Orkney’s Creative Future: A Ten Year Strategy for the Arts: Action Plan 2023-2027
Orkney’s Creative Future is premised on three key focal points:
- People
- Place
- Participation
Since the publishing of Orkney’s Creative Future: A Ten Year Strategy for the Arts in 2017 Orkney Islands Council has produced a focal matrix for its work as follows:
| OIC Values | OIC Priorities |
|---|---|
| Resilience | Connected Communities |
| Equality | Caring Communities |
| Fairness | Thriving Communities |
| Sustainability | Enterprising Communities |
| Leadership | Quality of Life |
| Enterprise | |
| Innovation |
These are the guidelines for OIC operations and funding, and these activities are assessed through Best Value practices. It is therefore essential to ensure that the Arts Strategy be tied into to these processes of assessment to ensure that there is a continued case for the non-statutory funding of the arts in Orkney.
In addition, the Scottish Government published two strategic documents:
A Culture Strategy for Scotland, in February 2020, which is predicated on the following pillars of intent:
- Strengthening Culture
- Transforming through Culture
- Empowering through Culture
And A farier, greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021/22, in 2021, which is predicated on the following delivery goals:
- Establish a Caring Nation
- Create a Land of Opportunity
- Secure a Net Zero Nation
- Create an Economy that works for all of Scotland’s People and Places
- Living Better
- Establish Scotland in the World
There is a clear synergy between all these strategies, and a need to ensure future cultural practice in Orkney is part of these local and national frameworks to be in-step with, and able to benefit from, the best national practice. It is therefore the intent of the Orkney Sector Aims and Ambitions in this next phase to align with both the local and national focus for Orkney’s cultural sector going forward as follows:
| Orkney Islands Council: A Creative Future, a Ten Year Strategy for the Arts 2017 -2027 | Alignment | Scottish Government: A Culture Strategy for Scotland, February 2020 | Resulting in | Orkney Islands Council Values | Orkney Islands Council Priorities | Scottish Government: A fairer, greener, Scotland Programme 2021-2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People | Through | Strengthening Culture | Resulting in | Resilience | Connected & Caring Communities | Establish a Caring Nation |
| Place | Through | Transforming through Culture | Resulting in | Leadership, Enterprise & Innovation | Enterprising Communities | Create a Land of Opportunity; Establish Scotland in the World |
| Participation | Through | Empowering through Culture | Resulting in | Equality, Fairness & Sustainability | Thriving Communities & Quality of Life | Create an Economy that works for all of Scotland’s People and Places; Living Better |
Alongside each of the three key strands of the Arts Strategy: People; Place; Participation in the first column below there is sited the most relevant OIC Values and Priorities and Key Ambitions of the National Culture Strategy, in order to reflect its consideration within the Sector Aims and Ambitions for the next phase of work.
The third column expresses the overarching target intent of the next phase of work and the fourth column provides SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound actions). The final column gives an oversight of goals achieved from the previous Sector Aims and Ambitions document and also covers the period between 2019-2021 and the impact of Covid.
Orkney’s Creative Future Strategic Theme: People
Aligned sector aims and ambitions
Orkney’s Creative Future Strategic Theme: People
1. Children and young people will be able to harness their curiosity, imagination and problem-solving skills to achieve educationally, secure employment and confidently navigate life
Through:
Scottish Government: A Culture Strategy for Scotland, 2020, Ambition 1: Strengthening Culture
Our aims are to:
Develop the conditions and skills for culture to thrive, so it is cared for, protected and produced for the enjoyment and enrichment of all present and future generations.
Resulting in:
Orkney Island Council Value: Resilience
Orkney Island Council Priority: Connecting and Caring Communities
Scottish Government: A fairer, greener, Scotland Programme 2021-2022: Establishment of a Caring Nation
| Target No. | Target | How will this be achieved (SMART actions) | Lead Person(s)/Organisation(s) | By when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cultivate a shared understanding of creativity skills and creative learning across the arts and education sector in Orkney. | Continue development of the creative leadership programme within primary schools in partnership with Matthew Sowerby and Associates (formerly Hidden Giants Creative Consultancy). Evaluate Delivery of Year Two rollout with: St Andrew’s Primary; Glaitness Primary; Dounby Primary (phase II); Burray/Hope and N.Ronaldsay Cluster. Production of a final report. Continue development of schools’ engagement with Museums’ Service. Maintain relationship with North Walls School and Junior Curators. Roll out similar programmes with other schools. Support and produce education material for Schools as part of an OIC Cultural online platform. Production of a creative leadership online platform for dissemination of practice. Develop a set of creative learning aims/ethos for Orkney in line with Scotland’s Creative Learning Plan and Curriculum for Excellence through Education Scotland’s National Creative Learning Network Funding (NCLN). | Orkney Islands Council (OIC) Arts Dev & Education Museums’ Service; Funding partner NCLN; Schools: St Andrew’s, Glaitness, Dounby, Burray/Hope and North Ronaldsay | Annually 2023-2027; Schools: 2022-2023; Schools: 2023-2027 tbc; 2024-2027; 2023; 2025-2027 |
| 2. | Using the aims developed through the pilot project roll out to all Orkney Primary Schools over the next six years, in partnership with Matthew Sowerby and Associates | Continue development of the creative leadership programme within primary schools in partnership with Matthew Sowerby and Associates (formerly Hidden Giants Creative Consultancy). Fundraise Annually through Creative Learning Network Fund. Work in partnership with National Galleries Scotland and Stirling to consider a research application for Collaboration Fund to explore the value of specialist led arts practice in education with a focus on visual arts delivery by practitioners. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Funding partners: NCLN Collaboration Fund, Leeds University; National Galleries Scotland & Stirling Education Services; Schools | Annually 2023-2027; Autumn 2023 |
| 3. | Develop a Secondary education links | Develop links between Museums’ Service and Secondary education building on the model developed with North Walls Primary School and Scapa Flow Museum. Explore extension of the Creative Leadership programme to Secondary schools. Consider inclusion in annual application to NCLN. Explore potential for small/mid-scale national touring at Orkney Theatre in a residency model that could work both with schools and amateur dramatics groups. Lead the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: National Covid Memorial Programme. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Museums’ Service; Schools | 2023-2027; 2026; 2025-2027 |
| 4. | Maintain a strategic dialogue with partners in relation to creative learning to ensure an up to date understanding of the creative learning agenda and policy. | Membership of NCLN – attend monthly meetings (minimum of 6 per annum). Membership of NCLN sub-groups to influence strategic thinking. Present Orkney based case studies of practice at meetings. Attendance of and presentation within NCLN Annual Events Week. Presentation by at least one Creative Leadership programme participating schools at the NCLN Annual Events Week. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Schools | Ongoing |
| 5. | Embed the principles of creative learning within Orkney’s education approach across the whole sector | Pilot an ongoing Orkney Creative Leadership online platform hosted by Matthew Sowerby and Associates to share and develop creative leadership and learning approaches, in practice; to enshrine creative learning as a basic tenet of Orkney’s education delivery; and involve participation of Heads, Deputes and PTs as critical to this practice. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Schools; Matthew Sowerby & Associates (formerly Hidden Giants) | 2023 |
| 6. | Support a greater range and number of creative learning opportunities for schools in community engagement. | Maintain support of the annual delivery of the National Schools Theatre Touring programme offer in primary schools. Work in partnership with National Galleries Scotland. Culture Fund review implementation to open up opportunities for individual artists across a wider range of arts practice to work in a schools’ context. Explore live theatre touring for Secondary aged YP potentially through Creative Scotland touring funding – looking at a residential model that could also extend to local amateur dramatics offer. Lead the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: National Covid Memorial Programme. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Imaginate; National Galleries Scotland; Other touring providers | Annually |
| 7. | Encourage schools to actively engage with cultural programmes as they arise | Ongoing liaison with Head of Education, SIOs, Heads and staff. Broker relationships between artists, cultural organisations and schools. Remembering Together: Covid Memorial Programme. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Schools; Other stakeholders | Ongoing |
| 8. | Continue to advocate and support collaboration between schools and artists/cultural organisations to enrich learning experiences. | Liaison with Head of Education, SIOs, Heads and staff and Museums’ Service on the Scapa Flow Museum redevelopment 2021 – ongoing – annual schools input into peer-focussed interpretation of artefacts. Liaison with Key Culture Fund Client group and schools’ provision as a part of the conditions of funding – Review of Culture Fund. Liaison with annual Culture Fund recipients, where appropriate - as a part of the conditions of funding – Review of Culture Fund. Explore potential for small/mid-scale national touring at Orkney Theatre in a residency model that could work both with schools and amateur dramatics groups. Lead the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: National Covid Memorial Programme. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; Key Culture Fund Clients: St Magnus Festival, The Pier Arts Centre, The Orkney Folk Festival, Orkney Community Dance, Barony Mils, Schools, Artists, Other cultural organisations | 2023-2027 (and ongoing) |
| 9. | Build supporting creative networks with YP outwith formal school, including YP who find the school environment difficult to manage and are unable to operate within it and/or who have additional support needs. | Liaison with gateway organisations including Youth Café, Young Carers and VAO Connect Project. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; VAO Connect Project; Young Carers; Youth Cafe | 2023-2027 ongoing |
| 10. | Continue to develop Orkney’s strong musical heritage by supporting young and emerging musicians. | Advocate for the continuation of free instrument tuition. Ongoing and provided by Youth Music Initiative run by Education Team. | OIC Education; Arts Dev | Ongoing |
| 11. | Continue to support the encouragement and development of young writers throughout Orkney through Wirdsmit | Support GMB Fellowship to develop more robust and sustainable organisational models to support the ongoing provision and development of Wirdsmit, including the consideration of making GMBF a Key Culture Fund Client. | OIC Arts Dev; GMB Fellowship | Ongoing – particular focus for 2023-2024 |
| 12. | Develop the performing arts sector in Orkney for young people | Research and develop funding capacity including considering implementing the proposed reframing of the current OIC Culture Fund to address this artform gap across all age groups. Research potential for small/mid-scale national touring at Orkney Theatre in a residency model that could work both with schools and amateur dramatics groups. Culture Fund Review implementation could open up opportunities for individual artists across a wider range of arts practice that are currently not funded eg performing arts and literature to work in a schools’ context. It could also consolidate some annual organisational recipients that work with young people. | OIC Arts Dev, Education & Leisure; Creative Scotland; Schools; Amateur Dramatic Societies; Culture Fund Key Clients and Open Pot recipients as appropriate | 2023-2027 |
| 13. | Support access routes into the arts sector and creative industries, through apprenticeships, trainee schemes, volunteer programmes operated by Key Culture Fund Clients and other industry routes within Orkney | Support main Key Culture Fund clients’ capacity to undertake to develop at least 1 work placement per year for young people in the cultural and creative industries as part of funding requirements of the reframed Culture Fund. Explore capacity within Orkney culture sector, outwith Key Culture Fund client status, to undertake similar opportunities and the required support to do so. | OIC Arts Dev & Education; HIE; Culture Fund Key Clients; Orkney cultural organisations – particular emphasis on Festivals and Events Sector | 2022-2027 |
| 14. | Provide support to Culture Fund Key Clients in their development opportunities targeted at graduates within and returning to Orkney in order for them to continue to develop their skills as professional artists within Orkney. | Support the Pier Arts Centre’s submission of Full Business for the proposed capital development of an Artists Residential Centre (Links House) and community/teaching facilities (Old Post Office) through The Islands Deal proposal – Creative Wellbeing Programme. The capital project comprises the development of Links House, Bursay, as an international artist residential space and The Old Post Office, Stromness, as a training and community engagement resource. Both projects seek to feed into the focus on the development and retention of local professional visual artists. | Pier Arts Centre; OIC Culture & Arts Dev & Economic Development; HIE (Expo North); Other cultural organisations as appropriate | Ongoing; 2021-2023 Outline Business Case and Full Business Case |
2. Through new friendships and dynamic partnerships artists and organisations will foster collaborative cultural leadership and a more resilient future for the arts
Through:
Scottish Government: A Culture Strategy for Scotland, 2020, Ambition 1: Strengthening Culture
Our aims are to:
Value, trust and support creative people – for their unique and vital contribution to society and the economy.
Encourage greater openness and diverse cultures to reflect a changing Scotland in the 21st century.
Foster international collaboration and build on Scotland’s reputation for cultural excellence.
Resulting in:
Orkney Island Council Value: Resilience
Orkney Island Council Priority: Connecting and Caring Communities
Scottish Government: A fairer, greener, Scotland Programme 2021-2022: Establishment of a Caring Nation
| Target No. | Target | How will this be achieved (SMART actions) | Lead Person(s)/Organisation(s) | By when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | Advocate fair pay for artists and creative professionals in line with current sector/industry standards. | Ensure Culture Fund Key Clients and recipients of Culture Fund Open Pot pay artists in line with industry standards. Encourage all organisations to fully recognise the professional status of artists by paying in line with current industry standards. Raise awareness amongst artists of the annual rates of pay guidance published by sector/industry bodies eg Scottish Artists Union, the Musician’s Union and Equity. Use these rates system as a guide for OIC commissioned activity. | OIC Culture & Arts Dev; Partners including: Culture Fund Key Clients, Culture Fund recipients, Creative Scotland | Ongoing |
| 16. | Share information about the latest training and professional development opportunities for artists and creative professionals. | Develop new email databases to disseminate third party information on training/funding and events to artists and cultural/arts organisations. Develop the OIC Arts Development Web Pages including Culture Fund Open Pot funded projects to have a Case Study page. Develop material for Culture online platform. Ensure all OIC projects are presented to local press and media outfits through the OIC Comms Team. | OIC Arts Dev & Admin | Ongoing; 2023-2027 |
| 17. | Support increased access to more regular and cost-effective professional development opportunities for artists and creative sector employees | Membership of Create Networks steering committee – exploring gaps in Business support Training for Creatives. Partnership with HIE and ExpoNorth and OIC Economic Development Team. | OIC Economic Development; Culture & Arts Dev; HIE (Expo North); Business Gateway; Create Network | Ongoing |
| 18. | Seek data to support development as a strategy of sustainability, resilience and growth | Review Festival & Events Sector support emerging from the economic impact assessment Report 2022 focussing on these key topic areas: Marketing & Data Capture; Volunteers; Venues; Infrastructure – Accommodation & Transport; Funding; Development. Run sector wide discussion workshops on each topic to develop an action plan to take forward. Culture Fund Review: Key Culture Fund Clients to feed into a central needs analysis as part of the conditions of grant. Explore the potential for a shared resources hub or hubs for infrastructural equipment sited in Orkney to be able to respond to event needs eg rostra, seating, sound proofing, marquees, touring technical system. Explore the potential of the Social Value Engine as a system of evaluation of qualitative data in terms of cultural impact in Orkney. | OIC – Culture, Arts Dev & Economic Development & LEADER; Festival and Events Sector | 2022 and ongoing; 2023-2025 |
| 19. | Support cultural organisations to develop greater resilience | Culture Fund Review – the revision of Key Client assessment processes and extension of the portfolio. Disburse and manage the Covid Recovery Fund for Culture. Festival & Events Sector Development Action Plans and realisation. Support individual organisational reviews and reframe/refocus to ensure continued development. Explore the potential for a shared resources hub or hubs for infrastructural equipment sited in Orkney to be able to respond to event needs eg rostra, seating, sound proofing, marquees, touring technical system. | OIC Culture, Arts Dev & Economic Development; HIE (Expo North); Creative Scotland; Orkney based Festival & Events Sector | 2023-2024 and ongoing |
| 20. | Maximise and promote the value of mentoring and the opportunities presented by the wealth of experienced artists working in Orkney. | Set up opportunities to for mentoring relationships with Key Culture Fund Clients as part of the grant requirements. Support opportunities to for mentoring relationships within the commercial arts sector in Orkney. Explore potential for opportunities within the wider cultural industries sector within Orkney. | OIC Arts Dev; Key Culture Fund Clients; HIE; VAO; Cultural Organisations and businesses | 2023-2027 (ongoing) |
| 21. | Provide funding opportunities for individual creatives within Orkney and those benefiting Orkney communities | Continuing the support to individual artists and craft makers through the Visual Arts & Craft Makers Award (VACMA) in partnership with Creative Scotland and HIE - ongoing. Implement Culture Fund Review recommendation to provide individual artist support across art forms that currently have no access to OIC funding including music, performing arts and literature. This to mirror the funding levels of the VACMA bursaries. | OIC Arts Dev; Creative Scotland; HIE | 2023 and ongoing |
| 22. | Attract external and national arts funding and opportunities to Orkney | Funding Application support for OIC Artists and arts organisations. Liaison with local and national cultural organisations and funders – ongoing. Support the development of new approaches to the wider Museum offer in Orkney – particularly regarding the current farm museums and Wireless Museum - Consider application to the William Syson Foundation for Public Art/Museums Development. Lead the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: National Covid Memorial Programme. | OIC Arts Dev & Museums’ Service & Economic Development; Key Culture Fund Clients; Individual Artists; Cultural Organisations in Orkney; Creative Scotland; HIE; Trusts and Foundations | 2023-2027 (ongoing) |
Strategic Theme: Place
Aligned sector aims and ambitions
Orkney’s Creative Future Strategic Theme: Place
We consider art as vital to the future sustainability and resilience of our islands. Orkney’s landscape, unique culture and sense of place will continue to be a source of inspiration for artists. A readiness to experiment and innovate will help us to realise a creative and vibrant economy and a dynamic place where people choose to live and work.
Through:
Scottish Government: A Culture Strategy for Scotland, 2020, Ambition 2: Transforming Through Culture
Our aims are:
Place culture as a central consideration across all policy areas including: health and wellbeing, economy, education, reducing inequality and realising a greener and more innovative future.
Open up the potential of culture as a transformative opportunity across society.
Resulting In:
Orkney Island Council Values: Leadership, Enterprise & Innovation
Orkney Island Council Priorities: Enterprising Communities
Scottish Government: A fairer, greener, Scotland Programme 2021-2022: Creation of a Land of Opportunity; Establishment of Scotland in the World
| Target No. | Target | How will this be achieved | Lead Person(s)/Organisation(s) | By when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23. | Celebrate and support Orkney’s unique built heritage, natural environment, arts and heritage collections and cultural traditions | Capitalise on our own USP as a cultural destination, supporting business, enterprise, tourism and overarching economic development to foster resilience and sustainability. Support OIC Museums’ Service’s delivery of the Scapa Flow Museum Activities Plan through engagement of Primary & Secondary School Pupils, development of community site visits and initiation of stakeholder groups, early development of volunteer opportunities. Develop action plans with Festival & Events Sector focussing on Marketing & Data Capture; Volunteers; Venues; Infrastructure – Accommodation & Transport; Funding; Development. | OIC; Museums Service & Arts Dev; Arts/cultural organisations; Funding partners | 2023 - ongoing |
| 24. | Advocate for sustained support and investment in arts and culture within Orkney. Ensure Orkney’s Arts and Cultural sector continues to actively engage with regional and national cultural policy and decision making. Stay up to date in relation to national cultural policy and look for opportunities to feed into planning and consultation, particularly where issues could impact on Orkney. | Implement Culture Fund review proposals. Align with National best practice in the Arts and Heritage Sectors – 2021 - ongoing. Address current inequalities within the disbursal of funding in terms of three key areas: address the inability to create new membership of the Key Clients portfolio and disincentive of existing Key Client membership to widen their funding portfolios; address the lack of funding for individual creatives from performing arts, literature and digital sectors- 2022 - onwards; address the gaps in current data gathering to best support OIC to judge impact and make a case for continued funding, which in turn provides much needed evidence of the value that the arts and heritage afford in Orkney in order to drive strategic partnership working across sectors (including tourism and health). Widen the Recommendation Panel to include National Sector representatives. Align Recommendation and Decision Panels as the same event to facilitate decision making and demonstrate fairness and transparency of the process. | OIC Culture & Arts Dev; Creative Scotland; Museumsgalleries Scotland; VAO | 2020–2023; Ongoing |
| 25. | Raise awareness of and promote Orkney’s ‘Living Culture’ as a cultural tourism driver. | Continue to develop the relationship between the arts and tourism sector to maximise the potential of the arts and culture as part of Orkney’s cultural tourism offer. Support the development of new approaches to the wider Museum offer in Orkney – particularly regarding the current farm museums and Wireless Museum - Consider application to the William Syson Foundation for Public Art/Museums Development Project. Support realisation of North Isles Landscape Partnership Ferry waiting room project. Broker interest groups to bring UCLAN’s SUN installation to Orkney in 2023. Lead the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: National Covid Memorial Programme. | OIC Culture/Museum’s Service & Arts Dev; NILP Steering Group; Orkney.com; Visit Scotland; HIE; Local tourist providers | 2022 - ongoing |
| 26. | Support and encourage investment in and development of Orkney’s capital cultural infrastructure so that it remains fit for purpose. | Support the development of new capital cultural projects via the Islands Deal programmes, specifically the plans by The Pier Arts Centre to develop the Old Post Office, Stromness, and Links House, Birsay, as part of the Pan-Island Creative Islands Wellbeing Programme. Disburse and manage the Covid Recovery Fund for Culture. Support the development of new approaches to the wider Museum offer in Orkney – particularly regarding the current farm museums and Wireless Museum - Consider application to the William Syson Foundation for Public Art/Museums Development Project. Develop action plans with Festival & Events Sector focussing on Venues; Infrastructure – Accommodation & Transport; Funding; Development. | OIC Culture & Arts Dev; Museums’ Service; Arts/Cultural Organisations – The Pier Arts Centre; Developers; HIE | Ongoing; 2023; 2023-2027; 2023-2025 |
| 27. | Explore cross sectoral collaborations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally | Seek opportunities to attract external funding in arts and culture to Orkney. Support the development of new approaches to the wider Museum offer in Orkney – particularly regarding the current farm museums and Wireless Museum. Consider application to the William Syson Foundation for Public Art/Museums Development Project, National Heritage Lottery and other appropriate funders. Work with Stirling Council’s Creative Education Team, National Galleries Scotland and Orkney Schools to access national funding. Seek opportunities to address issues of fragility in Orkney’s cultural and arts sectors exposed by Covid. Lead the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: National Covid Memorial Programme. Explore the potential for Orkney Theatre to be able to promote Small/Mid-Scale national touring – potential to tap national funding and bring new forms of theatre/performance practice, enable the maximising of reach and development to and with audiences in Orkney. | OIC Culture & Arts Dev; Culture Fund Key Clients; Annual recipients of Culture Fund; Artists and Arts Organisations; HIE; Creative Scotland; Trusts & Foundations; Stirling Council; National Galleries Scotland | |
| 28. | Advocate for best practice to minimise the negative environmental impact of arts projects. | Promote sector awareness of Creative Carbon Scotland’s comprehensive resources and guidance specific to the cultural sector in Scotland to help organisations understand and reduce their environmental impact via consideration of environmental impact in OIC Culture Fund application requirements. Create partnerships with Orkney based specialists in environmental issues such as ORIC and EMEC. Support the presentation of the SUN Project by the Science Festival. | OIC Development and Infrastructure & Arts Dev; Orkney Science Festival; Orkney based Environmental Organisations eg EMEC; UHI; RGU & ORIC; Creative Scotland | Ongoing; 2023 |
Strategic Theme: Participation
Sector aims and ambitions
Orkney’s Creative Future Strategic Theme: Participation
Individuals and communities will be able to access and participate in a diverse range of high quality arts activity.
Increased opportunities for people to experience the arts and also to become the creators of art will help improve mental and physical wellbeing, tackle social isolation and enable people to develop important skills.
Through:
Scottish Government: A Culture Strategy for Scotland, 2020, Ambition 3: Empowering Through Culture
Continue to celebrate Scotland’s extraordinary cultural contributions.
Extend include the everyday and emerging, the established and more formal.
Extend opportunities that enable the view of culture to people to take part in culture throughout their lives.
Recognise each community’s own local cultures in generating a distinct sense of place, identity and confidence.
Resulting In:
Orkney Island Council Values:
- Equality
- Fairness
- Sustainability
Orkney Island Council Priorities:
- Thriving Communities
- Quality of Life
Scottish Government: A fairer, greener, Scotland Programme 2021-2022
- Creation of an Economy that works for all of Scotland’s People and Places
- Living Better
| Target No. | Target | How | Lead Person/Organisation | By when | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29. | Ensure that the Arts Development Strategy and the work of the sector is recognised as a valuable contribution to community participation and development within Orkney. | Promote the arts sector as a resource within wider OIC projects including: Capital development – St Andrew’s Primary School Floor Project; The Balfour Hospital Public Art commission; GMB100 Public Arts Commission; Review of Festival Sector to include an economic impact assessment; Community Wellbeing via Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: Covid Memorial Programme – made up of NHS Orkney, Blide Trust, VAO, NILPS, an elected Council Member, a local artist and Orcadian, LEADER representative. The project has a creative co-creational community approach to the production of an appropriate memorial for Orkney. Pilot an ongoing Orkney Creative Leadership online platform hosted by Matthew Sowerby and Associates to share and develop creative leadership and learning approaches, in education leadership and practice. Support OIC Museums’ Service’s delivery of the Scapa Flow Museum Activities Plan through engagement of Primary & Secondary School Pupils. | OIC Culture, Arts Dev, Comms, Economic Development, Cllrs.; Key Culture Fund Clients; Annual Culture Fund recipients; VACMA recipients; Artists and Arts, Cultural Organisations; Third sector organisations; NHS Orkney | Ongoing | |
| Promote the benefits of creative participation. | Promote and adopt the findings of the 2017 cross party paper on Health and Wellbeing to address both the issues around robust evidence gathering in the arts sector and harness the existing evidence that in many cases a £1 spent in this sector yields significant savings to the public purse further down the line. It also highlights that this impact is more than savings based, as the sector can provide significant social results in terms of quality of life. Explore the potential of Social Value Engine as a system of evaluation of qualitative data in terms of cultural impact in Orkney – pilot with North Ronaldsay Sheep Festival. Ensure the support and inclusion of participatory practice in projects and programmes delivered by Culture Fund Key Clients and also others supported and funded by OIC, particularly with regard to the impact of Covid on both the community at large and the creative sector. Research the need for and benefit of a sector wide evaluation of current participation in the arts in Orkney so that we are able to identify gaps in participation. | OIC Culture and Arts Dev; Cultural and Arts Organisations; Local Artists; Robert Gordon University; NHS Orkney; Third Sector organisations eg OHAC, Blide Trust; Consider working with an external organisation such as Arts and Business Scotland or Culture Republic to conduct research. | Ongoing; 2023-2024; 2025-2026 | ||
| 30. | Promote the development of arts and culture participation in the recovery from, and acceptance of, Covid in our communities | Explore supporting the Wellbeing agenda, driven by Covid, and potential around prescribing art to develop the use of arts in the delivery of health and social care services. Explore with a range of organisations and sectors how they might use arts in the delivery of their work and services. Including non-arts services. Specific examples include Orkney Health and Care, OIC – Community Learning & Development team and education services. Promote and adopt the findings of the 2017 cross party paper on Health and Wellbeing in order to cultivate a shared understanding of how creative participation can be used as a form of prevention, reliance, and recovery in relation to health and wellbeing. Explore the potential of Social Value Engine as a system of evaluation of qualitative data in terms of cultural impact in Orkney. Community Wellbeing – Support the Islands’ Deal Creative Islands & Wellbeing Programme – The Pier Arts Centre capital development project. Manage the Orkney Delivery Group for Remembering Together: Covid Memorial Programme. Realise outstanding public art commission at The Balfour. Support further development of arts and creativity as embedded within the delivery of the Balfour Hospital through a new commission for a History Wall installation for the foyer of The Balfour. | OIC Culture and Arts Dev; LEADER; Economic Development; Greenspace Scotland; NHS Orkney; The Balfour; Creative Scotland; Voluntary Action Orkney | 2023-2027 | |
| 31. | Support building volunteer capacity across Orkney’s arts and cultural sector through knowledge sharing and training. | Encourage arts/cultural organisations to meet volunteering best practice standards. Guidance available through VAO and Voluntary Arts Scotland and support unique training needs of arts/cultural volunteers - pilot with Scapa Flow Museum. Support cultural organisations to reassess voluntary capacity in the light of the impact of Covid on human resources – Develop Festival & Events Sector Recommendation Action Plan. Encourage arts/cultural organisations to attain the Investing in Volunteers – Quality Standard – pilot with Scapa Flow Museum. | OIC Culture and Arts Dev; VAO; Creative/cultural organisations | Ongoing | |
| 32. | Promote, ensure and celebrate equality, diversity access and inclusion within the arts. | Endeavour to support artists and organisations to make projects and events accessible to all by removing physical and perceived barriers to participation via advocating for 95% of Council run and funded projects to be accessible through: 1. the use accessible venues; 2. communications and language; 3. consideration of digital access around connectivity and digital disadvantage; 4. recognition of the geographical barriers in Orkney and when planning activities and events; 5. organisation of events so that transport does not restrict participation and engagement with events and opportunities; 6. concessionary admission to events and opportunities, low-cost travel and bursaries to enable fair access to opportunities; 7. securing of external project funding in order to support additional access costs; 8. Build access into budgets. | OIC Culture, Museums and Arts Dev; Key Culture Fund Clients; Annually funded Open Pot recipients; Artists and arts sector and organisations; Creative Scotland | Ongoing. | |
| 33. | Build awareness of arts events and opportunities for participation | Review current communication approaches for their reach and effectiveness in disseminating arts information. Inclusion of Culture Fund Case studies on Arts Development Website. Research and develop the use of existing OIC platforms such as Orkney.com and sector led social media. Contribute to a Culture online platform to disseminate information. | OIC Culture and Arts Dev, Comms; Key Culture Fund Clients; Annually funded Culture Fund Open Pot recipients; News outlets | Ongoing; 2023-2024 |