« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
ANNEXES
Annex 1 Terminology used in the guidance
Introduction
1 This Annex is non-statutory. It provides explanations of what is meant by the main terminology used in this guidance document.
TERMINOLOGY
Culture
2 The broad definition of "culture" that still pertains for national policy is that stated in the 2000 National Cultural Strategy, which is repeated below for ease of reference:
The National Cultural Strategy's definition of culture ("Creating Our Future ... Minding Our Past", page 4 20): "Scotland's culture is dynamic and diverse. It has developed and been shaped over many years by the experiences of Scotland's inhabitants and their contacts with others. Culture is notoriously difficult to define. Creating Our Future: Minding Our Past has been guided by a broad definition, in line with that adopted in 1982 by the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies. '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. It includes not only the arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human beings, value systems, traditions and beliefs.' This strategy therefore takes a broad view of Scotland's culture. It includes ideas, customs and traditions, beliefs, habits of thinking, religions, languages, identities, mythologies and histories, and the expression of these in myriad forms such as poetry and prose, visual arts, music, song, theatre, comedy, dance, architecture, design, costume, film, photography and a range of crafts. It is represented in the natural and historical landscape; archaeology; buildings; museum, gallery and library collections; archives and records; and shared experiences. It includes aspects of lifestyle, such as sport and leisure. We can participate in Scotland's culture almost anywhere: in museums, theatres, schools, colleges, streets, galleries, libraries, churches, cinemas, sports grounds, workplaces, local halls, pubs, and in our homes. Not only have new technologies dramatically widened global access to Scotland's culture, but they have also widened our understanding of what that culture is." |
3 However, this guidance addresses specifically those aspects of culture that were the subject of the January 2006 policy statement, "Scotland's Culture": namely, the arts, heritage resources, museums, libraries and archives. It is those aspects which are covered by the term, "cultural services", in section 7 of the Culture Bill.
The roles of Scottish Ministers and local government
4 The role of Scottish Ministers and the role of local authorities - both in cultural provision and in other activity in which culture plays a part - are discussed in the relevant section of the website 21.
The cultural entitlements framework
5 The draft Bill provides a legislative framework for delivering 'cultural rights and entitlements', as promised in "Scotland's Culture". This guidance should help achieve a common understanding of what they mean in practice. The 'rights' framework itself has 3 elements:
- International and European rights - already in place
- National standards - which will be included in the QA Framework (see Part 2 of the guidance)
- Cultural entitlements - to be developed predominantly by local authorities
International cultural rights
6 At an international level there are several relevant provisions that apply. "Scotland's Culture" made specific reference to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
7 Of special relevance to local authorities, the UN resolution on cultural rights has been endorsed by the Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion in Agenda 21 for Culture. This defends the rights of all citizens to culture and promotes the expression of cultural identity as a basic dimension of human dignity and social inclusion. The Scottish Ministers recognise that cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, as is the cultural freedom of individuals and communities.
8 By definition, therefore, cultural rights are broad-based and set at a high level; for its part, Ministers fully endorses them.
Cultural standards
9 Ministers can ask the national cultural organisations to develop advice on quality assurance arrangements and standards for their respective sectors. More is said about these arrangements in Part 2. They will serve as a guide to organisations to help them design good quality provision and entitlements that will meet the expectations of participants and other users.
Cultural entitlements
10 The term, "cultural entitlements", is used to mean specific types of cultural activity or service - sometimes, they might also be facilities - that local authorities will seek to make available for local citizens. Generic examples are shown after paragraph 1.58, which also explains how the Culture (Scotland) Bill articulates the policy intention. The cultural entitlements developed and published by local authorities will be informed by the outcome of consultation designed to reach all parts of the community and also with a specific focus on 'hard to reach' sections of that community. This should help deliver the equality of opportunity that sits at the heart of the policy. Entitlements can also be based on the core cultural provision which local authorities are already required statutorily to deliver. It is expected that the statement of entitlements produced by each local authority will result in individuals being able to access a broad range of cultural services.
11 To refer back to the '3 elements' of the framework, cultural entitlements can be seen as taking the high-level international rights and giving them practical impact, meaning and value.
While the UNESCO Declaration mentioned above states that, "every people has the right … to develop its culture", a local cultural entitlement might take the form of giving a community a chance to take part in a regeneration project that used aspects of an area's cultural traditions and identity. (That example is not intended to suggest that all entitlements should aim to relate directly to specific clauses in the international rights agendas.) |
12 The development of cultural entitlements by local authorities and their partners should be informed by a number of key characteristics. These are set out at paragraph 1.53.
Cultural planning
13 Cultural planning is about planning for culture and planning to deliver wider objectives and policies with and through cultural activity. Cultural planning processes seek to ensure that culture is able to influence all stages of Community Planning activity. This can secure that whatever is being 'planned' benefits and embraces the culture of the place and community that are the subject or focus of the activity. That way, culture can help to deliver the planned objectives: e.g. better neighbourhoods, better public health, design enlivened by public art, multi-purpose community 'hubs'. See also Part 1, from paragraph 1.9.
Cultural pathfinders
14 A programme of pathfinders projects was launched earlier this year - when the Highland Council's Highland Promise was offered support. The projects are match-funded by Ministers to help local authorities and Community Planning Partnerships prepare for the arrival of legislation on cultural entitlements and cultural planning, and to explore, develop and evaluate new. The pathfinders focus specifically on the needs of certain priority groups that may respond positively to different and/or targeted consultation methods. For more information, see the website 22.
Outcome-based delivery
15 The Quality Assurance Framework being developed to support cultural planning will use an outcome-based delivery approach. What this means is that the wider and longer-term effects of performance and activity will be the focus for assessing success and impact. Taking the example of a choir: if the inputs are the choir trainer, the piano and the rehearsal room etc; the outputs include the choir members' ability to sing certain pieces of music and the concert; and the outcomes include the concert's impact on audiences, and lasting benefits experienced by choir members, such as new friendships, the adoption of singing as a continuing interest, etc.
Participation
16 Participation, when mentioned in this guidance, refers to taking part in culture. That might mean 'passive' involvement, such as being part of an audience. It also includes taking part in an 'active' sense - performing, painting, writing, reading, doing workshops, participating in a cultural planning initiative etc. It is desirable for cultural entitlements to include a rich range of opportunities, and much active participation.
Audience development
17 Audience development practice seeks to develop new audiences for culture, and to extend the range of opportunities for individuals. It promotes inclusiveness, so that all communities feel welcome and are encouraged - sometimes helped in specific ways - to be part of the audience and to access venues. All cultural bodies, companies and venues, operating in the public, private and voluntary sectors are encouraged to make audience development part of their practice (see the Scottish Arts Council strategy 23).
18 When local authorities promote audience development to the cultural organisations they support this can be done in ways that help advance the provision of entitlements.
« Previous | Contents | Next »