ESTEEM
Revisiting previous Scottish Arts Council reports on the traditional arts shows that considerable progress has been made in relation to their status and esteem. This is seen in the large number of successful projects, events and organisations now evident in the traditional arts field. However, there is a perception, as evidenced by the submissions to the Working Group and comments at public meetings, that recognition and respect for the traditional arts, and those working in them, is still patchy. Many still feel that their significance and value is still not recognised, promoted and celebrated enough. The argument is that, although the traditional arts hold meaning for many, the general level of esteem in which they are held in civil society and by professional practitioners remains low. The traditional arts are marginalised in the school curriculum, and lack consistent attention in the media. Local authorities' engagement with them is uneven, and they suffer by comparison with other art forms which find their expression in directly supported national companies. Expenditure by the Scottish Arts Council in the millions (£3.8 m - approx 5.5% of total budget) might suggest otherwise, as might also the occasional place on the honours lists for some prominent individuals, but perceptions of a lack of parity of esteem persist.
The three main areas of Scottish life where respect for the traditional arts is an issue are: the institutions of civil society, especially the two crucial areas where attitudes and opinions are influenced, namely the media and education; the public at large; and the traditional arts community itself. In the first area the unfavourable comparison in discussions of 'parity of esteem' is by and large with the world of 'classical' music and dance 1. The accusation is that those who hold discretionary powers in the matter of allocating resources have deferred to the aesthetic preferences of the wealthy, the educated and the powerful whose preferred form of cultural stimulation is the Western, Euro-centric canon (which they define) at the expense of other arts activities.
A key measure of esteem then is the degree to which you perceive you are taken seriously by those with the power to make decisions, and to define the terms of engagement. The Charter for the Arts in 1993 was the first 'establishment' document to make support for traditional arts explicit within SAC policies, with a consequent release of funds and blossoming of activities all over Scotland. This increased activity made more of the traditional arts visible and accessible to more people.
Esteem will come when people feel confidence in their own culture. As far as the general public is concerned, there will be some who refuse engagement with the traditional arts and view them as stuck in an ideal and irretrievable past, a parochial embarrassment in the modern world, neurotic nostalgia, an irrelevance to the main business in life of earning a living that has no place in a modern small nation like Scotland.
It might be argued that it is this very lack of confidence which is responsible for the traditional arts' poor media profile. One consequence is that opportunities are limited for those who wish to know more about or experience these arts; and importantly to experience them in the shared context of a national platform. There is an expectation on the part of the traditional arts community that it should be part of the media's role to reflect Scottish culture and promote the best of it. Some have proposed a quota system, such as the Canadian one, to boost the amount of Scottish-produced music broadcast on TV and radio. However, reserved powers mean that a quota system for broadcasting Scottish music would have to be voluntary, and therefore unlikely to happen. Although reserved powers mean that direct Scottish Government intervention in broadcasting policy is not possible, there is still scope for encouraging more programme-makers to consider the Scottish traditional arts as a rich source of material, worthy of their support and engagement. The make up and remit of Creative Scotland should make it easier to address this challenge.
A developing interest in Scottish music develops demands accessible, reliable and stimulating information for the growing audience. There is still, for instance, no regular outlet for measured, critical writing or encouragement of and publication of research on the traditional arts in Scotland. This might be addressed through sponsored publication of a dedicated journal (which could be web-based) or other means.
Similarly there are no appreciation courses for non-artists. The thirst for information is often overlooked by practitioners of the traditional arts who too often shy away from discussing or 'intellectualising' what they do, despite the interest and expectations of their audience This, combined with low esteem for other reasons, fuels the lack of interest in the traditional arts within the higher academic sphere in Scotland. This is a complex area but one which seems not to trouble those in other arts such as literature or the visual arts. In other words, there is both a need and an opportunity to educate and stimulate the audience. This has the potential to reap rich dividends in the longer term. A good example of the kind of journal proposed is the Journal of Music, currently being published in Ireland with the support of the Irish Arts Council. It is sub-titled 'Intelligent Writing on Musical Life' and, although not confined to traditional music, its flavour derives from the way that Irish traditional music is held in the same esteem as other musics, being taken indeed as a base-line from which discussion of other genres of music is referenced.
Again we might look to Ireland for a further example of good practice in this respect. An institution like the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick is an important catalyst. Practitioners gravitate towards it. There is always discussion, criticism and debate on many levels on the traditional arts and beyond. It is in the process of launching an online publication as part of this continuous exchange. Regular seminars, and an increased number of students and graduates attending conferences to give papers on many aspects of the traditional arts, mean that the debate is getting healthier and more widespread. The Aberdeen-based North Atlantic Fiddle Convention is one of the few points of contact for academic discussion of this kind when it is held every few years in Scotland. This should be further encouraged and academic institutions such as Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama( RSAMD), the School of Scottish Studies and the Elphinstone Institute at Aberdeen University should be encouraged to develop further this exchange between academics, practitioners and the wider public. These institutions, and others such as the National Piping Centre and Fèisean Nan Gàidheal, can and do promote and reinforce identification with and pride in our culture, and could do more, given the right support and coordination.
The question arises whether those influential bodies, such as the British Council, and especially Visit Scotland, charged with marketing elements of Scotland's image, culture and identity, are promoting identification and pride in the right things. The criticism is that too much emphasis is still placed on the 'heather and haggis' image which is a serious counterweight to any serious attempt to place the traditional arts where many feel they deserve to be. The onus is perhaps also on the traditional arts community itself to continue to offer attractive and strong alternatives to the clichéd images which still grip the attention of the public at home and abroad.
It might also be argued that confidence will come when people feel that their cultural traditions are valued by those with the power to assert meaning and shape tastes. There are straws in the wind in this regard, the setting up of the present Working Group being one of them.