Arts & Business Scotland is today rebranding to Culture & Business Scotland, as well as launching its strategy for the next five years.
Since the charity’s demerger from Arts & Business UK more than a decade ago, it has extended its reach across the Scottish business and culture sectors, now encompassing heritage as well as the arts and further developing its offer to businesses.
Uniquely positioned as the only agency in Scotland to act as a conduit between the two sectors, the organisation has now repositioned itself.
Along with the rebranding, Culture & Business Scotland is setting out its strategic plan, which focuses on ways to mitigate the effects of the challenging economic backdrop.
The legacy of Brexit, the pandemic and economic crises continue to present problems for the cultural sector, compounded by pressures on public funding.
The organisation's plan aims to address this by supporting the cultural sector to access new opportunities and models of working, while ensuring that businesses gain an edge over competitors by mobilising innovation and creativity.
The plan outlines three key strategic goals:
- A commitment to championing the benefits of cultural experiences, both for individuals and collectively, and advocating for investment in culture based on the value it brings to social, civic and economic life;
- Further cultivating relationships between the cultural and business industries, including expanding membership to the organisation itself, facilitating funding opportunities between the two sectors and delivering and promoting the Culture & Business Marketplace Scotland initiative.
- Offering sector-specific training and development possibilities, as well as collaborating with industry partners to offer insights into compelling industry issues and provide professional expertise on relevant topics such as governance, fundraising and sponsorship.
David Watt, chief executive of Culture & Business Scotland, said: “As an organisation, we have grown and evolved immeasurably over the past decade, and the new naming and repositioning of our identity reflects this.
“Our rebranding demonstrates our fundamental commitment to both sectors, while ensuring that all potential beneficiaries can recognise the scope of our work and the value it can offer them.”
The organisation's chair Jane Morrison-Ross added: “Scotland’s cultural industry faces a challenging set of circumstances, but it also has immense potential.
“By helping to forge connections between the cultural and business sectors, providing genuinely meaningful training and development opportunities for creative and industry professionals and advocating for the value of cultural experiences, we’re supporting the cultural sector to fully harness this potential and strengthening its ability to weather the challenges ahead.
“Our new strategic plan is a manifestation of our values, vision, and mission, and reinforces our resolve to enable mutually beneficial connections and relationships between the cultural and business sectors – a unique commitment amongst Scottish organisations.”
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