Announcing formal establishment of the new organisation, Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop said:-“Today marks a truly momentous change in the way we nurture and support Scotland’s reputation as a cradle and cultivator of talent across all art forms. A single, national body for the arts, culture and the creative industries in Scotland is what this Government promised and this is what we are now delivering.
“The route to Creative Scotland has taken many twists and turns. This Government has actively engaged with the artistic and creative community to ensure their views and needs were understood and taken on board. As a result the vision and shape of the new body are much improved.
“Today Creative Scotland officially starts its vitally important work – to support artists and creative practitioners of all kinds, to encourage enjoyment, appreciation and participation in the arts and to promote the value and benefits of the arts and cultural sector.
“I have high expectations of Sir Sandy Crombie and his board, working with Andrew Dixon and his management team. They are set to take on the challenge of ensuring that our creative communities continue to flourish. With many partners across the cultural spectrum, Creative Scotland will give our world-class artists and creative practitioners the profile they truly deserve, in this country and across the globe.”
Creative Scotland Chief Executive Andrew Dixon said:
“Creative Scotland is here. This is Scotland’s chance to develop its key strengths in the sector and bring together in a more unified way. We have a well-respected Chair, a board and a strong senior team.
I am delighted to be launching Creative Scotland at Edinburgh Printmakers – a place which has for over 40 years acted as a creative space for artists. It also participates in the Own Art scheme supported by the Creative Scotland Innovation Fund, which helps make contemporary art accessible to all.”
Creative Scotland Chair Sir Sandy Crombie said:
“I am excited about getting Creative Scotland underway and am looking forward to working with Andrew Dixon and the board to build on the good work of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. Our early work will be on identifying the immediate priorities for Creative Scotland.”
Creative Scotland is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). Its role is to:
Identify, support and develop quality and excellence in the arts and culture
Promote understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts and culture
Encourage as many people as possible to access and participate in the arts and culture
Realise the value and benefits of the arts and culture
Encourage and support creative endeavours that contribute to an understanding of Scotland’s national culture
Promote and support commercial activity focused on the application of creative skills
Creative Scotland will be the first Scottish public body to have equal legal status for its Gaelic and English names. This is a further demonstration of the Government’s strong commitment to the principle of according equal respect to Gaelic and English languages.
Creative Scotland’s Gaelic name will be Alba Chruthachail.
Edinburgh Printmakers was established in 1967 as the first open access studio dedicated to the promotion of contemporary printmaking practice. It achieves this by providing, maintaining and staffing an entrance free gallery and inexpensive, open access print studio, where artists and members of the public can use equipment and source technical expertise in order to develop their hands on printmaking skills. As a not for profit organisation that is also a registered charity, Edinburgh Printmakers receives approximately 50 per cent of it’s funding through revenue and project funding from the Scottish Arts Council as well as support from the City of Edinburgh Council. This enables the organisation to highly subsidise the cost of using the print studio, making access to creative facilities affordable to a wide range of people. This includes professional artists, students, community groups and members of the public, who wish to develop new or existing skills.
Edinburgh Printmakers participates in the Own Art Scheme which is supported by the Creative Scotland Innovation Fund. The Own Art scheme is designed to make it easy and affordable for everyone to buy contemporary works of art and craft including paintings, photography, sculpture, glassware and furniture. It enables people to spread the cost of their purchase with an interest free loan, from as little as £100 to £2,000.
The Creative Scotland Innovation Fund was announced in 2009 as an innovative package of projects to support Scotland’s artists and practitioners during the tough economic times. Own Art will benefit from £250,000 of the £5 million Innovation Fund investment which over the next two years will support a new strategy for galleries to develop online sales and promotion. There will also be new marketing campaigns that raise awareness of the accessibility of the Own Art scheme and the rewards of art collecting generally

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