Inverness, a City of Culture

That the Parliament notes the view that while the Highland Council's UK City of Culture bid was not ultimately successful, Inverness’s own distinct cultural identity, vibrant creative community and urban artistic strengths remain clear and compelling; commends the local artists, independent venues, community groups and grassroots creative practitioners within Inverness who championed the city’s story and demonstrated its creative ambition; believes that Inverness possesses a distinct, self-contained cultural weight and character, anchored by institutions such as Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, the Inverness Castle transformation, live music venues, independent galleries, arts students and community creative hubs that stand firmly on their own merits; celebrates Inverness as an energetic urban centre for both contemporary and traditional arts, where live performance, storytelling and the Scottish Gaelic language can thrive within everyday civic life; acknowledges the substantial economic, educational and social benefits that a thriving creative sector delivers directly to Inverness residents, city centre businesses, and local communities; considers that future cultural strategies for the city should place Inverness’s specific urban assets, local creative practitioners and distinct civic needs front and centre, and notes calls for continued investment and targeted support from the Scottish Government, local authorities and national arts bodies to empower Inverness-based artists, enhance local cultural infrastructure and ensure that Inverness is recognised and celebrated in its own right as an ambitious cultural capital.