This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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£1.75 million culture boost for schools
02/05/2002
The role that arts and culture can make in the education and development of young people was given further recognition today with a financial boost from the Executive.
Culture Minister Mike Watson announced that £1.75 million was being made available over the next two years for the pilot School Cultural Co-ordinators programme.
The Minister said that the funding would help provide nearly 200 co-ordinators in schools across Scotland, providing a wide-range of cultural opportunities for thousands of pupils in primary and secondary education.
At St Joseph's Academy in Kilmarnock, Mr Watson said:
"This exciting new programme will help maximise the contribution that culture and cultural activities can make to young people's education. In particular, it looks for opportunities to widen the range of experiences available to school children of all ages across the country.
"Cultural activities can play a significant role in young people's development - improving their self-confidence and raising levels of ability in areas which will be of essential importance in their lives - team-working, flexible and innovative thinking, communication and interpersonal skills.
"A range of locally devised models will be a strength of this programme . I hope to see a lot of imagination and creativity reflected in the development of different models. A wide variety of activities will be relevant - including visits and liaison with artists, museums, galleries, historic sites, performing venues and arts companies as well opportunities for children to create and perform.
"All local authorities are invited to apply but we consider that the programme can bring significant benefits to children from less privileged backgrounds. In identifying schools to participate authorities are being asked to give priority to schools serving these areas.
"I want to use arts and culture to give today's young people a broader set of skills and opportunities that will develop their potential and also their ability to live life to the full."
Graham Berry, Director of the Scottish Arts Council - who will administer and monitor the pilot programme - added:
"Children are natural enthusiasts for all kinds of cultural activities and it has long been recognised that seeing, hearing and taking part in them can make a significant contribution to improving self confidence and encouraging flexible and creative thinking.
"This scheme will be good for young people and good for the arts and the Scottish Arts Council is fully committed to its success."
The Scottish Arts Council will administer and monitor the pilot programme. It will be for schools and authorities who wish to participate in the pilot programme to consider the actual role that the co-ordinators should fulfil. It will be for authorities to identify the school(s) they wish to work with as part of the programme.
A cultural co-ordinator could fulfil a number of roles and tasks including: encouraging and facilitating cultural participation by children, including visits, production and performance; liasing with artists and cultural bodies, and their education officers, locally and nationally such as museums, performing arts companies etc; developing the awareness of the contribution of culture to children's learning and development - both within and outwith the curriculum; advising on ways of developing young people's creativity across the curriculum and its impact on learning.