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Call for Evidence on Arts in the Community Inquiry
The Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee today called for evidence on its inquiry on arts in the community.
Alasdair Morgan MSP, Convener of the Committee, said:
"Arts do not exist in a vacuum. In the drive towards a more creative and confident Scotland, it is essential that we gain a proper understanding of how the arts are working in a community context."
Mike Watson MSP, Deputy Convener, added:
"There is an enormous amount of excellent work taking place on the ground. We aim to engage with those who work with arts in the community and with the people who participate in and benefit from this work. We need to ensure that, in the wider debate about culture, this vital work is not inadvertently overlooked."
Remit for Art in the Community inquiry
'To investigate the funding, organisation and policies relevant to community arts in the context of the overall strategy for culture in Scotland.'
Specifically the inquiry will consider:
1. What are community arts currently delivering?
2. What are the benefits and potential benefits of community arts?
3. Who is involved in community arts? Including:
to what extent is support for the community arts sector derived from the private and voluntary sectors?
are there sectors/groups in society that have a greater degree of access to, or involvement in, community arts?
4. What actions are required to ensure that the benefits arising from community arts across a range of spheres (such as employability, community cohesion and the therapeutic benefits of arts in health and in particular mental health) are fully realised?
5. What barriers are there to securing full benefit from investment in community arts, and how can these be overcome?
Written evidence
Interested individuals and organisations are invited to submit written evidence to the Committee. Submissions should not be more than 6 sides of A4. The closing date for evidence is 15 September 2004. Wherever possible, please e-mail submissions to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Where e-mail is not available, please contact the Clerks to discuss alternative arrangements.
What sort of evidence is the Committee looking for?
The following guidance is offered to assist those wishing to submit written evidence, and is not intended to be prescriptive.
Evidence submitted may be published by the Parliament, in electronic or paper form . Electronic form is preferred wherever possible. If you do not wish your submission to be made public, please state this clearly at the start of the submission. Whether or not a submission will be made public remains at the discretion of the Committee.
Evidence should be limited to 6 sides of A4 . If your evidence is likely to be substantially longer, please contact the Clerks to discuss.
Whilst it is helpful if responses are broadly structured around the questions set out in the remit, this is not intended to limit content. Additional important points will be welcomed by the Committee.
For specific committee information or information about the inquiry, contact:
Judith Evans, Direct Tel: 0131 348 5214 (RNID Typetalk calls welcome). Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
or
Sean Wixted, Direct Tel: 0131 348 5230 (RNID Typetalk calls welcome). Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Background
The Enterprise and Culture Committee was established by a resolution of the Parliament on 4 June 2003. Its remit is:
To consider and report on matters relating to the Scottish economy, business and industry, energy, training, further and higher education, lifelong learning and such other matters which fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning; and matters relating to tourism, culture and sport and such other matters as fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The Parliament's media contact is :
Eric MacLeod 0131 348 5389 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For public information enquiries, contact: 0131 348 5000
For general enquiries, contact 0845 278 1999 (local call rate)
Text phone: 0131 348 5415 (RNID Typetalk calls welcome)
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Visit our website at: www.scottish.parliament.uk
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