Creative Land Scot

I am slowly rousing myself to comment on the Great Scottish Arts Funding Affair - the latest pronouncement from Creative Scotland on their system for awarding cash and credibility. I am taking my time because everyone seems to have an opinion, and without much variation. The new guidelines area very bad idea.

Since I am always trying to find a contrary position to the rest of the critical body, and it seems almost impossible to find anything good to say about the new scheme's philosophy, I am actually going to have to read the bloody announcement and do some research. I'm pretty cautious about state funding anyway - I couldn't help but notice the bite of political satire was pretty blunted during the New Labour years, even though it felt to me that the government could have done with a bit of a slap from the theatre. And I am reluctant to believe in the credit crunch - a quick look at the amount being paid to members of any parliament disabuses me of the idea that there's no money left in the coffers. I like arts funding mainly because it is better than the alternative (which isn't hospitals, but gold-plated toilet seats in the parliament buildings. Seriously, these characters have a track-record).

But I did notice a phrase coming from Creative Scotland that was frequently ridiculed at the recent CATS ceremony: that Scottish theatre ought to be "world class". Mary Brennan off The Herald rightly pointed out that Catherine Wheels are currently wowing crowds in the USA, a good example of how world class our theatre is.

And yet, I am not sure that simply touring the world is quite what Creative Scotland had in mind: I think they might have been wondering whether it is time that Scotland produced one of those major names that thrills the arts. In theatre terms, they might be thinking that we ought to have a Pina Bausch, or a Peter Brooke. You know, someone who changes the game.

I hope that no-one takes offense if I say that we don't have one of these in Scotland, yet. We might have a few in waiting - and the CATS makes suggestions as to who they might be - but a genuine game-changer? Probably not.

Unfortunately, this isn't an excuse for Creative Scotland. Those sort of artists are rare enough, and they can't be legislated. If we take Bausch as an example, she was hated in her early years. Like the original Rite of Spring, her version caused a right ruckus.And what artists like this need is consistent support.

And it is quite likely that sort term, event based funding would not do this.

First reflections reveal me to be following the broader distaste for the reforms.