SCOTLAND’S creative industries need to be involved in the single market, a Scottish Government minister will say later today, as freedom of movement is “especially important” to the cultural sector.
According to Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, single market membership is absolutely vital to Scotland’s culture and creative industries.
She will make the comments when she joins more than 600 of the UK’s arts, creative industries and cultural education leaders in London to celebrate the second anniversary of the Creative Industries Federation.
The creative industries are worth almost £4 billion to the Scottish economy, with nearly 74,000 employed in the sector.
Hyslop is expected to say: “The Scottish Government is committed to developing and nurturing the creative sector for generations to come. However, following the result of the EU referendum it faces a significant challenge.
“To ensure that the recent upward trend in the industries’ growth continues, and to protect the thousands of jobs which rely on it, we are exploring all options to avoid a hard Brexit and protect the benefits that we know our culture and creative sectors gain from our relationship with the EU.”
The Creative Industries Federation is the UK-wide membership organisation giving a united voice to the arts, creative industries and cultural education. The second anniversary celebration at the Design Museum in London marks two years since it began work as an advocacy and networking body for the fastest-growing sector of the UK economy.
Performers at the event will include dance group Company Wayne McGregor and Gnoss, an Orcadian folk duo currently studying at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire in Glasgow who are Federation members.
Other Scottish members include Creative Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival, Film City Glasgow, Glasgow School of Art, Scottish Ballet, Live Music Now Scotland, The List, Scotland Re:Designed and the University of Edinburgh.
Hyslop will tell the assembly: “The Scottish Government’s paper Scotland’s Place in Europe, recently put forward to the UK Government, sets out clearly what we consider to be the best options going forward – that the UK must retain membership of the single market in all its aspects.
“Access to the ideas, talent, experiences and creative exchanges which the freedom of movement aspect of the single market provides is especially important to the cultural sector.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Federation over the past two years and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them on these issues to secure the best future for our creative industries.”
Last month the Scottish Government announced the formation of the Creative Industries Advisory Group to advise ministers on the support the sector needs to ensure it continues to thrive in Scotland.
Invitations to become members of the group have been sent to industry leaders from across the country in areas such as architecture, visual art, craft-making, music, fashion and textiles, performing arts and film production.
The final membership list will be announced in the coming weeks, and the first meeting of the group is expected to take place in the first few months of 2017.
Hyslop said at the time: “Scotland is renowned for its world leading expertise in creativity and innovative design. The Scottish Government is committed to developing this ingenuity and nurturing the creative industries for generations to come.
“This advisory Group will support more collaborative working by enabling the diverse range of business and entrepreneurs across the creative industries to engage with each other and with Government to discuss and advise on high-level issues of relevance to the whole sector.”
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