This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Playfair Project at National Galleries
04/08/2004
The Playfair Project was formally completed today by the opening of the Weston Link which joins the National Gallery of Scotland with the Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound in Edinburgh.
First Minister Jack McConnell said that the new gallery spaces would allow more Scots to access the finest cultureScotlandcan display, and attract more visitors.
The First Minister said:
"This was an ambitious project, and represents a significant achievement for the National Galleries ofScotland. The whole nation can be proud of these new facilities."
"This is an incredible new building, which will give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the finest culture Scotland can display.
"This new project will provide access to excellence and to some of the greatest art works from around the world. It will also provide state of the art educational facilities for our young people.
"This is another achievement for devolution in Scotland. It signals our ambition to be the best small country in the world to visit. The cultural life of Edinburgh and other Scottish cities is stronger than ever.
"Now we must build on these strengths to promote culture in Scotland and Scottish culture across the world."
At the evening reception, Culture and Tourism Minister Frank McAveety said:
"In celebrating and promoting Scottish art and culture at home and abroad we also demonstrate our creativity, and recognise the intrinsic value of art.
"That ambition to be world class, that commitment to provide access for all to the most inspiring and accomplished of works of international visual artists through the ages, is one that I share with passion.
"We are fully committed to putting the arts in their rightful place at the heart of an economically and culturally vibrant Scotland, and we are creating a stimulating and dynamic environment where the traditional and contemporary co-exist to bring excellence within everyone's reach.
"We know the arts are vital to the life and well being of Scotland. They illuminate our confidence and success as creative entrepreneurs, and equip our children to think for themselves, to know who they are, to express themselves, and to participate in the life of our nation.
"For that reason it is important to understand the cultural needs and entitlements of the Scottish people and to determine how to shape the structures and mechanisms that will deliver them.
"That's why the Cultural Commission under James Boyle will have a critical role over the next few months and why I want to encourage artists to contribute to the Commission's thinking.
"The Executive believes that we can develop our ambition - to promote access and excellence, and to build on the nation's innate and demonstrable creativity and talent.
"Scotland today has some of the most exciting and diverse arts and cultural experiences available in the world. Our visual artists, musicians, designers, writers, and film makers are acclaimed at home and abroad.
"They are producing work that is recognised as critically and popularly significant and many of the successes have been made possible with the investment of public funds from the Executive or local authorities."
The Executive has provided £10 million funding towards the costs of the Playfair Project.
The exhibition which marks the opening of the Playfair project is "The Age of Titian", centring on the painting "Venus Anadyoneme" (Venus Rising from the Sea) which was bought for the National Gallery of Scotland last year.
Part of the picture's value has been offset by the Treasury who with the agreement of Scottish Ministers have accepted the painting in lieu of Inheritance Tax. The balance of the purchase price was raised by the Scottish Executive who granted £2.5 million, alongside funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£7.6 Million), The Art Fund - the UK's leading art charity (£0.5 million), and the National Galleries of Scotland (£1 million).
Executive funding for culture is to increase from £121 million in 2000-2001 to £160 million by 2005-06.
This represents an extra £39 million, a real term increase of 18%, which is a year after year increase above inflation.
Research published in 2003 for the Scottish Arts Council revealed that almost half of the population would consider visiting an art gallery, a significantly higher figure than that given in a similar survey south of the border.
The motivation driving the highest percentage of potential attendees in Scotland was 'self improvement' followed by 'enjoyment' 'inspiration' and 'education'.
Cultural Tourism accounts for 37% of world travel and is growing at the rate of 15% each year.
Tourism is an important driver of the local and national economies of Scotland, contributing £4.5 billion each year.
The Executive's aim is to make it a £6 billion industry by 2015. It supports over 215,000 jobs in Scotland - over 9% of the Scottish workforce.