Culture, Community Cohesion, Tourism, Museums, Galleries, Libraries, Cultural Heritage & Heritage Sites

Background / Overview – Scotland

Background / Overview – UK

According to the Community Life Survey 2019/20 in the year to March 2020, 86% of Black people aged 16 and over in England said they felt strongly that they belong to Britain – the highest percentage out of all ethnic groups. White people (74%) were the most likely out of all ethnic groups to say they chatted to their neighbours at least once a month – people from the ‘other’ ethnic group (54%) were least likely.

Data from the Participation Survey 2022–23 annual publication notes that in the year ending in March 2023, 89% of people aged 16 and over had engaged in the arts (such as going to an exhibition or performing in a play) at least once in the past year. 33% of people had visited a museum or gallery, 19% had visited a public library, and 67% had visited a heritage site at least once in the past year. A lower than average percentage of people in the Pakistani (16%), black African (25%) and Indian (28%) ethnic groups visited a museum or gallery.

According to the Community Life Survey 2019/20 in the year ending March 2020, 27% of people in England said they felt they could influence decisions affecting their local area. white people were the least likely out of all ethnic groups to feel they could influence decisions in their local area (25%) or get involved in decisions about their local services (8%).

Strategy Policy, Legislation

Listed Authorities

Race Equality Framework (REF)

Culture, Community Cohesion, Tourism, Museums, Galleries, Libraries, Cultural Heritage & Heritage Sites – Race Equality Framework

Link	Description
REF 13: Participation and Representation – Arts, Heritage, Culture, Sports and Media	Promote inclusiveness and participation by making better connections between minority ethnic communities, organisations and institutions involved in heritage, culture, sports and media
REF 13a: Support Engagement in Festivals, Music and Arts Events	Continue to support engagement with minority ethnic communities in the Themed Years and Scotland’s Winter Festivals, the refreshed 2016/17 Youth Music Initiative and Scotland’s first Youth Arts Strategy, Time to Shine in order to increase and widen the participation of Scotland’s minority ethnic population in culture activities
REF 13b: Encourage Funded Bodies to Share Good Practice	Encourage our funded bodies and other key partners (e.g. Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland, VisitScotland, local authorities, National Performing Companies and organisations which manage our national collections) to share good practice around targeted marketing and promotion and also to consider other opportunities to proactively work together to promote their programmes to minority ethnic communities
REF 13c: Encourage Community Engagement in Arts, Culture & Heritage Organisations	Engage with Scotland’s minority ethnic communities around their involvement in the culture and heritage sectors – at board/senior level, at management/operational level, as artists and performers, volunteers, visitors and audiences
REF 13d: Encourage Funded Bodies to Review Strategies	Encourage our funded bodies and other key partners (e.g. Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland, VisitScotland, Local Authorities, National Performing Companies and organisations which manage our national collections) to review their strategies to ensure that
REF 13e: Ensure Arrangements in Place to Support Engagement	arrangements are in place to help broaden the participation of minority ethnic communities, and where gaps are identified to address these

Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP)

Culture, Community Cohesion, Tourism, Museums, Galleries, Libraries, Cultural Heritage & Heritage Sites – IPP

Link	Description
IPP – SIR 17: Changing the Cultural Landscape – National Museum and Statues	The Scottish Government should work with the existing group co-chaired by CRER and Glasgow City Council and community members to fund a scoping study for the establishment of a national museum dedicated to illuminating Scotland’s role in empire, colonialism, slavery, migration and the history of Scotland’s erasure of that history. Ethnic minority people, in particular people from African and Caribbean communities, must be over-represented within any such work. Further, statues have become a focus in the global moment and clarified for all that they mean, what obfuscated reality they reflect, and ask the question of what they are saying and to whom? The Scottish Government should be bold, creative, and proactive, and include young and older Afro-Caribbean and people of African descent in Scotland in any decision-making on future statues and other cultural artefacts.

Link

Description

IPP – SIR 17: Changing the Cultural Landscape – National Museum and Statues

The Scottish Government should work with the existing group co-chaired by CRER and Glasgow City Council and community members to fund a scoping study for the establishment of a national museum dedicated to illuminating Scotland’s role in empire, colonialism, slavery, migration and the history of Scotland’s erasure of that history. Ethnic minority people, in particular people from African and Caribbean communities, must be over-represented within any such work. Further, statues have become a focus in the global moment and clarified for all that they mean, what obfuscated reality they reflect, and ask the question of what they are saying and to whom? The Scottish Government should be bold, creative, and proactive, and include young and older Afro-Caribbean and people of African descent in Scotland in any decision-making on future statues and other cultural artefacts.

Dr Addy's – Scottish Anti-Racism Resource Library (ARRL)