Devolution and The Arts

A Scottish Opera rehersal

As the recent row over Scottish Ballet has shown, Scottish Arts Council members have a powerful role in shaping the future of Scotland's cultural institutions. The board would be accountable to a Scottish parliament and so the Council's relationship with the new assembly could be crucial for the arts.

A music specialist with Scottish Opera, David Munro, believes a Scottish parliament might just change attitudes: "A devolved parliament may start making the Scots focus on their own cultural output. Therefore we could find Scots saying, 'I'm going to stay in Scotland, I want to use my creativity for the good of Scotland, rather than being compared unfavourably with larger companies down south'."

Glasgow based artists

The Glasgow-based professional artists pictured opposite, receive no Arts Council funds. They're not sure whether painters like them will be touched by a Scottish parliament, but they think the artistic climate might be. "A united Scottish feeling could come about through having a Scottish parliament. But I think that there's quite a strong Scottish painting scene anyway," believes one of the artists, Shona Barr. Another, Jenifer Anderson thinks that a Scottish parliament would be good for the artistic scene: "There's lots of galleries and institutions interested in Scottish artists, in Scotland. So all it can do is make that even stronger."

Russell Boyce is the Dean of Drama at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and also believes that a Scottish parliament could have its benefits: "If you have an atmosphere where people believe in the arts, where they believe the arts can be an identification of nationhood, then we'll have a forum where young Scots artists can work and be creative and generate new work, which could be exciting."

Film producer, Angus Lamont

Angus Lamont is one of a new wave of independent Scottish film producers. He believes a Scottish parliament might help his international business, "International partners might come here more regularly. In the same way they stop in London, Paris, Berlin, they might stop in Glasgow or Edinburgh."

Whatever the referendum result, the Scottish arts will retain their distinctive identity. The jury remains out on whether a Scottish parliament will do more than just shift the political scenery.