(Image: Mihaela Bodlovic)
The Scottish Government’s plans for a new national arts company have been thrown into doubt after concerns were raised by dozens of leading singers, musicians and grassroots organisations.
Culture secretary Màiri McAllan has been urged to rethink the proposed National Performing Company for Traditional Music amid fears it will “privilege” certain artists and their materiel.
More than 150 Scottish singers, musicians, writers, broadcasters, event organisers traditional arts organisations have signed a letter to Ms McAllan raising concerns about the potential impact of the new company on Scotland’s traditional arts “ecosystem”.
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The government has been urged to be “more ambitious” by pursuing a national traditional arts initiative “that strengthens the whole ecosystem” rather than a “permanent performing ensemble”.
It has been encouraged to "allow further time" for further discussions about the "scope, structure and timeline" of the new company after running a consultation with the Scottish music industry in recent weeks.
Many of Scotland's leading traditional musicians have performed in the Grit Orchestra at Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Festival. (Image: Celtic Connections)
The government told The Herald that the proposed new company may have a “significant different shape” to the other national performing companies – Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the National Theatre of Scotland, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
The letter, which has been seen by The Herald, was instigated by the Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) network after Ms McAllan hosted a “roundtable” meeting with music industry representatives to discuss the initial proposals for the company.
Singer Iona Fyfe has backed a letter to the Scottish Government raising concerns about its plans for a new national company dedicated to traditional music. (Image: Supplied)
A host of Scotland’s leading traditional singers and musicians have backed the letter, including Karine Polwart, Iona Fyfe, Margaret Bennett, David Francis, Lori Watson, Beth Malcolm, Jennifer Wrigley, Rachel Walker and Emily Smith.
Other signatories include the organisers of the Scots Trad Music Awards and the Scottish Storytelling Festival, and representatives of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the National Piping Centre, the Traditional Music Forum of Scotland, and the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland.
The Scottish Government wants to give traditional music the same platform as opera, theatre and classical music. (Image: Supplied)
The creation of the new national company, which has been personally championed by First Minister John Swinney, was a flagship commitment in the SNP’s Holyrood election manifesto when it was published in April.
At the time, the party pledged a £5 million annual budget for the new company, stating that it wanted to ensure traditional music had the “same platform” as theatre, opera, ballet and classical music.
The SNP’s Programme for Government, which was published in September, said the new company is intended to have the “same status” as the other five companies.
Speaking at a reception at Bute House to launch the new company in August, Mr Swinney said: “Traditional Scottish music has a unique, rich sound reflecting our history and regional diversity. It connects our past to our present and is loved across Scotland and around the world.
“That is why I pledged that in the first 100 days of this government we would make progress on forming a national performing company to protect the legacy of trad music and help it to thrive.
“Giving it the same platform as other performing arts will support established and emerging talents to grow.”
The letter to Ms McAllan from the traditional arts sector said it was aimed at offering a “collective perspective” on how the proposed investment for the new company could “most effectively support Scotland's living traditions”.
The letter states: “We recognise the immense value of this commitment and warmly welcome the Scottish Government's intention to afford Scotland's traditional music a status comparable to that enjoyed by Scotland's other national performing companies.
“However, we are concerned that framing this opportunity primarily as a national performing company risks focusing attention on one aspect of traditional arts rather than the wider ecosystem that sustains them, where community and professional practice exist as part of the same continuum.
“It may also unintentionally privilege certain artists, repertoires or forms of practice, rather than reflecting the full diversity of Scotland's living traditions.
“Traditional music exists in close relationship with traditional dance, storytelling, language, craft and other local cultural practices which reflect who we are as individuals, communities and as a country.
“We believe there is an opportunity to create something more ambitious: a national traditional arts initiative that reflects the full breadth of Scotland's living traditions and supports the interconnected systems through which they are nurtured, passed on and renewed.”
The letter welcomes a commitment from the government that it had “not yet determined” what the new national company would look like.
It adds: “Many prominent artists and organisers will rightly have an important role to play.
“However, no single person or group can represent the full diversity of Scotland's traditional arts community.
“We therefore strongly recommend establishing a representative development group before decisions are made regarding the organisation's final form, governance or remit.
“Scotland's traditional arts are living, convivial, participatory traditions sustained by thousands of people who play, sing, dance, tell stories, teach, organise, volunteer and pass traditions on.
“We therefore urge the Scottish Government to establish a development group drawn from the traditional arts sector to design a national traditional arts initiative that strengthens the whole ecosystem.”
In a letter to Holyrood’s culture committee ahead, Ms McAllan acknowledged the importance of the development of the new national company being “informed by those working within the sector”.
She added: “I am very conscious that the nature of traditional music means that it may not fit tidily into the format of our other national performing companies.
“I am comfortable with this and am keen to be creative as we develop the model”.
Steve Byrne, chief executive of TRACS, told The Herald: “We warmly welcome the ambition behind the proposal and the recognition it gives to Scotland's living traditions.
“This is a potentially transformational moment for the traditional arts sector and, by bringing together voices from across Scotland, we hope to help shape an approach that strengthens and sustains living traditions in communities throughout the country.
“We believe there would be real value in allowing further time to develop the conversation, engage widely across the sector, and establish greater clarity around the proposal's scope, structure and timeline.”
A spokesperson for the government said: “Our survey on establishing a new National Performing Company for Traditional Music closed on September 30.
“We are now considering next steps as we develop a model that speaks to the breadth of Scotland’s traditional music and its associated cultural practices.
“Traditional music is vital to Scotland's cultural identity, connecting communities, preserving heritage and inspiring new generations of musicians and audiences.
"This has the potential to enhance Scotland's cultural profile, create opportunities for artists, and support talent development, informed by those working in the sector.
“Its nature means it may have a significantly different shape to the other national performing companies."