursday morning, but we hope that it will be a free-flowing and open session.

We have three themes that we wish to cover. Theme 1 is place-based cultural policy, theme 2 is the culture eco-system and theme 3 is unmet cultural need. We will try to cover the three themes but in these situations we usually end up talking about everything at once. I thank you all for your attendance and also thank everyone who has provided a written submission to the committee, which is very helpful.

We will start with place-based cultural policy. We are trying to understand the conditions which enable the development and growth of cultural activity within different communities across Scotland, as well as the barriers which impede cultural activity from taking place. From your own experience, do you have any reflections to share on what has supported cultural groups or events within your communities and what barriers currently exist? I will just go around the room, one by one.

Robert Rae has now joined us, so I will give him a moment to get settled and will bring in Rachael Disbury.

Kirsty Cumming, did you want to add anything?

I will bring in Donald Cameron.

Kim Slater, I know that you dropped out for a little while there. Do you want to add anything?

As there are no further questions from colleagues and if there are no closing remarks, I thank the witnesses for attending. It has been a really helpful session. It was the first in our inquiry, so we have a few more to have and a few more visits to do. I think that some of my colleagues will visit Dumfries and Galloway as part of that experience. We look forward to continuing the work.

Having decided, under agenda item 2, to hold in private consideration of evidence in this and future meetings, I move the meeting into private.

Good morning, and welcome to the 12th meeting in 2023 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. Our first agenda item is as a result of a change of membership. We again thank Jenni Minto for her service to the committee and wish her well with her new responsibilities.

We welcome Ben Macpherson, who joins the committee. I invite Mr Macpherson to make a declaration of interests.

Does anybody want to come in first?