The Cultural Renaissance of the Highlands Bryan Beattie & David B Pirnie Cultural Renaissance of the Highlands and Islands 1. RENAISSANCE? Context Are we living through a cultural renaissance in the Highlands and Islands? It’s a significant claim to which the short answer, we would propose, is ‘yes’, but one that is still in its infancy and needs careful nurturing. The circumstances are right for a renaissance - the area’s sustained upswing in economic and population growth; the continued focus on national and regional identity created by devolution; and, we would suggest, an expectation that things need to improve. The European Renaissance of the 15 th century arrived “after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation… characterised by a surge of interest in discovery, invention and learning” 1 . Do similar circumstances apply in the 21 st century Highlands? There was a long period of cultural decline following the Jacobite rebellion. The legal proscription of fundamental elements of Highland culture was compounded in the following centuries by the often calculated erosion of language and the social system. In his excellent millennial history of the area 2 which provides valuable historical context to a discussion such as this, Jim Hunter charts the beginning of the renaissance of the Highlands and Islands to the 1880s and a growing political awareness and activism in the area. His work indicates that the fact we are still able to debate the matter at all almost three centuries on is a sign of an enduring, deep-rooted culture. 1 Encyclopaedia Britannica Page 1 of 22
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When Gandhi was asked what he thought of Western culture he said he thought it was a good idea
context to a discussion such as this, Jim Hunter charts the beginning of the renaissance of the Highlands and Islands to the 1880s and a growing political In his excellent millennial history of the area 2 which provides valuable historical identity created by devolution; and, we would suggest, an expectation that things The circumstances are right for a renaissance - the area’s sustained upswing in The European Renaissance of the 15 th century arrived “after a long period of cultural
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The Cultural Renaissance of the Highlands Bryan Beattie & David B Pirnie
Cultural Renaissance of the Highlands and Islands
1. RENAISSANCE?
Context
Are we living through a cultural renaissance in the Highlands and Islands?
It’s a significant claim to which the short answer, we would propose, is
‘yes’, but one that is still in its infancy and needs careful nurturing.
The circumstances are right for a renaissance - the area’s sustained upswing in
economic and population growth; the continued focus on national and regional
identity created by devolution; and, we would suggest, an expectation that things
need to improve.
The European Renaissance of the 15th century arrived “after a long period of cultural
decline and stagnation… characterised by a surge of interest in discovery, invention
and learning”1.
Do similar circumstances apply in the 21st century Highlands? There was a long
period of cultural decline following the Jacobite rebellion. The legal proscription of
fundamental elements of Highland culture was compounded in the following
centuries by the often calculated erosion of language and the social system.
In his excellent millennial history of the area2 which provides valuable historical
context to a discussion such as this, Jim Hunter charts the beginning of the
renaissance of the Highlands and Islands to the 1880s and a growing political
awareness and activism in the area.
His work indicates that the fact we are still able to debate the matter at all almost
three centuries on is a sign of an enduring, deep-rooted culture.
1 Encyclopaedia Britannica
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We would propose that this resilience coupled with new political impetus regionally
and nationally, could result in an extraordinary flowering of Highland culture in the
21st century.
What is it?
The National Cultural Strategy provides a comprehensive definition of culture3 which
we endorse, but Donald Smith is pithier;
“Culture is shaped and influenced by landscape, climate, economic,
social and religious organisation and in turn can shape and
influence these areas – except perhaps the weather.”4
Contemporary Highlands and Islands communities have been shaped by immigrant
cultures - Nordic, Gaelic, Irish, Lowland Scot, English and increasingly the
assimilation of other European and Asian cultures, among them Polish, Italian, and
Indian.
Highland culture is therefore a celebration of diversity, not a homogeneous type - a
Shetlander would no more call himself a Gael than a Moray loon claim he was a
Muilleach – and attempts to pigeonhole the culture simplistically should be resisted.
We would argue for an inclusive definition of Highland culture – one which
recognises the breadth of geography, of cultural disciplines, and of origins – a
culture that respects the Pakistani as well as Pictish influence and acknowledges the
contribution of the skateboarder and line-dancer as well as the weaver and piper.
It is impossible to separate issues of the land from the culture of the Highlands and
Islands. The landscape is a powerful omnipresent influence, and land ownership and
use pervades the nature of all its communities.
2 ‘Last of the Free’, James Hunter (Mainstream, 1999) 3 “In its widest sense culture may now be said to be the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterise a society or group…” National Cultural Strategy, Scottish Executive, 2000 4 Donald Smith, Director of Edinburgh’s Netherbow Centre, private correspondence, 1997
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Interestingly, the European Renaissance witnessed the decline of feudalism. Perhaps
recent landmark legislation on land reform from the Scottish parliament is therefore
another indicator of a growing Highland renaissance?
Where is the evidence of renaissance?
This is not a time for negativity – there are too many positives to consider – but it is
a time for an honest assessment of the cultural environment and a pragmatic
approach to its development.
If in this paper we appear to focus too much on the downside it is merely to
emphasise the tremendous potential, rather than ignore existing good practice.
So, how substantial is this current cultural renaissance of the Highlands and Islands?
Where is the evidence? And would the sceptical eyes of the resident population
recognise it?
In a recent list of the 50 Scots who are allegedly shaping world culture5 only two hail
from the Highlands and Islands: the Shetland fiddler Aly Bain, and the Argyll novelist,
Alan Warner. Not a scientific study, but revealing of external perceptions.
Perhaps more acutely, despite imagination, collective effort and a substantial
financial contribution from the leading regional and national public agencies, the
recent Inverness Highland 2008 bid for the title European Capital of Culture failed to
make the competition shortlist.
There are few theatres, cinemas, quality sports venues, or adequately invested-in
museums, in the area. If you take a conventional view that culture by and large
takes place in purpose-built buildings and arenas then the Highlands and Islands is
indeed in some degree of poverty.
Are these signs of an area in cultural renaissance?
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We would maintain, however, the culture of an area is primarily shaped by its
physical environment, its people and the things they do, and on that basis the
Highlands is rich indeed.
Our assets are unconventional – we have no Old Trafford, Tate Modern or Covent
Garden. But then other areas have no Cuillin, River Spey or Maes Howe. It is difficult,
redundant perhaps, to measure our assets against ‘conventional’ cultural provision.
The voluntary sector is the bedrock of Highlands and Islands cultural life. They
ensure the presence of over 30 independent museums, 1,3006 sports clubs, 2,000
arts organisations and over 5,000 events, performances and festivals each year that
attract 1.5 million people7.
Arts and sports organisations alone involve 31,500 local people, generate £65m per
annum and create 1,600 full time jobs, 3,000 part-time, and 2,100 fte’s8.
People are interested in culture. In Orkney over 10% of the population participate in
the arts alone9. Almost 60% of Highland adults participate in sport10. Highlanders
attend music events three times more than the rest of Scotland, and contemporary
art exhibitions twice as often11.
Highland culture should, we propose, be considered as a natural resource which is as
yet under-exploited. It merits at least the same care and investment from the public
sector as any other natural resource – and has the added benefit of being continually
renewable.
Statistics, though impressive, are only part of the picture. There are specific green
shoots of a renaissance that can be pointed to:
Achievements such as the creation of the An Leabhar Mòr (The Great Book of
Gaelic); the success of Olympic and Commonwealth athletes from this area; the
5 The Scotsman Magazine, 8th February 2003 6 13% of the Scottish total, from 4% of the Scottish population; (one study estimates the total as nearer 1,700) 7 ‘Economic and Social Impact of the Arts in the Highlands and Islands’, HIE, 2001 8 ‘Assessment of the Social Economy of the Highlands and Islands’, HIE, 2002 9 ‘Orkney Arts Audit’, Orkney Arts Forum, 2001 10 ‘Sports participation in Scotland 200’, SportScotland, 2001
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increasing recognition of the feisean movement and the upward rise of interest and
participation in traditional music by young people; and the expanding export market
of the Orcadian craft industry.
In just one area – literature – in the latter half of the 20th century the Highlands and
Islands produced the Caithnessian, Neil Gunn, the Orcadian, George Mackay Brown,
the Leosach, Iain Crichton Smith, Robin Jenkins from Argyll, and Sorley MacLean
from Raasay. Writers of international significance.
Today’s crop of young writers are just as geographically disparate, Inveress’s Ali
Smith, Alan Warner from Oban, Michel Faber in Tain – and the tremendous outcrop
of writers in Ross-shire – Bess Ross, Anne MacLeod, Cynthia Rogerson, and Moira
Forsyth, brought to the surface through local authority-inspired writer’s residencies.
New Media
There are more green shoots evident in new media. The proposed film studio in
Inverness could open extraordinary doors of opportunity, perhaps also leading to a
film school. The planned Centre for Creative Industries at Sabhal Mor Ostaig will act
as a catalyst both for ideas and trained professionals. The possibility of a well-funded
Gaelic TV channel could arguably make the single most profound and long-lasting
impact, both culturally and economically, in this sector.
However, green shoots need nurturing.
Small indigenous media companies and individuals in the area have not yet had the
same level of encouragement or support as that of other industries or inward
investors. Yet their potential is great. The active search and location by HIE of the
Animation Studio to Unst is an excellent example of positive discrimination towards a
creative industry also helping the economy and social infrastructure of a fragile area.
There is far more that can be done to aid this inward investment. Despite great
television activity in the area in the last 10 years12 there is no equivalent to a
11 System 3 Report for Scottish Arts Council, 1998 12 For example, the network series’ Hamish MacBeth, Rockface, 2000 Acres of Sky, and Monarch of the Glen.
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company like Ècosse – the makers of Monarch of the Glen – in the area. There
should and could be, with the active support of national and regional agencies and
the industry itself.
The presence of such companies creates a momentum of its own – others follow, a
cluster forms, a career path is established for young people in the area, and so on.
Heritage
There is a similar story of excellence and potential in heritage. The quality of
interpretation at Skara Brae and Calanais is now worthy of the sites themselves. The
community-driven development at Kilmartin in Argyll shows that quality is not the
sole province of the professional.
But what do we have at the Glenelg Brochs, Jarlshof, and Clava Cairns? Where is the
celebration and interpretation of Pictish history on the East coast13, the prehistory of
Caithness, and almost everywhere you turn in Argyll?
The Highland Folk Park is without doubt a very good museum in Badenoch and
Strathspey – and with Phase Three investment at the level it requires it could
become a genuine European landmark.
The private-sector proposed Clearances Centre and monument in Helmsdale to
celebrate the achievement of the Highland Diaspora, although at an early stage, is
an ambitious and landmark project, in every sense of the word.
But for each example of quality a dozen sites of potential can be mentioned. Why are
we not exploiting, sensitively, the natural resource of our heritage to a greater
extent?
Events such as Up Helly Aa, the Royal National Mod, and Kirkwall’s Ba’ Game, reveal
the distinctive origins of cultural heritage. Others such as the St Magnus Festival
have created a new tradition (and in the latter case an event of international
reputation).
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But, some excellent local festivals notwithstanding, where are the events of
significant scale that present a platform for, and celebration of, Highland culture on a
regional scale? Where are the international touring showcases of cultural excellence?
Arts
In the arts, the Lottery has allowed a ‘string of pearls’ to be created – galleries which
make a substantial impact on their local community – Bunhoga in Shetland, Taigh
Chearsabagh in North Uist, An Tobar in Mull, An Tuireann in Skye, and art.tm in
Inverness.
On top of this, exciting new developments are underway to transform An Lanntair in
Stornoway – a landmark £4.5m development in the town - and the Pier Arts Centre
in Stromness. And Mull Theatre hopes to build a new home on the island by 2007.
The proposed Eden Court Theatre extension and re-development will hopefully also
be in place by then. But there is a need for significant new-build cultural
infrastructure in Inverness, as highlighted by both the recent Scottish Executive
Cities Review and the 2008 Bid.
The success of the Screen Machine has led to advanced plans for a second vehicle.
This extremely successful initiative is a model for delivering rural services that could
usefully be applied throughout Scotland.
Individual excellence in music, the visual arts and literature is evident, for example;
Phil Cunningham, Alasdair Nicolson, Stuart MacRae, Ishbel Macaskill, Will MacLean,
Craig Mackay, John Byrne.
Most artists however would admit they will, or have had to, relocate elsewhere at
some point in their professional life, usually to be closer to markets, or to enjoy
resources not available to them in this area – such as adequate venues or grant
assistance.
13 We are aware of the tremendous potential of the site at Tarbat Ness.
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Clear career paths and opportunities have not yet been established for those who
wish to choose the creative or cultural industries. This is a priority in order to retain
and nurture indigenous cultural talent.
Gaelic
Not all the cultural runes are easy to read. The recent census revelation of an 11%
decline in Gaelic speakers might seem to indicate a terminal illness. Yet the growing
number of Gaelic primary schools, the large audience for Gaelic TV programmes, and
the increasing profile of the language nationally tell a different story.
The recent creation of the Bòrd na Gaidhlig is a very powerful way of addressing the
issue through structures. Something we will return to. Praise is due to the Scottish
Executive for this initiative.
It is perhaps useful to note the language’s survival and development is being
considered across the spectrum of education, commerce, media, heritage and the
arts (and indeed through legislation).
This cross-boundary approach applies to other aspects of culture although as yet, for
the most part, structures are still not joined-up enough to encourage such strategic
thinking.
Sport
In sport the Highlands and Islands have a unique niche. The skiing developments at
Aonach Mor and Aviemore, including the new funicular, are excellent and welcome.
Glenmore Lodge remains a lone beacon for outdoor training.
But is there another area in Europe which is so blessed with the natural mountain,
coastal and water resource we have that makes so little use of it? Others make much
more of much less.
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There is no mystery to what needs to be done or what can be achieved. Sensitive
exploitation of a natural resource is clearly evident in Scandinavia and the mountain
regions of central Europe.
We should be bold in our ambition for what the potential of our culture is.
We propose establishing a target to see the number of outdoor sports enthusiasts,
including walkers and cyclists, grow by a factor of several hundred percent. This may
seem ambitious but we believe the capacity is, or could be, there to achieve it.
Such a scale of development would need infrastructural improvement and some new
provision, allied with effective marketing. But no more investment than would be
expected from an industry with comparable potential or importance.
2. CAN WE DO IT?
Ours is arguably the first generation in three hundred years which has
both the opportunity as well as the ability to invest appropriately in the
culture of the area. There is a growing confidence in who we are and what
we can be.
The Bid by Inverness Highland 2008 to become European Capital of Culture is the
most significant recent recognition of the importance of culture in the area, and
created an extraordinary coalition of support and consensus (most of the time) from
the community, private and public sectors for its aspiration. It is worth considering in
a little more detail why it was not short-listed in the competition and, more
importantly, its legacy.
While the judging panel have offered no official reason for their decision not to select
the Bid, in discussion during the process of assessment two clear issues emerged:
First, serious concerns about the quality and capacity of the transport infrastructure
of the north. This paper will not rehearse arguments and positions that are well
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known in this regard, but it is a salutary reminder of the inter-connectedness of
issues. Cultural development cannot progress in isolation.
The second reason was the perceived lack of evidence of cultural development - by
which we think they meant, high quality venues developed and equipped to support
cultural activity. This suggested the Bid was founded more on aspirations than a
track record of commitment, planned expenditure and achievement.
An unfair judgment, or an objective, unpalatable truth ‘as ithers see us’?
Even the achievement of persuading over 20 national and regional bodies
representing every conceivable area of cultural activity to back the Bid, through a
Concordat agreement, impressed but ultimately failed to persuade the panel.
The innovative concept of the Highland Council’s Cultural Pledge14 which excited
everyone on the panel also failed, finally, to tip the balance in the Bid’s favour.
There were however several positives to emerge from the 18 month process
formulating and developing the Bid. Here are some of them:
• The confidence to use cultural identity positively (the first opportunity Inverness
used to demonstrate its city status) and as a possible lever for development
• Genuinely raising the profile of Highland culture to decision-makers
regionally and nationally
• Taking a broad definition of culture, and then…
• …bringing Scottish cultural institutions together in a Concordat to reflect
that breadth
• Putting culture at the centre of local authority strategic planning
• Involving over 2,500 local people in the process of defining their culture and
its development
• Catalysing some valuable and exciting ideas
14 A commitment to every school-age pupil to give free access to a specified range of cultural activity – sport, arts, heritage, science, language and environment - during their period in formal education
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However, can we deny the essential truth that there has been only a limited
commitment to cultural planning and development in the Highlands and Islands: in
the development of new operating structures, investment in significant new cultural
assets and strategic programmes?
Can we claim that all of those who are ostensibly working in the interests of cultural
development are joined-up in their thinking, their actions and their expenditure? That
the large human resource available to support culture, from public agencies and non-
governmental organisations to the national bodies, share a common strategic vision,
have equivalent levels of knowledge and experience and operate – more or less –
with a common purpose in mind?
Let’s put this in perspective. For generations of Highlanders their cultural bequest to
the next generation has been an eradication of belief in indigenous language, the
demise in practice of traditional arts, and lack of confidence in an autonomous
cultural identity.
The process to seriously address this may have started in the 1880s but only picked
up pace in the 1970s and has been growing slowly but exponentially since then,
most significantly in the last 15 years.
However, after such a sustained period of neglect and under-investment, genuine
cultural renaissance remains an aspiration rather than a reality for many people. This
is unlikely to change until cultural provision – at strategic, resource and service levels
- is afforded a higher priority than at present, particularly by local authorities.
As the public sector has the major responsibility for leadership in this task it is to
them that we look to put the building blocks in place to enable the renaissance to
develop and grow.
Signed-up and Joined-up?
There is a lot of clear water between being signed-up and being joined-up. Therein
lies one of the most challenging areas of reconciliation that has to be achieved by
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the key partners in this process: principally local government, the main public
agencies, national bodies, and the Scottish Executive.
It was a defining moment of the Bid when leading representatives – at chair and
chief executive levels - of over 20 major bodies in Scotland first gathered together at
Dance Base in Edinburgh to ‘sign-up’ to the Concordat to support the Inverness
Highland 2008 bid.
A defining moment because this had never before happened in Scotland, and the
momentum of that initiative should not be lost.
The Scottish Executive’s ongoing consideration of the possible development of
Creative Scotland is a helpful discussion, one we believe the success of the
Concordat initiative can contribute to.
The process to improve, however well intentioned, presumes that those responsible
for managing and delivering the front-line services that will lead to these
improvements actually have the capacity to achieve the outcomes of their plan.
In that respect much is expected of local government on whose shoulders much of
the implementation relies. Have they the tools? They are hindered at the outset by
existing local government legislation which allows a very broad – too broad we would
suggest – definition of what constitutes ‘adequate provision’ of cultural services.
So, realistically, what can local authorities actually achieve? Look at their service
plans then check out their budgets. Most funding is committed and scope for
supporting the development of new activities and innovation is limited.
This underlines the immense challenge facing our local authorities. How to address in
a progressive way, the singular and yet inter-related conditions of the nine fields that
are contained within that deceptively simple term: cultural provision. The arts;
community recreation; economic activity; health and social care; heritage; learning;
libraries; information & archives; and sport.
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Despite the exhortations of the Scottish Executive in its draft guidance for local
authorities on implementation of the National Cultural Strategy, how much more
effort and resource, not simply intentions, is being applied – and with what result?
How importantly does the cultural planning and development agenda actually feature
in the thinking of elected members and officers? At the most basic level, how many
are actually consumers of the cultural product?
Despite the Community Planning agenda and the widespread adoption of early stage
Community Planning Partnerships in such fields as health and care, community
safety, young people, and social inclusion, where do we find an explicit reference to
culture…. and how many community planning partnerships in the Highlands and
Islands have culture as a core, or even principal, theme?
Mike Watson, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport wrote in an introduction to
the 2002 Annual Report on the National Cultural Strategy, “It would be a mistake to
view culture only as a tool to achieve other objects – however desirable those may
be.”
Do we conflate culture and heritage too readily with tourism? Is the justification for
its support seen solely or primarily in these or other economic terms? Is the impact it
can have, and has, across the spectrum of social justice, education, health, and
development at best unrecognised at worst ignored?
These questions are probably easy, if awkward, to answer. And they are reasonable
to ask if it results in an acknowledgment of the centrality and reach of culture in
Highland society.
The harder part is to remedy the situation, and the public sector’s role in this is vital.
But they are only one, albeit important, part of the equation. The culture of an area
is shaped by its people, and we have shown earlier this is a particular strength of the
Highlands and Islands.
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While the power of people and communities will ultimately ensure the success of any
cultural initiative it should be encouraged and facilitated by an enlightened and
thoughtful hand.
We should finally, therefore, consider how we might move forward.
3. SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
Our argument is essentially this;
We are living at the most exciting of periods, the beginnings of a cultural
renaissance. We therefore have both a duty to nurture and promote it, and
the opportunity to help shape it.
How do we go about this, and what conditions need to be in place to create the
environment where cultural activity, let alone a renaissance, can take place?
We would propose the following conditions are essential:
• Sustained political will and motivation
• Desire of the community to be involved
• Basic, Enhanced and Soft Infrastructure
• Structures to deliver
• Resources to deliver
• Inspirational people
The American writer Alvin Tofler observed that ‘In dealing with the future…..it is
more important to be imaginative and insightful than to be one hundred percent
right. Theories do not have to be ‘right’ to be enormously useful. Even error has its
uses.’
With that disclaimer in mind here are some thoughts on each of the prerequisite
conditions:
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Political will
The commissioning of this paper and the discussion that will follow is a clear
indication of the growing political importance of culture and creativity at national and
regional level. Locally the debate is at different stages of engagement and will
hopefully benefit from the catalyst of this discussion.
We would propose there is an opportunity for the Convention and the Scottish
Executive to consider the Highlands and Islands area as a pilot case for an approach
to cultural planning which can influence the rest of Scotland.
Were the encouragement and support given at national level for such an approach
over, say, a designated five year period we believe the results could be profound,
both materially for the area and in influencing national policy and approach to
cultural development.
The Highlands and Islands are an ideal area for such a pilot project: they are
distinctive geographically and culturally, and most of its public sector institutions –
cultural, political and economic - reflect this.
More importantly, as we have endeavoured to show, this is a critical time for
nurturing the embryonic cultural renaissance in this area and ensuring its success.
In a risk-averse culture such as ours engagement in cultural development is not
always reassuring as it often involves uncertainty, creativity and the unexpected.
Not qualities usually clasped to the bosom of the public sector, although conditions
within which politicians operate on a daily basis.
We may be able to plan to manage the institutions, the money and the procedures
but we are unable to control the outcomes. For an active culture that is how it
should be. For a local authority that is a position which is difficult to justify to
electors.
We believe that bold and imaginative political leadership over a sustained period is a
fundamental prerequisite for the renaissance.
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Community involvement
We have shown already the extraordinarily high levels of interest and participation in
cultural activity by geographic communities and communities of interest in the area.
It is a strong foundation for any development to build on.
For the building to take place effectively the public sector must first clarify then
acknowledge what the benefits of investment in cultural development actually are.
This will primarily be the creation of confident, healthy, creative children and adults.
The reward for Highlands and Islands society is a population who engage more ably
and actively in their communities and contribute creatively to its economic success in
an innovative way.
Consultation with audiences, communities and practitioners across the range of
cultural provision will answer the question in specific ways. When they were given
the opportunity (in the Bid process) two and a half thousand people showed
willingness and ability to engage positively in shaping their culture.
In essence they viewed it holistically, without institutional silos. Suggestions for
improving town-centre environments sat alongside tourism-related projects, desires
to upgrade basic transport and leisure infrastructure were as frequent as ideas for
new arts and sports events.
It is perhaps a cliché to state that the people of the Highlands and Islands are its
greatest resource – engagement in cultural activity is a way of maximising the
potential of that resource.
Infrastructure
The physical environment and the quality of life in the Highlands and Islands are
excellent for creative people and companies. It is incumbent on the public sector to
ensure the infrastructure is there – the grant support, the technology, the education
system, the workforce – to complete the picture.
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At its simplest this can be seen as providing three tiers of infrastructure - Basic,
Enhanced and Soft.
The Basic infrastructure for cultural activity to take place needs to be quantified. For
example it might be characterised as a community of 1,500 people having access to:
• A performance space (perhaps as part of the school, or village hall)