The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-14481, in the name of Liz Smith, on the Perth bid to become the United Kingdom city of culture 2021. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes Perth’s bid to become the 2021 UK City of Culture; believes that it has a thriving arts, cultural and entertainment scene and a unique place in the history of arts and culture in Scotland, including the Perth Festival of the Arts, which was founded in 1972; understands that the bid will include the promotion of projects already in place, such as the Perth Theatre redevelopment and the Mill Street regeneration, as well as other proposals, including the redevelopment of the Perth Museum and Art Gallery and the development of new cultural attractions; believes that it is home to some of Scotland’s finest collections including the Fergusson Gallery, and wishes Perth and Kinross Council well in taking forward the bid.
17:07
I am grateful to have the opportunity to bring this motion to Parliament, and I immediately put on record my thanks to all the members across the chamber who have given the motion their support.
The UK city of culture competition, which is run by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport is—I think we all agree—a great opportunity for any UK city to both celebrate and promote its unique culture. Judging by what has been achieved to date by cities in the competition—for example, Derry/Londonderry in 2013, which I thought was absolutely fantastic—and what is planned for the future with Hull in 2017, the potential benefits are significant, so it was very welcome news that Perth and Kinross Council was putting together a bid for Perth for 2021.
Perth is, of course, at the very heart of Scotland’s story. Once just beyond the very northern edge of the Roman empire, it is where ancient Scotland and the kingdom of Alba were forged; and it was, of course, once the capital and the crowning place of Scottish kings. Scone palace—immortalised in “Macbeth”—remains a lasting symbol of Perth’s historic and royal connections, and was the most fitting venue when Her Majesty the Queen bestowed city status on Perth just a few years ago, in 2012.
In economic terms, Perth, intimately tied with the River Tay, has always been an important focus for employment, investment and trade. However, its rich cultural heritage is now becoming just as important. The fair city is the place that inspired Walter Scott to write “The Fair Maid of Perth”, which inspired George Bizet’s opera of the same name. Perth has therefore had plenty of reason throughout history to celebrate its culture, but it is ambitious to do so much more and to build on the highly successful Perth festival of the arts, which was founded in 1972; and on the magnificent art collections in the museums and galleries, including the Fergusson gallery, which celebrates the life and work of the celebrated Scottish colourist, John Duncan Fergusson, whose wife, Margaret Morris, was the pioneer of modern dance.
The city was home to glass producers including Vasart and Monart, which during their heyday of the 1930s were Scotland’s answer to the French art-glass movement. The glass was celebrated for its vivid spiralling colours in the fashionable emporia of London and New York, and it put Perth—and Scotland—on the world arts map. Even today, Perth museum and art gallery is home to one of Europe’s most important collections of glass, including the highly valued Vasart and Monart paperweights.
Perth is home to two theatres: Perth theatre, and the concert hall, which—apart from attracting Scotland’s political parties for their conference seasons—has a remarkable record in hosting some of the finest international artistes in the world of music and drama. Perth theatre, which was constructed in 1900, is one of Scotland’s oldest and most historic repertory theatres. We are all looking forward to the £16 million state-of-the-art redevelopment, which by 2017 will have built a new complex to house studio and art space, a youth theatre, a construction workshop and a series of front-of-house performance areas in addition to the main focus of the conservation and restoration of the historic Edwardian auditorium.
That is all part of Perth and Kinross Council’s effort over the past two years to set out a long-term approach to develop the city’s unique cultural assets and strengths, and to bring forward an investment programme that is focused on Perth becoming a cultural hub for the central part of Scotland.
Alongside the Perth theatre redevelopment, there is the Mill Street regeneration, and there are new proposals to further develop the Perth museum and the art gallery and exciting plans to develop a city cultural quarter. In short, it is a plan to ensure that Perth city becomes the most desirable place in Scotland in which to live, work, invest and enjoy a rich diversity of cultural experience, and a plan that will improve connectivity, develop the knowledge economy and strengthen the opportunities for business and tourism.
Being named UK city of culture brings with it the opportunity for the winning city to host UK cultural events such as the Turner prize, which was awarded in Scotland for the first time in Glasgow’s Tramway arts centre; the Man Booker prize; and the Stirling prize.
If the bid is successful, the whole of Perthshire and Kinross-shire could benefit from thousands of additional visitors, which could lead to an estimated £60 million boost for the local economy. Importantly, the bid has the potential to act as a catalyst for key regeneration projects. It is hoped that there could be long-term help for some of the neglected areas such as Bridgend, and a long-term future for St Paul’s church.
As I mentioned earlier, it is only three years since Perth had its city status restored to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012. Perth’s bid for the city of culture represents an exciting opportunity to put Perth, and Perthshire and Kinross-shire, firmly on the culture map of the United Kingdom, and to raise Perth’s international profile.
I know that, to some extent, the UK city of culture 2021 competition is set to pit two of Scotland’s great cities beginning with P against each other. I am pleased to see the member for Paisley sitting in the chamber, because I know that the bidding process, although it will be very competitive and intense, will nonetheless be good for all the cities that compete, as it will make them focus on what the future can deliver in terms of a diverse and vibrant arts culture.
As members will know, Perth is a relatively small city, with the population standing at approximately 47,000. However, I believe that that is not the important thing. The deciding factor ought to be what a city can offer in terms of important cultural diversity. The former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ben Bradshaw, said something very interesting when he announced the launch of the UK city of culture initiative. He said:
“Culture is something that we are incredibly good at in the UK. But excellence and innovation in the arts does not begin and end inside the M25 and I believe we have been too London-centric for too long in our cultural life.”
I agree entirely with that comment.
The quality of the cultural organisations that are based in the area is exceptional. Those include Horsecross Arts, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Perth Festival of the Arts and many more. Culture is central to the city’s future aspirations, in terms of the economic benefits that it can deliver and its wider transformative power to improve the quality of life and build a sense of identity and civic pride across the communities.
I look forward to working with colleagues on all sides of the chamber, and I hope that Perth will be well considered in the competition.
17:14
I congratulate Liz Smith on securing today’s debate on Perth’s bid to be the city of culture in 2021. Liz Smith has expertly detailed the strengths of the Perth bid and it is fantastic to see that level of ambition from a city in my region. Perth is a beautifully located city that is investing in its arts infrastructure.
We increasingly recognise the cultural and social value of arts festivals across Scotland. Our arts and culture are hugely important for tourism, with visitors increasingly looking for an experience and engagement with a country’s cultural programme when they visit.
The Perth festival of the arts was founded in 1972 and is now in its 45th year. It is one of the oldest continuous arts festivals in Scotland and has grown in strength in recent years with a much broader programme. The investment in the Perth theatre development and the Mill Street regeneration demonstrates a commitment to cultural investment by the city, building an identity for the arts and a commitment to a home for Scotland’s talent. The redevelopment of the Perth museum and art gallery also gives improved opportunities to showcase their collection in the best possible way and builds on Perth’s reputation as a cultural city.
Of course, Perth’s cultural programme serves many more people than those in Perth alone and it acts as a hub for the surrounding area, so a successful bid would bring wider benefits to the Perthshire economy. This is a significant undertaking for Perth and Kinross Council and I wish it well in developing its bid proposal. As a member for Mid Scotland and Fife, I would be delighted to see Perth win the award and I offer my support for the bid.
The city of culture programme was launched in July 2009 by the Labour United Kingdom Government. It built on the success of Liverpool as the European city of culture in 2008 and demonstrated how a cultural award and focused investment bring cultural, economic and social benefits. Culture can be really transformative for an area, bringing rewards particularly for areas that have been hit by economic and industrial decline.
In the first year, 14 cities applied and Derry/Londonderry became the first city of culture in 2013. The title is held for a year with an award made every four years. The most recent winner was Hull, although Dundee was considered in the final four. It is interesting to consider what television producer Phil Redmond, chair of the city of culture panel, said. He said that Hull was the unanimous choice because it put forward
“the most compelling case based on its theme as ‘a city coming out of the shadows’.”
That demonstrates an important aspect of the competition, which is that it supports regeneration of a city and looks for transformational change when awarding the title.
There are other Scottish bids. I recently visited Paisley at the invitation of Neil Bibby MSP and met Mark Macmillan, the council leader, to talk about Paisley’s bid and its aim to combine Paisley’s heritage with a cultural vision for the future. There might be other bids from Scottish cities still to come. The cabinet secretary will know that the last time the award was bid for, Dundee and Aberdeen entered the competition. Although Dundee was considered in the final four, there is debate about whether Scotland should support one bid that could gather support from the Scottish Government. It would obviously not be a Government bid—the competition is for city authorities—but support from the Government might give more weight to a bid and lead to a successful Scottish bid.
I wish Perth well in its campaign. It has a significant base to build on, it has shown commitment to investing in its cultural capital and it would be fantastic to see the city being awarded this status.
17:18
I also congratulate Liz Smith on securing the debate. This is the first members’ business debate that I have ever taken part in. It is such an important issue that I decided to speak in the debate.
The status of city of culture in 2021 would fit well with the city of Perth. It is the city of my birth and the city of my youngest son’s birth. It is also the city where my oldest son attends college to study for a higher national diploma in technical theatre, which brings me neatly to the benefits of the Perth bid.
The city has such a thriving cultural community that it would live up to the aspirations of city of culture status. We can see clearly that it has some fantastic facilities in the concert hall, the museum and the art gallery. Perth Theatre is going through quite a significant period because of investment of £16 million, which shows the commitment of Perth and Kinross Council to the development of arts in the city and the wider area. There is also the Fergusson gallery, which Liz Smith mentioned.
However, I think that it is the deep heritage of the city that would make it a spectacular winning nominee for city of culture status. We have heard about its great history and the fact that modern Scotland was forged in Perth. It was the ancient capital of Scotland, where many kings were crowned—it competed with the great city of Dunfermline for that status. Perth also played a very important part in the Scottish renaissance, with Fergusson, Geddes and Soutar all linked with the city.
One of the strongest elements of Perth’s bid is its community arts scene. Ad-Lib Theatre Arts is a drama school that encourages people of all ages to participate in the arts and music—I have seen its work first hand, and I know how good it is. That is just one example of many that exist in the city. Therefore, Perth would be a fitting winner of the competition.
As Claire Baker suggested, however, it is not only what Perth could do for the whole process, but what the process could do for Perth. Despite Perth’s façade, it has pockets of poverty. The opportunities that are created from the process and the investment that would come with it would lift up many hundreds of people in Perth and the wider area who could do with a helping hand.
The combination of the facilities in Perth, its great community spirit and arts community and the potential of what becoming the city of culture could do for Perth and for the wider area makes the city a winning competition contender.
17:21
I thank Liz Smith for bringing the debate to the Parliament. Some members may not be aware that I worked in the fair city of Perth for a number of years, so I am only too aware of its thriving arts, culture and entertainment scene. There is much to commend in Perth’s bid to become UK city of culture 2021. However, in this week of all weeks, I will paraphrase the “Star Wars” saga by saying, “There is another.” That town is the town of Paisley, which on 13 November this year launched its bid in Paisley’s historic abbey. Perth may be the heart of Scotland, but the great town of Paisley is the centre of the known universe and its buddies have their eye on the prize.
It is interesting that Willie Rennie seems to have forgotten the university years that he spent in the great town of Paisley—he may not find himself a pint in the student union when he goes back to any alumni events at the University of the West of Scotland.
The two bids have many similarities. When we look at Liz Smith’s motion, we see that redevelopment and regeneration are a major part of Perth’s bid, and the bid from Paisley—with its museum and various venues—is the same.
Redevelopment and regeneration are, for me, the most important part of any bid, because they have to do with what actually comes out of a bid—its legacy is the most important aspect. A successful bid would create the capital investment to ensure that Paisley has the capacity to have such an event. I am aware of Perth’s concert hall because I have been there for various party conferences—although not recently, because the membership has become a wee bit too large now. We all miss going to Perth for conference, but Paisley has many venues too, including Paisley town hall, the abbey—which is also now being used as an arts venue—and the arts centre. They demonstrate Paisley’s history and legacy and the importance of Paisley to Scotland in general.
We lack one major piece of capital investment. I am talking about a cinema and performance area, and the Paisley 2021 Community Trust plans to create a £40 million cinema and performing arts centre in the heart of Paisley—a 500-seat main theatre, five cinema screens, a cafe, a bar and a restaurant. That is on the back of work on the bid as well. The trust is using the model of the Glasgow Film Theatre. The screen machine, which normally goes around rural areas, was in Paisley County Square yesterday, showing “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I did not go to see it, because Stacey and I tend to leave that for a wee greet on Christmas eve, but it was good to see kids and everybody back in the heart of the town instead of at some out-of-town cinema and shopping centre.
As we have all said, any bid needs to ensure that it has public backing—it has to be owned by the people in the town. Our local newspaper, the Paisley Daily Express, has urged all buddies to back the bid by running a social media campaign using #WhyILovePaisley. We all know that I tend to come here just to say that, but I have been taking to social media to do it as well. What is not to love about Paisley, its history and the bid? What is not to love about the people and their passion for life or about what we have given the world, historically and culturally, from David Tennant to Gerard Butler, from Gerry Rafferty to John Byrne, from the weaver poet Robert Tannahill to the Rev John Witherspoon, who signed the American declaration of independence, and of course the world-famous Paisley pattern? All those things will be part of the bid that Paisley is pushing forward.
Regardless of who is successful in 2017 in bidding to become 2021 UK city of culture, I believe that the most important thing is regeneration. From looking at previous bids, it seems that that was the case for Derry and Hull—their bids were about what they could show for the future. Two of Scotland’s great towns are bidding to become the UK city of culture. I wish Perth every success in its journey during the bidding process but, for me, the best option will always be the great town of Paisley. Watch this space and, as Benjamin Disraeli said,
“keep your eye on Paisley.”
Thank you, Mr Adam. I am glad that you briefly returned to Perth at the end.
17:26
Perhaps I can bring the debate back to Perth from George Adam’s galaxy far, far away in Paisley. I congratulate Liz Smith on securing the debate and thank her for the opportunity to contribute.
It is just three years since Perth was awarded city status as part of the Queen’s golden jubilee celebrations. I believe that the city is well placed to be named UK city of culture 2021. I remember the long-fought campaign for city status for Perth, which was fought with cross-party backing, and it is good that the current campaign also has cross-party support. To have politicians from all sides unite in support of the bid to become UK city of culture will be hugely important in taking that forward.
Despite becoming Scotland’s newest city, Perth is actually one of the country’s oldest. The birth of our nation and Perth’s story are closely wrapped together. In a tale so gruesome that it could feature in an episode of “Game of Thrones”, Kenneth MacAlpin slaughtered his Pictish rivals at the dinner table in Scone and therefore became first king of Scots. For the next 800 years, Scone palace served as the coronation location for all Scotland’s monarchs. Perth’s interesting and sometimes bloody history is well represented throughout the city thanks to the museums and other cultural hotspots.
As we have heard, one attraction that traces Perth’s history through the ages is the museum and art gallery. Perth museum has all bases covered, from the Romans to Scottish art, including a recent acquisition of an Alison Watt piece, and it is also facing the exciting prospect of a new redevelopment. The Black Watch museum, which is near the city centre, recently underwent a massive restoration programme.
In terms of culture, Perth is of course the birthplace of John Buchan, one of Scotland’s greatest writers. He is famous for, among other things, his biography of the first Marquis of Montrose, who I believe is still a popular subject for biographers, especially those with a Perth connection.
History is everywhere in Perth. Richard III was famously dug up from underneath a car park in Leicester, and many historians believe that Perth also has a dead monarch lying underneath the streets. Following his murder in Perth, historians have long argued that James I lies buried under the streets of Perth. I perhaps would not advocate digging up the streets to search for him—although some people have proposed just that—but shovels will hit the ground near the city centre as part of a major leisure and arts redevelopment. As Liz Smith mentioned, the Mill Street car park is set for major private sector investment in a regeneration project that is likely to bring a leisure complex complete with a cinema, gym, restaurants and shops. Encouraging such private sector investors to get involved will be incredibly important.
Despite all those future plans and existing attractions, Perth is in many ways Scotland’s forgotten city. As other areas across the country have been handed generous support and investment, Perth for the most part has been left to its own devices. People in Perth have looked on with envy as Dundee has received substantial public investment by way of the Victoria and Albert museum and the waterfront development. Perth needs similar support, and attaining UK city of culture status would be the perfect springboard to attract more investors.
Finally, digital infrastructure must also improve if Perth is to be a serious contender. A modern city is online and interconnected. Google maps, TripAdvisor and Yelp are today’s guidebooks, and Perth must be able to deliver them to visitors on demand and on the move. Sadly, however, too much of Perth continues to lag behind, with broadband and internet speeds falling way behind what is expected in the 21st century. That needs to be improved.
The speeches from members across the chamber have demonstrated that Perth has the attractions to make it the perfect UK city of culture. History, culture and art ooze from every corner. As Liz Smith mentioned, Londonderry/Derry in Northern Ireland has benefited tremendously from city of culture status, and forecasters have predicted that about £60 million could be generated in the local economy from a successful Perth bid. There are many challenges to overcome before that becomes a reality, but I look forward to working with colleagues across the chamber to further Perth’s case for being named the next UK city of culture.
17:30
I thank members for their speeches. As Murdo Fraser pointed out, Perth’s bid has cross-party support.
Local authorities have a crucial role to play in delivering cultural activity, and I welcome Perth and Kinross Council’s clear ambitions to use culture and creativity as a catalyst to promote regeneration. I am mindful that, as George Adam pointed out, other Scottish cities and areas have indicated—or may still indicate, given that the process is in its early days—a desire to bid to become UK city of culture 2021. I recently met Renfrewshire Council to hear of its ambitions for Paisley. There is a strong case for Scotland in the competition and our cities are in a strong place culturally. May the competition be constructive, and advertise our country’s cultural successes and potential collectively.
Claire Baker might be interested to know that the Scottish Government and our agencies, including Creative Scotland, EventScotland and Scottish Enterprise, provided significant support for shortlisted Dundee’s 2017 bid, which, although it was ultimately unsuccessful, helped Dundee to put forward a subsequent successful bid to become a designated United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization city of design. It was the first city in the UK to do so. The Scottish Government and our agencies, therefore, have recent valuable experience that we can use to help to advise future bidding cities through the process. My officials have also been in contact with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at Westminster, which runs the competition, to ensure that details of the bidding process will be finalised to help Scottish cities and areas to develop their plans.
Let us focus on Perth. As Liz Smith set out, Perth is at the heart of the story of ancient Scotland and the kingdom of Alba, and it was the crowning place of Scottish kings. As Willie Rennie mentioned, Perth also shaped modern Scotland, with key figures from the 20th century Scottish renaissance including the modernist and colourist painter John Duncan Fergusson, Patrick Geddes and William Soutar all being linked with the city.
Perth has a vibrant cultural scene, with exceptional cultural organisations based in the area including Horsecross Arts, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Perth Festival of the Arts and many more. We heard about the central importance of the Fergusson gallery and the extensive archives that it holds, which exhibit great talent and creative energy. The 1,200-seat Perth concert hall is one of the most significant Scottish public buildings of this century and is renowned for its first-class acoustics. I have been pleased to attend youth brass band championships there in previous years.
The city plan for Perth sets a new level of ambition for the city in improving connectivity, developing the knowledge economy and strengthening the business and tourism offers. As Claire Baker set out, it is clear that culture is central to Perth’s future aspirations in terms of both the economic benefits that culture can generate and its wider transformative power to improve quality of life and build a sense of identity and civic pride across communities in our newest city.
The transformation of Perth theatre, which involves the renewal and enhancing of the existing Edwardian theatre, is under way. The transformation of that much-loved building into the most modern and exhilarating theatre space in Scotland in the heart of Scotland’s newest city will perfectly complement the international-standard Perth concert hall. Within the theatre, Horsecross Arts will increase and diversify audiences through inspiring programmes, collaborations and the nurturing of new talent. A paved civic space is to be created adjacent to the new theatre development, and the vennels that link Mill Street and the High Street are to be significantly improved. Within the Perth city plan, Mill Street and its surrounding area is identified as a cultural quarter.
Next year, as a part of the town centre planning pilots, we are supporting the council to develop an innovative lighting project that is designed to help tell the story of Perth and attract visitors into the town centre. It will be launched in 2016, the year of innovation, architecture and design, which will spotlight, celebrate and promote Scotland’s heritage and modern attributes in architecture, engineering, renewables, fashion, textiles, science, technology and more, through an exciting programme of activity to inspire the people of Scotland and our visitors and to boost tourism in every corner of Scotland.
Creative Scotland has invested more than £3.29 million in individuals and organisations based in Perth and Kinross through 15 awards in 2014-15, including one of the highlights in Scotland’s cultural calendar—Perth festival of the arts, which celebrated its 44th year in May this year. Highlights of the festival included the Proclaimers, Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and “La Bohème” by English Touring Opera—something for everyone. I am sure that the 45th festival next year will be some celebration.
In recent years, all five of our national performing companies have performed in and engaged with communities across Perth and Kinross. Those activities have ranged from offering practical ideas for music making for local nursery staff and teachers to taster sessions for all ages in modern ballet. The Royal Scottish national orchestra inspired a 50-strong community orchestra to help Horsecross Arts to celebrate its 10th birthday this summer, and it also chose Perth to present its inaugural “Notes from Scotland” initiative, with five new works from young composers who were inspired by National Trust for Scotland locations around the country.
The National Theatre of Scotland has also now announced the first part in a brand-new cycle of three music pieces commemorating the first world war—“The 306: Dawn”, written by Oliver Emanuel with music composed by Gareth Williams. This work will be co-produced with Perth theatre and 14-18 NOW, in association with Red Note Ensemble, and will be directed by Laurie Sansom. The first part of the trilogy explores the stories of the 306 men who were shot for cowardice and desertion during the first world war. “The 306: Dawn” is set around the battle of the Somme in July 1916, and will be ambitiously staged in the Perthshire countryside from May 2016.
Our national collections and Museums Galleries Scotland have extensive learning and community engagement programmes, and there has been a recent increase in visits to the national museum of Scotland from schools in the Perth area—there were 10 in 2013-14, and the number increased to 15 in 2014-15.
Perth museum and art gallery and the Black Watch museum are among 10 partners in the “Next of Kin” touring programme, which commemorates the centenary of the first world war across Scotland. Each contributes stories based on local collections and they have developed a digital resource that is used by schools and community groups.
From what we have heard today and from what I have set out, we can see that Perth is on a journey. Earlier this year, it was announced that Perth had beaten off competition from 19 other Scottish locations to land its own customised game board to celebrate Monopoly’s 80th anniversary year. Scone palace was crowned as the Mayfair of Perth. It joins St Johnstone FC’s ground, the Perth museum and art gallery, the Black Watch museum, Perth College, the Fergusson gallery, the Fair Maid’s house and the concert hall on the board’s 22 squares. The Courier features on the spot that is normally occupied by Fleet Street, the traditional home of the newspaper industry, while Old Kent Road is taken over by the North Inch.
Perth is going places—not just on a Monopoly board—and I wish the city well on its cultural journey.
Meeting closed at 17:38.Previous
Decision Time