JOHN Swinney has said more needs to be done to increase the number of Scots benefitting from Scotland's screen industry.
The First Minister had invited guests from across Scotland’s creative industries to the headquarters of the Edinburgh International Festival on the eve of the capital’s festival season.
Swinney addressed the audience, where he spoke about the “immense value” Scotland’s creative industries provide and highlighted that the country’s screen industry has grown at a scale that “simply wasn’t possible” before the establishment of Screen Scotland.
He added that Scotland becoming a hotbed for film and TV shows has led to an explosion in the number of home-grown productions along with new and expanded studios and infrastructure, while creating a “wide range of skills and educational opportunities”.
However, a number of people working in a variety of roles in the screen industry have told The National previously that production companies are prioritising crews from London over people in Scotland.
The National understands that studio space across Scotland is fully booked for the remainder of the year, but despite a boom in filming in Scotland, Scottish workers in the industry are not given the opportunities to be a part of it.
Speaking to The National, Swinney said that the Scottish Government needs to “make sure” that there is better access to screen infrastructure for Scots, adding that there needs to be more recognition of the “economic benefits” the sector brings.
He said: “I suppose there's a point about essentially the effects of success that is leading to a congestion and access to screen infrastructure.
“Now what we've got to make sure is that we have enough capacity and it's available in a financially sustainable way to meet the needs of the screen industry in Scotland.
“It's an area where we've got Screen Scotland, who's done a superb job as you heard me saying in the in the auditorium, but, we've also got to look at what might need to be deployed through economic development support and advice through Scottish Enterprise and other organisations to make sure we've got all the capacity that we require.
Swinnney added: “Because if we've got incrementally a growing strength within our screen center we should be realising the economic benefits and advantages of that.
“Of course, our college and university community will be producing talented individuals who can play a part in that, and we've got to make sure that we've got enough capacity and opportunity for that to be the case.”
Swinney added that his and his Government’s role is to assist artists in any way they can.
The First Minister went on to make a plea to those in the industry and to wider society to look at how the arts can be better supported financially as the Government looks to boost funding to £100 million annually in the coming years.
“I’m asking that from crowdfunding to patronage, to philanthropy to local authority support and much more, we all ask ourselves how can we do more to support the arts from the grassroots up?” he said.
“How can we better support emerging artists that don’t necessarily fit the current mould?
“And how, in particular, can Scotland’s emerging businesses in new sectors become the new generation of patrons of the arts and culture in Scotland?
“How do we incentivise a new guard of custodians and investors in Scotland’s creative economy?”
Speaking to journalists after his speech, Swinney said he is open to discussions about new legislation to support the cultural sector.
He said there is a sense that local authorities “might not have a particularly explicit statutory duty to support artistic and cultural activity”, suggesting this area “might need to be strengthened”.
The First Minister also spoke about how he would be a protector of freedom of speech.
“I also know that freedom of expressing is under greater and greater attack, both at home and abroad,” he said.
“I want to ensure that Scotland, the birthplace of the Enlightenment, remains a country of robust debate and inquiry.
“I firmly believe that art and culture must be able to challenge us, to ask us tough questions, and to force us to look at things from different perspectives.
“And, yes, it must, at times, be allowed to shock and offend us, but it can also heal us.
“Let me be absolutely clear – as First Minister, I will always protect freedom of speech in our country.
“It’s not the First Minister’s job to tell you what to create, nor would I ever seek to do so.”
