Culture has the power to transform our country into a more desirable, diverse, and dynamic place to live - Angus Robertson

My cabinet colleagues and I, led by Humza Yousaf, have each made tough decisions about how our respective departments can best serve Scotland. As we all know, money is tight. This is the case for the Scottish Government too – our budget is finite, devolution means Scotland has limited financial levers and economic challenges including inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and Brexit are having a major impact.

But there is still much we can do, and much to be positive about.

In the culture space, we have and will continue to support Scotland’s world-renowned institutions, events and spaces. The importance of culture for Scotland cannot be overstated. It has the power to transform our country into a more desirable, diverse, and dynamic place to live. It can also help to grow our economy by creating highly skilled jobs and successful businesses. By working with creatives, local government, and the third sector, we can support our communities to thrive.

This was demonstrated through Scotland’s hosting of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. For the first time, 13 Cycling World Championships were brought together in one mega event. Almost 8,000 athletes participated from over 130 nations. Events held across the country were broadcast to over 120 countries. Alongside this, government investment in communities, health and wellbeing will ensure that the championships have a positive legacy in Scotland.

It also demonstrated the strength of the Scottish Government, with teams from areas as diverse as major events, health, sport, transport, resilience, and tourism working together to help make the event a success and to maximise its benefits. We will continue to deliver major events when Glasgow hosts the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March 2024. We have also continued to invest in Scottish culture and support our cultural institutions, providing £9.5 million funding for Scotland's flagship Youth Music Initiative this year.

This year we will also publish and begin implementing our Culture Strategy Action Plan Refresh to support the recovery and renewal of the culture sector with a focus on empowering individuals and communities to further develop their own cultural activity. It aims to support them to do so by identifying and removing barriers to access, and championing the economic impact of culture, particularly within the context of community wealth building; creative placemaking; and developing a long-term strategic approach to skills and careers in the sector.

I am also excited to be publishing our International Culture Strategy to support the culture sector’s ambitions. The global reach of our festivals, events and cultural brand is ever-expanding, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting this effort, with which comes economic, cultural and social benefits at home.

Furthermore, we will continue to enhance Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events by concluding the National Events Strategy review and supporting a pipeline of strong hosting opportunities such as the World Athletics Indoor Championships and the joint UK and Ireland bid to host the 2028 UEFA European Football Championships.

As culture secretary, it has been my enormous privilege to work with an abundance of world-class and dedicated sector leaders. Their commitment to working collaboratively with government and public cultural bodies is a sign that the challenges we face can be overcome.

Angus Robertson is MSP for Edinburgh Central and Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture