Culture Fair Work Taskforce minutes: December 2024

Attendees and apologies

Co-Chairs: 

• Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (ministerial Co-chair)
• Hannah Holmes, Creative Industries and Strategy Team Lead, Scottish Government (Chair - deputising for Briana Pegado)

Members in attendance: 

• Alastair Evans, Creative Scotland
• BD Owens, Scottish Artists’ Union
• Jeni Oliver, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (deputising for Iain Hamilton)
• Lucy Casot, Museums & Galleries Scotland
• Marlene Curran, Equity
• Ola Wojtkiewicz, Creative Edinburgh
• Paul McManus, BECTU – Prospect
• Rosie Aspinall Priest, Independent – advocate for rights of freelancers 
• Stephanie Colgan, Glasgow Life
• Torquil Macleod, EventScotland (deputising for Marie Christie)

Observers: 

• Lydia Demaison, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• Michelle Fenwick, Developing the Young Workforce
• Kerrie MacQueen, Cove Park
• Scottish Government officials.

Presenters: 

• John Campbell, Museums Galleries Scotland

Apologies: 

• Ayo Schwartz, National Theatre of Scotland 
• Briana Pegado, Chair and Independent Creative Practitioner 
• Caroline Sewell, Musician’s Union
• Jane Muirhead, PACT Council and Raise the Roof Productions
• Lindsey Ross, Historic Environment Scotland
• Kathryn Welch, Culture Counts
• Mairi Taylor, Birds of Paradise
• Robert Kilpatrick, Scottish Music Industry Association
• Sam Gonçalves, Society of Authors 

Items and actions

Introduction and welcome

Hannah Holmes, the co-Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting, noted apologies and explained that due to illness she would be chairing this meeting alongside the Cabinet Secretary. The co-Chair reiterated that the aim of the taskforce is to provide recommendations to the Scottish Government to support and embed Fair Work practices across Scotland’s culture sector and creative industries. 

The co-Chair summarised the agenda and asked members to approve the minutes and actions of the previous meeting. These were approved.

The Cabinet Secretary introduced herself to members and gave a brief introduction highlighting the links between the Education and Skills portfolio and the Culture portfolio in providing fulfilling work which is key to delivering Fair Work for Scotland’s creative workforce.  

Presentation – Museums Galleries Scotland 

John Campbell, Senior Workforce and Partnerships Manager at Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) presented on his organisation’s initiatives to support fulfilment at work through their Fair Work and Skills and Confidence strands. This included: 

• highlighting the importance of leadership, governance and increasing opportunities for formal and informal learning
• sharing the positive impact of their business support programme - funded and delivered during Covid - to support organisations across Scotland to improve business planning and development
• discussing the training opportunities through their Skills Academy aimed at delivering formal and vocational skills-based courses. These are facilitated by MGS and partner organisations
• promoting the Marseum Programme, a free learning resource and lesson plan designed to help young people develop transferable skills, while learning about museums and galleries
• encouraging organisations to train and invest in staff who may leave the organisation. This helps to strengthen the skills base of the sector overall and can often lead to staff returning with an expanded skill set in the future, if good practice is allowed to flourish

Following the presentation, members were invited to ask questions. A point was raised on the role of employees co-designing leadership programmes rather than leaders co-designing and how this could present an opportunity for MGS to enhance their offering. 

Taskforce members noted a current research project by There is an Alternative (TIALT) which is designing a young person-led digital tool for arts organisations. This is in part to ensure that organisations are meeting their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which is now law in Scotland. It is for those in outreach and employees.

Creative Edinburgh’s work to support young creatives via mentoring and training opportunities that match their skills and interests through their partnerships with colleges and universities was mentioned. 

A summary of breakout rooms discussion on Fulfilment 

Attendees were then split into three breakout rooms to discuss what Fulfilment in the Culture sector should include and to share any good practice examples. 

Following the closing of the breakout rooms, the Cabinet Secretary provided her reflections due to needing to leave for another meeting. 

The Cabinet Secretary noted that it was interesting to hear all the points raised and their links to education, skills and the workplace. She particularly appreciated MGS’s presentation and the idea of encouraging organisations to train and invest in staff who may leave the organisation as this strengthens the sector overall. Additionally, Creative Edinburgh’s partnership learning with education institutions is a very positive approach tailored to the unique needs of the sector. The Cabinet Secretary noted that she is working with the Cabinet Secretary for Consititution, External Affairs and Culture, and stakeholders including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland among others, to look at the educational offerings across Scotland and how this can support the development of the future workforce and the wider Culture sector.

The Cabinet Secretary departed.

Representatives from the three breakout rooms provided feedback to wider group.

Summary of discussion

Feedback included discussion around the need to rebuild the workforce by tackling existing challenges to draw people back to the sector. There is a need to reposition opportunities to make them more attractive to the creative workers

Members noted how Fulfilment links into lots of areas of Fair Work, and aligns with what is important to workers. For instance, work-life balance and flexibility are proving important to the workforce and across the student population. 

Members discussed finding mechanisms for meaningful career pathways for graduates to upskill. The Shifting Sands project, undertaken in partnership with Creative Scotland, was flagged as providing useful insights. The project focused on the experiences of 2020 fine art graduates from Yorkshire and the Humber and Scotland. The aim was to better understand the barriers graduates face in the first 12 to 18 months post-graduation, whilst attempting to gain entry to, and establish a career in, the contemporary art sector. The data showed that the barriers faced by graduates in their first year post-graduation are multiple and intersecting. However, they could broadly be grouped into four main categories: lack of knowledge, lack of skills, lack of experience, and lack of network.

Members discussed how smaller rural organisations are looking for more funding to develop more fulfilling roles as well as the importance of data in underpinning all of this. There is a need to have open and honest conversations around progression. There also needs to be support for employees to move on when ready to encourage them to leave with a positive impression of former employer, thereby creating opportunities and a possible desire to one day return.

It was suggested that many organisations only work with freelancers or are short-term enterprises. This means that more needs to be done to ensure appropriate responsibility is taken for training and development of staff, with an acknowledgement that this can be challenging for smaller organisations. There needs to be a more collegiate approach across the sector to support this. 

Members also noted that Scotland’s creative workforce is highly skilled but that organisations need to be more ambitious about matching skills to roles and promoting continuous professional development to ensure strong recruitment and retention of staff in key areas such as finance - where there is distinct shortage across the sector - by providing fulfilling work through opportunities to develop skills and career progression  to meet business needs. 

Subgroup Discussion

The Chair set out discussion points raised from the Taskforce Subgroup meeting on 19 November as outlined in the meeting papers provided. Members were asked if they had any concerns or further suggestions. Members agreed to propose a recommendation for the establishment of a Culture Fair Work Charter to form part of a Culture Fair Work Agreement with further details to be discussed at the next Taskforce Subgroup meeting.

There was a discussion on consideration of a Culture Fair Work Charter and wider recommendations for a Culture Fair Work Agreement. The points of this discussion are summarised below:

There was a suggestion to align the Culture Fair Work Charter with aligning in the Investors in People accreditation, noting that while this requires funding there would be good learning points to take.

There was a call to re-introduce the Fairer Workplaces Fund to support educating smaller creative organisations on good practice and how to embed Fair Work practices.

The taskforce secretariat noted that they have been in contact with Scottish Government officials working in Hospitality and Construction policy to discuss proposed Fair Work Agreements in their areas, following an action from the Taskforce Subgroup. An action was noted to provide a brief write up of these meetings and share with members.

It was suggested that Creative Australia has been developing some good practice approaches which may be worth investigating. The Chair asked the secretariat look into this and report back to the taskforce at the next meeting.

The Stove Network and their work around Creative Placemaking: Culture in Communities was mentioned. 

The Basic Income for the Arts pilot in the Republic of Ireland was raised as a model of good practice and should be looked at in further detail.

Members raised two research reports commissioned by Creative Scotland which are due for publication next year. An action was noted for the secretariat to request that Creative Scotland share these two  reports with the taskforce for consideration, if possible.

Members shared information about the VTF Creative Skills Academy’s “Raise Your Game” which is a free skills development programme that focuses on helping Edinburgh-based individuals who wish to work in creative industries to develop the necessary skills and confidence to secure employment or project work in the future. Members were encouraged to share details across their networks as sign up closes on 18th January 2025.

Any Other Business

Members were reminded of the times and dates of the future meetings:

• Taskforce Subgroup Meeting – Session Two – 14:00-16:00 on Thursday 16 January 2025
• Culture Fair Work Taskforce – Respect meeting – 15:00-17:00 on Tuesday 4 February 2025 

The Chair encouraged members to contact the taskforce secretariat if they have any further queries or suggestions for the Culture Fair Work Agreement ahead of the upcoming meeting.

Actions

• secretariat to provide a note of their meetings with Scottish Government officials in Hospitality and Construction on Fair Work Agreements and share with members
• secretariat to look into Creative Australia and see if any relevant elements can be adapted for Scotland’s Culture sector
• secretariat to request Creative Scotland share two research reports with the taskforce for consideration, if possible