Appendix 2 - Pledge and Actions Update
Perth and Kinross Council · 1 October 2025
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 1 October 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 1 Appendix 2 Cultural Pledge 1 We will celebrate our cultural diversity and make culture in Perth and Kinross accessible for everyone. Cultural Pledge 2 We will ensure culture and heritage are integral to Placemaking decisions. Cultural Pledge 3 We pledge to make co-creation with local communities central to our cultural programmes. Cultural Pledge 4 We pledge to develop new partnerships locally, nationally and internationally and strengthen the ones we have, bringing significant culture and new work to local. Cultural Pledge 5 We pledge to maximise spaces and places for creative activity across all our localities. Cultural Pledge 6 We pledge to use data and evidence collaboratively to shape programmes which are well tailored to audiences and increase participation by growing new audiences. Cultural Pledge 7 We pledge to make culture count in tackling the climate emergency. Cultural Pledge 8 We pledge to support young people to learn, work and grow skills through culture. Cultural Pledge 9 We pledge to support and develop our small creative and craft businesses. Cultural Pledge 1 – We will celebrate our cultural diversity and make culture in Perth and Kinross accessible for everyone No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 1.1 We will continue to deliver the new Perth Museum project with a vibrant inclusive community engagement programme. Design the Year 1 opening PKC, CPK, Historic Environment Scotland Existing capital, revenue and staff resources Full Business Case targets for visitor numbers (167,000) delivered Number of community engagement participants in Perth Museum programmes. 2024 public programmes planned and September 2023. Complete. Perth Museum opened on the 30 March 2024 with a weekend of events and celebrations. By 30 November 2024 the Museum had received 210,615 visitors. The Cairncross Gallery also includes work by 6x artists commissioned to
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 2 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update programme and ensure all partnership relationships are in place. approved by Perth Museum Project Board create banners/standards which tell Perthshire stories through visual art in co-creation with members of the local community as a large-scale community engagement project with links to our UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art designation. Linking with the banners project, 6 workshops were offered alongside the museum opening programme, the workshops were held in Average Gallery and encouraged the community to engage without the threshold paralysis which may have impeded engagement with the museum itself. 1.2 We will support all funded partners to develop and publish their EDI Plans PKC Equalities Existing staff resource Published EDI plans for each funded organisation October 2026 Perth & Kinross Council update - The Equalities Strategic Forum brings together PKC and external partners. PKC's Learning Programme is available to all Forum members, and equalities learning features within this. Perth Theatre and Concert Hall update - implemented our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equality & Accessibility) plan in 2022/23, which is further supported by our comprehensive strategy until 2027/28. Starting from a position of Inclusion being fundamental to our activities, we are striving for a future in which the
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 3 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update performing arts are essential to our communities. Our commitment to IDEA is, therefore, central to all policies and processes, and by undertaking continual review and training, we monitor and are transparent about our progress. Taking a holistic approach towards embedding IDEA, our strategic objectives are to: Internally: - Attract, develop, and retain a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. - Build a shared understanding of our obligations and support staff in adhering to best practices. - Follow and meet the goals of the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First, enabling all employees to reach their full potential. Externally: - Engage with and listen to our communities, responding to their needs and motivations. - Programme and support artists to produce work that is authentic and respectful in representing their experiences.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 4 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update - Improve access to and increase the visibility of our work, offering multiple entryways and overcoming barriers to attendance. 1.3 We will launch our Invest in Culture and Sport programme to raise £5M additional funding from business/other sources to fund free and subsidised access to culture PKC, Perth City Leadership Forum, Community Planning Partnership Existing staff resource £1M committed or raised in Year 1 October 2026 Action to be reviewed. 1.4 We will support partners and local festivals to access funding enabling them to grow their digital and hybrid cultural programmes PKC Existing staff resource, PKC Digital Inclusion Fund, National funding sources Number of additional cultural participations. Additional funding accessed by partners for digital participation October 2026 Perth Theatre & Concert Hall update - In June 2024, through the Perthshire Box Office, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall launched our online shop PBO+. Working with artist, The Grey Hill and local playwrights, this shop is designed to incentivise people to attend live events and to enable those who are unable to visit to engage with artistic content digitally. From 2025/26, we will also sell e- books of classic theatre texts in partnership with Bloomsbury and LA Theatre Works with The Grey Hill developing AI algorithms to convert online buyers into live event bookers.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 5 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 1.5 Perth Theatre and Concert Hall will continue to champion diversity onstage and off, and working closely with local communities to reflect their diversity and providing opportunity for artists from diverse backgrounds to perform on our stages Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Existing resources Programme reflects interests of local people; onstage diversity continues to develop October 2028 Although our approach is to support IDEA in the broadest terms and across all protected characteristics, ongoing monitoring of audience and employee data has revealed the under-represented segments for which Perth Theatre and Concert Hall's IDEA strategy can have the most significant impact. Our priority outcomes until 2027/28 are to: Ethnicity – increase engagement from Eastern European communities by an avg. of 18% year-on-year: - To begin with, 4.7% of the local authority population are first- and second- generation Poles. However, our figures suggest that since reopening (October 2021), less than 1% of our audiences have been from the Polish community, while 3% of staff identify as such. We also know, anecdotally, that there are smaller pockets of Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Roma communities across the region who we need to increase engagement with; - Through our current five-year focus on Developing Audiences from the Polish Diaspora, responsive pricing, promotion and programming are intended to broaden appeal amongst this group and reach other Eastern European communities
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 6 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update organically. Supporting programming partners include Friends of Bydgoszcz (Perth’s twin city), Cryptic, Ela Orleans, Filmograf, Graeae Theatre Company, the Illuminated Film Company, Nicola Werenowska and Wojtek Animation; - Working with local school, the Centrum Edukacyjne Bajka, we will target vacancies and new skills development projects, Perth Youth Theatre Production and The Collective, to their 400+ students to increase our recruitment pipeline and will collaborate with Ando Glaso to shape a new participatory project with musicians from our former Gordon Duncan Experience traditional orchestra and their youth ensemble, Zor. Sexual Orientation - increase engagement from the LGBTQIA+ community by an avg. of 13% year-on- year: - While 12.5% of staff identify as such, over 2023/24, engagement from LGBTQIA+ audiences remained stagnant at 3%. Forming a cross-organisation group, coordinated through our Employee Forum, of those with lived experience and allies, we need to understand why and work with our teams to increase reach; - As a starting point, we are doing so
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 7 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update through a new project, the three-year (minimum) Teenage Fanclub, leading to the formation of a Youth Board and working with our artists and young people to devise wider Learning & Engagement opportunities for our own-produced work including The Rainbow, Footnotes to a Rendezvous and Dance of Death; - We will also pursue new programming and development opportunities for local queer artists through Gig on a Truck and 125 Live! Three-year sponsorship from St Johnstone Football Club is confirmed, with their board planning to use this opportunity, in part, to inform their own efforts in increasing LGBTQIA+ representation in local sport. SIMD – increase engagement from areas of socio-economic deprivation by an avg. of 5% year-on-year: - 5% of staff indicate that they are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and audiences registering on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation encompass the above segments, plus couples and individuals aged 51-65, 13% of whom are based in Perthshire and young families between 26-50, 4% of whom are based in Perthshire and identify as White British; - Through our participatory projects and
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 8 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update partnerships, particularly those delivered in community settings, we have succeeded in involving more socio- and economically disadvantaged groups. However, we need to encourage cross- over public engagement with our on-stage work through the above projects and community productions; - We will increase accessibility through our Perthshire Box Office and Theatre Bus initiatives, 125 Live! will trial a Ticket Bank encouraging bookers to give the gift of tickets by donating at check-out, and across own-produced studio shows, we will use Pay What You Decide models when appropriate whilst continuing to fundraise for allocations of discounted or free tickets for mainstage productions and the Perth Concert Series. Learning & Engagement will also broaden our well- established bursary scheme across future projects; - Working with Perth UHI, NEETS Perth, local schools, and through the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce initiative, we will also target vacancies and new skills development projects whilst supporting the college’s annual scholarship programme for local employers.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 9 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 1.6 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will ensure that all audiences, artists, participants and workforce will have parity of physical access across our buildings resulting in increased employment for and increased participation by people who are disabled, deaf, living with disabilities and/or have a long- term medical condition. Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources and new capital build 5% of our employment and training opportunities will be awarded to people who are disabled, deaf, living with disabilities, neurodiversity and/or a long-term medical condition October 2028 This is being delivered and is an ongoing activity. 1.7 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will commission more women and people who self-define as being from one of the 9 protected characteristic groups to make work and support them in their professional development. Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing Resources including PKC and CS funding 50% of new work commissioned will be by women and people from the other protected characteristics October 2028 Achieved target in 2024. In the 2024 season, 50% of the main auditorium directors were female and 25% had a physical disability; 50% of the writers/adaptors of all the plays across the season were female; 3 out of the 8 play directors were LGBT+. The creative team was 50% male and 50% female and seven of those were from protected characteristic groups. The ensemble comprised 13 female performers and 11 male performers. 1.8 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will continue to engage with refugee and asylum seeker Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources including PKC and CS Receive a Sanctuary in Arts Award October 2028 In 2024, we arranged three visits for asylum seekers and refugees to visit the Theatre, two to see the Dress Rehearsals of productions and one
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 10 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update communities from across Scotland to offer a safe environment for participatory activities and performances that speak to these new arrivals funding and through fundraising event - Light, Hope, Joy Day as part of the Refugee Festival Scotland programme. In all, we welcomed 73 refugees and asylum seekers to the Theatre. We regularly attend the International Cafe and Integrated Network meetings. 1.9 Scottish Crannog Centre will become a Disability Confident Leader in Spring 2023. Only by employing a diverse workforce will we be able to engage with diverse communities – we will employ a diverse workforce that represents the communities we are here to serve Scottish Crannog Centre Existing staff resource and new staff a) Gain Disability Confident Leader status. Spring 2024 Achieved Spring 2024. b) Develop a new NPA in green woodworking and deliver its first year. Spring 2024 Complete. This has been developed and is halfway through first year. c) Run 6 immersive online workshops with Glasgow Association for Mental Health Spring 2024 Complete February 2024. d) Grow our online presence with 24 podcast episodes building on the success of our pilot year. October 2028 Unable to progress so far due to capacity but the intention is to revisit. e) We will launch new online content to increase accessibility, with 1 full- length documentary released in Summer on YouTube. Achieved Spring 2024 Spring 2024 Complete. A full-length documentary is being worked on. ACCESS ABLE has been achieved. 1.10 The trustees of Innerpeffray Library will develop new events and exhibitions to Innerpeffray Library Existing staff resource One exhibition per year plus Festival of reading to increase engagement October 2028 The Library has produced a new exhibition annually and expanded the programme of events, including developing the Festival of
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 11 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update ensure the library is accessible to all Reading. Visitor numbers have increased and so have volunteers and the numbers of people taking part in events. Cultural Pledge 2 - We will ensure culture and heritage are integral to Placemaking decisions No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 2.1 Cultural Hubs – we will work with the 6 key towns across Perth and Kinross to develop their cultural USP and brand, creating a stronger cohesive cultural offer across Perth and Kinross PKC - Business, Place & Investment Existing staff resource Cultural USP/brand in place for all 6 towns. Shared agreement on priority cultural assets in each locality as part of Place Plans/Community Action Plans October 2028 To be progressed, linking in with other pieces of strategic work including the review of the libraries. 2.2 Establish a Culture Champions network of visitor services staff in our hotels, food and drink venues, transport hubs etc to provide consistent, clear and positive messages welcoming visitors to Perth PKC/ Chamber of Commerce TBC Number of participating organisations October 2028 To be progressed.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 12 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 2.3 Develop a range of ‘oven-ready’ proposals for vacant shop premises working with national cultural organisations, landlords, artists and makers PKC Vacant Properties Working Group Action Plan for Vacant Properties in place October 2028 Perth & Kinross Council update - we have projects we are keen to develop and are actively working with relevant stakeholders to help bring them to fruition. The project 'Make Room' is an oven ready project developed by Perth UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art designed specifically for empty shops and is scalable and replicable as a case study active research project. Perth Theatre & Concert Hall update - In partnership with Jupiter Artland, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall was one of the first organisations to take over a disused shopfront on Perth High Street with Rachel McLean's MIMI. This immersive installation, with an accompanying engagement programme for 15-25 year olds, took the form of a seemingly abandoned toyshop and ran from October 2022 - January 2023. 2.4 We will share culture and celebrate creativity within our public realm and underutilised spaces (including vacant shop units) PKC / Perth UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art (CPK) Existing staff resource and external funding where available Number of public realm interventions and development of a creative pilot project situated in a vacant shop unit October 2028 Proposed new action.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 13 Cultural Pledge 3 - We pledge to make co-creation with local communities central to our cultural programmes No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 3.1 We will establish a baseline of data for cultural participation across localities. This will enable us to track progress in widening participation PKC Existing R&D recourse plus analytical support via Creative Scotland Effective system for collating and analysing baseline data developed. Participation levels. Volunteers actively engaged in community-led culture October 2026 Action to be reviewed. 3.2 We will develop knowledge exchange partnerships with other areas in the UK and beyond which are developing new and best practice in community co- creation, including through our UNESCO City networks PKC and partners Existing resources One knowledge exchange initiative per year October 2028 Perth is now the Chair city for the UK UNESCO Creative Cities Group (there are 13 designations across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England) which is primarily for knowledge exchange between UNESCO Creative Cities, as well as with UNESCO HQ and UK Government. 3.3 Embed community co- creation projects across all permanent and temporary displays at newly refreshed Perth Art Gallery CPK Existing resources Increased participation from key communities of geography and interest October 2028 Community co-creation work is being reduced as part of cost saving measures within the Art Gallery.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 14 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 3.4 Perth Theatre and Concert Hall will build on its community engagement programme and models to further develop onstage work with and performed by local people Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Existing resources Community events featured in Perth Theatre and Concert Hall programme October 2028 Perth Youth Theatre continues to present work on the Main Stage and has been repositioned as one of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall’s core five in-house productions year-on-year. In February 2025, they will perform their first musical, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, following Antigone as their first traditional play (beyond devised work) in February 2024. Also this year, as part of 125 Live!, local community groups and societies with whom we work in regular partnership, including Chansons Chamber Choir, Perth Symphony Orchestra, and Perth UHI Musical Theatre, will feature prominently alongside headline acts in our anniversary celebrations. Then, in December, accordionist Ryan Corbett will undertake a residency to develop a new participatory performance of Piazzolla's works. He will hand-pick his own (and first) tango band and work with Learning & Engagement and participants on projects such as Dance for Parkinson’s to create a mass music and dance event. 3.5 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will continue to work with community organisations Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources including Performance events in all theatre spaces and in the community October 2028 The Theatre runs regular activities with performance opportunities for people of
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 15 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update and people of all ages in our local communities to create work and performance opportunities PKC and CS funding all ages from the local area. We are building relationships with local. 3.6 Through collaboration and co-creation with local community partners we will link our community and wellbeing activities to our main events programme Strathearn Arts Existing staff resource Increased participation and engagement with new and existing community groups. October 2026 1. This activity has just recently started. This has made possible with funding awarded from Creative Scotland which has enabled the creation of a new post - Community Engagement Lead. This dedicated post-holder works directly with community groups and on community projects. 2. A community focussed environmental festival is being developed with a view to this taking place in March 2026. 3. Reverb Studio is a local artist- facilitated programme for young people which is youth- led. Working with the local high school, we have worked with young people who have been identified as having experienced harassment, bullying and transphobia. We will approach The Gannochy Trust to seek
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 16 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update funding to continue this programme. Cultural Pledge 4 - We pledge to develop new partnerships locally, nationally and internationally and strengthen the ones we have, bringing significant culture and new work to local audiences. No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 4.1 Continue to build our partnership with Historic Environment Scotland and other key partners to interpret the Stone of Destiny and its move to Perth Museum PKC, CPK Existing staff resource Joint interpretation, education and marketing plans in place March 2024 Complete. The Stone is on display at Perth Museum and HES and CPK staff meet regularly. 4.2 Participate in the UNESCO Scotland Cities trail and develop further UNESCO partnerships globally CPK, PKC Existing staff resource Evidence of trail and partnerships June 2023 Complete. Perth was added to the UNESCO Scotland Trail (https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to- do/unesco-trail/perth-city-of-craft). Our UNESCO City of Craft Focal Point was voted in as the Coordinator for the UK's 13 UNESCO Creative Cities, disseminating information from the UK National Commission for UNESCO and encouraging knowledge sharing and community building between designations. A mandatory part of a UNESCO Creative City designation is
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 17 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update participation in meetings. Subnetwork meetings are when all 66 of the Craft Cities have the opportunity to meet, collaborate, share knowledge and benefit from the global network and Annual Conferences are where all 350 UNESCO Creative Cities gather to discuss global cultural and sustainable policies, strategies and projects. These meetings focus on the network as a whole - since the Focal Point has been in post (January 2024) Perth has been represented in person at all mandatory meetings. Perth worked collaboratively with fellow UNESCO City of Craft, Viljandi (Estonia) on a showcase at Viljandi Heritage Festival. This exhibition used Perth Art Gallery's collections, the cutting-edge technology in The Famous Grouse Ideas Centre and the creative mind and skillset of a local maker to create an exhibition which represented Perth's printing history, our technological advancements, and the local wealth of creativity. Displaying in Viljandi Heritage Festival meant Perth's first UCCN collaboration and was a unique platform to celebrate Perth. 4.3 Attract high-profile work to our museums and venues CPK Existing staff and external funding Number of exhibitions with loans and writers appearing at festivals October 2028 All exhibitions feature loans which have either never been seen within the region or Scotland previously or which
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 18 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update through Museums Galleries Scotland, Creative Scotland etc have not been on display for a significant time. 4.4 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will continue to work in partnership and co-production with national and international venues to bring theatre work of the highest quality to Perth and Kinros Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources including PKC and CS funding The range and number of highquality co- productions in the Artistic programme October 2028 In the 2024, there were three co- productions with New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, OVO in St Albans and Firbrand in the Borders. The Theatre's production of A Streetcar Named Desire toured to The Lyceum, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Performing Arts, Shirely Valentine also went to The Lyceum and The Brenda Line transferred to the Traverse. Cultural Pledge 5 - We pledge to maximise spaces and places for creative activity across all our localities. No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 5.1 We will review PKC grants including the Community Investment Fund and Common Good to ensure criteria prioritises cultural activity which is community-led and reduces inequalities PKC Existing staff resource Number of community- led cultural initiatives supported by PKC grants October 2028 To be progressed.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 19 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 5.2 We will review and improve venue booking processes so all spaces can be viewed and booked via a ‘one-stop-shop’ portal and to enable shared space opportunities for smaller organisations. PKC Existing staff resource Portal established and feedback from community culture and heritage organisations. Scoping/costing by September 2023 and implementation timeline agreed Complete. Perth & Kinross Council update - Perthshire Box Office (PBO) has been launched following continued investment from Perth & Kinross Council (PKC). Pilot stage commenced in the summer of 2023, to the formal launch of the new website and ticketing platform in January 2024. As the exclusive ticketing platform for Perth Museum and the Stone of Destiny, the profile of PBO has been raised, attracting considerable national and international traffic (including the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany) through the website. There is a dedicated PBO team now in place, and have been working with new and existing partners to ensure that the highest level of service is being offered for their events and their customers. The team are focused on increasing customer sales, through memberships, subscription offers, bespoke set-ups and ticket bundles. They are also looking to now expand the PBO offer by exploring wider benefits for businesses in Perth & Kinross, including advertising, marketing and co-promotions. Networking
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 20 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update opportunities are also being planned, as well as recent conversations with local restaurants and accommodation providers, to explore options to build a tourist ticket ‘package’, offering a discounted rate when booking tickets via PBO. is operational. Perth Theatre & Concert Hall update - Perth Theatre and Concert Hall's Perthshire Box Office has been launched following continued investment from Perth & Kinross Council (PKC). The pilot stage commenced in the summer of 2023, and the new website and ticketing platform were officially launched in January 2024. As the exclusive ticketing platform for Perth Museum and the Stone of Destiny, PBO has raised its profile, attracting considerable national and international traffic (including from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany) through the website. A dedicated PBO team is now in place. They have been working with new and existing partners to ensure that the highest level of service is
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 21 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update offered for their events and customers. The team is focused on increasing customer sales through memberships, subscription offers, bespoke set-ups, and ticket bundles. In addition to PBO+, they are looking to expand the PBO offer by exploring wider benefits for businesses in Perth & Kinross, including advertising, marketing, and co- promotions. Networking opportunities are being delivered, and recent conversations with local restaurants and accommodation providers are being conducted to explore options to build a tourist ticket ‘package’, offering a discounted rate when booking tickets via PBO. 5.3 We will support creative learning opportunities across a range of locations including Creative Exchange and the Maker Spaces in libraries CPK Existing staff resource Number of workshops, users and events October 2028 The learning offer is currently being reshaped to better align with available resources. In 2023/24 there were 39,340 participants in 1,820 formal learning opportunities delivered by Culture Perth and Kinross. Over the same period there were 30,236 participants in 2,124 informal learning opportunities. For the period April 2024 - October 2024 there have been 19,624 participants in 842 formal learning opportunities
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 22 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update and 23,729 participants in 1,380 informal learning opportunities. Perth UNESCO City of Craft was successful in securing UKSPF funding to open 3 community cultural assets: a dark room, a glass kiln, and a ceramics kiln. Housed in Perth Creative Exchange, makers can learn how to use these assets paying only for what they use as opposed to high membership fees or the upfront investment of buying a kiln for personal use - increasing access to and participation in (as well as additional learning opportunities for) our cultural sector, as well as highlighting Perth Creative Exchange as a cultural venue beyond tenants. COMMUNITY ASSETS In August 2025, Perth UNESCO City of Craft launched three Community Assets in collaboration with Perth Creative Exchange. Housed in Perth Creative Exchange there is now a photography dark room, a glass kiln, and a ceramics kiln available on a pay-for-what-you-use basis to increase accessibility and access to craft facilities within Perth and Kinross. The assets increase
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 23 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update opportunities for creative and cultural learning as well as providing facilities for local makers to use to deliver creative workshops and create additional business opportunities. 5.4 We will support upcycling and low- cost ways to make creative items including through a pilot project at AK Bell Library, working with Re:Made Crieff and through strengthened craft connections built through our UNESCO City of Craft status CPK, PKC and others Funding from Scottish Libraries Information Council and John Lewis Circular Fund Number of users, events and workshops October 2026 1. The new Lend and Mend service is now established at the AK Bell Library. This provides free access to sewing machines and haberdashery to encourage people to make and mend/upcycle clothes and other fabric based items. The Libraries now have to Sustainability Officers working to promote proactive climate positive activities across all library venues. 2. Current discussions around a collaborative event at AK Bell library with UNESCO City of Craft, CPK, Social Flock and local makers which celebrates mending and upcycling - using craft techniques to keep clothes out of landfill. Aiming for summer 2025 delivery. 5.5 We will work with our funded partners to ensure high quality rural and touring work is delivered across Perth and Kinross, for Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Existing staff resource and external funds Community-led festivals and events October 2028 As before, Gig on a Truck returns in March 2025 through Perth Theatre and Concert Hall's new sponsorship with St Johnstone Football Club and will feature prominently in our 125 Live! celebrations in September.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 24 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update example, the ‘Gig on a Truck’ programme Driven by the significant success of this project since 2021, in 2023, we devised a new site-specific programme until 2027/28. This began in partnership with Tangled Feet to deliver Murmrations on the banks of the River Tay in Dunkeld and will continue in locations across Perth & Kinross with projects including: - Red Note Ensemble performing Philip Glass’ 1000 Airplanes on the Roof at Perth Airport, Scone in spring and April Chamberlain’s The Worm Who Turned as a site-specific musical in the allotment gardens on Moncrieffe Island in autumn 2026; - Heloise Tunstall-Behrens and Tanya Auclair’s choral piece, The Swarm, in spring and Maria Braender’s music- theatre work, Telling the Bees, in autumn 2027 to mark our first Honey Harvest from the Perth Theatre beehives; - Window to Another World in partnership with Perth Concert Hall, Australia, from spring and Matthew Short’s Cairngorm Connections from autumn 2028.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 25 Cultural Pledge 6 - We pledge to use data and evidence collaboratively to shape programmes which are well tailored to audiences and increase participation by growing new audiences No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 6.1 Create a Joint Programming Forum where ideas can be confidentially shared whilst enabling more effective programme and marketing decisions to be made. Increase audience data-sharing protocols compliant with GDPR. PKC, Cultural Forum Existing staff resource Well-integrated joint programme plans in place. Increased participation across participating venues (baseline to be established 2023-2024) October 2026 Commercial sensitivities around programming make this challenging however discussion on upcoming opportunities is included on Cultural Forum agendas. 6.2 Support Perth Theatre and Concert Hall to establish and embed a Perthshire Box Office Perth Theatre and Concert Hall / PKC PKC grant funding – match funding required Growth in overall ticket sales (baseline to be established 2023/2024) April 2023 Complete. PBO now up and running and supporting an increasing number of cultural events. 6.3 Support Cultural Forum training on data- sharing and data analysis. PKC Existing staff resource Better data-sharing between cultural organisations October 2026 Perth Theatre & Concert Hall - Through PBO and the ALEO Transformation Review, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall has offered to support further training on data-sharing and data analysis and has entered into data-sharing agreements with many of the organisations involved, plus other service providers across Perth & Kinross.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 26 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update We have also offered evaluation training to Culture Perth & Kinross and Live Active Leisure for qualitative data, having developed a comprehensive Theory of Change framework for measuring engagement, which was implemented in April 2024. 6.4 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will continue to work with The Audience Agency, TRG Arts Consultancy, Purple 7 Consultancy, audience and focus group feedback to shape our Artistic programme to increase the number and diversity of audiences and visitors to the Theatre Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources including PKC and CS funding Increase in number and diversity of people who attend the Theatre October 2028 Pitlochry Festival Theatre update- Working with The Audience Agency, TRG Arts Consultancy, Purple 7 Consultancy, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, we harness insights and learning through existing and new analysis of ticket sales trends, audience profiling and segmentation, audience feedback, and online metrics using our box office system and related communications software used by our marketing and communications team to increase ticket sales. Our audience profiling builds up a long-term picture of habits and tastes and we use post- show surveys to gather and analyse feedback from our existing audiences. We review open rates and click rates of our e-comms as well as tracking and analysing our social media campaigns to review success and engagement and to build up a long term picture of habits, tastes and opportunities to shape our programmes and increase participation.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 27 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update Perth Theatre & Concert Hall update - The Audience Agency, TRG Arts Consultancy, Purple 7 Consultancy, audience, and focus group feedback form part of the data suite used to shape Perth Theatre and Concert Hall's Artistic Programme. We have also supported and contributed to local and national studies on the impact of regional theatres through Data Culture Change and The Audience Agency. 6.5 Actively engage in UNESCO's MONDIACULT activity to share data, cultural policy, and climate change mitigation within our cultural sector PKC/Perth UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art (CPK) Existing staff resource and external funding where available Perth is able to benefit from the participatory process of collecting global cultural policies and sustainable development and take learnings from international examples and proven successful models October 2028 Proposed new action. Cultural Pledge 7 - We pledge to make culture count in tackling the climate emergency
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 28 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 7.1 We will create a Carbon Emissions Reduction Plan as part of our One Culture and Sport Estate programme for all PKC owned venues to deliver the 2030 Just Transitions target PKC PKC Corporate Asset Management Plan/Property Service 70% reduction in carbon emissions across all buildings by 2030: Year 1 target to be defined October 2028 PKC - Energy management have an Estate Decarbonisation Plan to 2045 for all Council buildings (160 buildings modelled) and funding is being sought for fabric, heating systems and PV systems on these buildings. Perth Theatre & Concert Hall - Through our Environmental Sustainability Strategy until 2027/28 and the work of our Green Team, with staff representatives from every department, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall is making significant strides in reducing carbon emissions in line with Scotland’s pathway to Net Zero. To continue reducing electricity and gas consumption, sustainability efforts include upgrading Perth Concert Hall's Building Management System (BMS), investing in LED stage lighting, installing smart sockets and thermostats, bee hives on the Perth Theatre roof, and offering reusable cups on a deposit-or-donate scheme. The funds raised from these and Perth Theatre Honey, harvested in 2026/27, will contribute to future greening and community projects.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 29 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update Our BMS at the Theatre will also be installed over 2024/25 as part of an upgrade to all systems on PKC’s properties. Combined with the Hall’s installation, these are estimated to further reduce energy consumption by about 20%. Following the renewal of recycling contracts, new waste management policies will not only decrease the amount of waste going to landfill but bring these waste contributions to 0% by 2030. We will also continue to work with PKC on improvements in maintaining infrastructure like water, electricity, and gas supplies, as well as transport routes and pedestrian access during climate emergencies. 7.2 Contribute to and support the smallest green city in Europe ambitions by supporting local artists and makers participate in climate change conferences and events PKC, Cultural Forum Existing staff resource Local artists and creatives represented at relevant events October 2028 Climate Connect initiative is intended to involve communities of place and interest in climate change discussion and actions across P&K and will reach out to local artists and makers Climate Connect Network. 7.3 Promote knowledge of UN Sustainable Development Goals PKC Existing staff resource Plan and deliver a social media awareness campaign October 2028 All UNESCO activity is undertaken with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in mind. Project '2 Miles
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 30 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update Squared' specifically works to profile the SGDs by growing and processing flax and creating a wearable garment using only resource and space within 2 miles squared of AK Bell Library - this project addresses numerous of the SDGs and was designed as a way of opening up engaging conversations about the goals and craft as a radical method of climate action. Social media reminders of UN Sustainable Development Goals via Climate Change webpages and Climate Connect 7.4 Support culture and creative environmental initiatives in local communities CPK Existing staff resource Number of active members October 2028 The Libraries now have two Sustainability Officers working to promote proactive climate positive activities across all library venues. 7.5 We will promote and support the principles of the Theatre Green Book in production activity to minimise environmental impact of our onstage work Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, other partners Existing staff resource Reduction in carbon emissions through production activity October 2028 Where Perth Theatre and Concert Hall can continue to have the most significant impact is investment in our stage infrastructure, having recently secured capital funding to upgrade our largest lighting rig in Perth Concert Hall’s Gannochy Auditorium in August 2024. This will achieve improved sustainability, enhance the audience experience, and further support our training opportunities for Production and Technical personnel, both internal and external.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 31 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update In 2025/26, we will begin fundraising to replicate this process across our sound and AV systems, which are essential to remaining competitive in the Conference & Events market. Smaller, though still functional, electrical equipment and appliances which have worn out or slowed down due to age will continue to be replaced from our capital reserves. Appliances which are no longer fit for business purposes are now being sold to companies to be refurbished and subsequently provided to disadvantaged families, rather than being sent directly to recycling. Our commitment to environmentally friendly production methods and touring also extends to the selection of third-party bookings. We plan our own and regularly select third-party tours using greener methods of transport and will continue to work with them on logical travel. Where possible, we will not accept those who appear to be jumping around the country rather than programming venues in logical geographical order to reduce travel distances. In
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 32 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update production, sets, costumes, and prop pieces will also be built and sourced locally to reduce freight costs, with a focus on using recycled, upcycled and recyclable materials. 7.6 We will work with Creative Carbon Scotland on using arts activity to promote active and sustainable travel opportunities to visit Perth and Kinross venues PKC, Funded partners Existing staff resource Consultation and Action Plan in place October 2028 All arts events to be planned with active travel as a feature of the event promotion. 7.7 Pitlochry Festival Theatre is aiming to meet the targets in the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan for non-domestic buildings Pitlochry Festival Theatre Capital Funding a) Minimum of 53% reduction in carbon emissions for the site based on electrical and gas consumption for 2018 Working towards 2035 Working towards 2035. b) Minimum of 70% of heating and cooling supplied by low-carbon heating technology Working towards 2035 Working towards 2035. c) Minimum 20% reduction in heating demand (in existing conditioned areas) Working towards 2035 Working towards 2035. 7.8 We will work to become the most sustainable museum in Scotland, building with resources within The Scottish Crannog Centre Scottish Government and Museums Galleries a) We will source 28 tonnes of reed from Tay Reedbeds Nature Reserve to be used for thatching the museum buildings. April 2024 Complete.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 33 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update walking distance of the Crannog Centre. We will stock the café and shop with local and Scottish products, and minimise waste by moving to a paperless marketing strategy and introducing composting Scotland funding b) 50 tonnes of stone to come from Taymouth Castle April 2024 Complete. c) Turf cut from local farms April 2024 Complete. d) deliver training workshops for the public and craftspeople in dry stone walling and turf building April 2024 Complete. 7.9 Strathearn Arts will be an agent of change and use the arts to inspire engagement and action on environmental challenges Strathearn Arts Existing staff resource Embed environment as a core pillar of our strategy October 2028 Our Environmental Policy was signed off in February 2024. Reduced staff numbers have limited capacity to implement changes so far, however what can be realistically delivered is now being looked at. As an example, newly installed lightening has had a positive impact. Some of the funding from Creative Scotland is supporting the planned environmental focussed festival. We are working with local partners to get their involvement. Cultural Pledge 8 - We pledge to support young people to learn, work and grow skills through culture
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 34 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 8.1 Knowledge exchange sessions with organisations who already have successful apprenticeship schemes in place The Scottish Crannog Centre Not stated One information session in 2023 as part of the cultural forum to encourage other organisations to use apprenticeships End of 2023 Complete. 8.2 Encourage take-up of under 22 free bus pass for young people to enable free travel PKC Education Scottish Government Number of users of free bus pass ongoing PKC - At the instruction of the Public Transport Transformation Steering Group we have refreshed and increased our promotion of public transport in Perth and Kinross, mainly bus travel, since February. We have previously carried out visits to Kinross and Breadalbane Community Campuses where we had staff available to assist with applications, replacements and updates to cards to help pupils get access to free bus travel and Young Scot benefits. We have also previously been available at local housing office and community events for all types of NEC, including U22 travel. As it was in a rural location, the Breadalbane session helped in addressing inequalities and rural isolation for young people in this area, who may have found it difficult to get to Perth for assistance. The success of
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 35 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update this session was also down to the school who did all the groundwork in terms of sending out a survey to parents to identify pupils without nec cards and co-ordinated the year groups coming to see us on the day. At present there are no scheduled visits, but this could be something for future consideration. Perth Theatre & Concert Hall - Following our 2023/24 Transforming Audience Through Art feasibility study with Creative Carbon Scotland and complementing our environmental initiatives, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall is currently working with Stagecoach to provide free bus services for 125 Live! and subsequent high-profile events such as our annual pantomime. 8.3 Embedding the voices and perspectives of young people in the heart of Culture Perth and Kinross’ programming, events, and strategy CPK Gannochy Trust funding Number of youth collective members each year October 2028 The Youth Collective is now established and working to support Museum and Art Gallery activity. It is a group of 10 young people who meet regularly. It is funded by the Gannochy Trust and most recently the Collective delivered the first exhibition in the new temporary exhibition space at Perth Art
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 36 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update Gallery - The Fleapit Theatre - which ran from June to October 2024. 8.4 Expand our Heritage Pathways programme for young people in Perth and Kinross. CPK Gannochy Trust funding a) Number of work and volunteer opportunities for under 26s. December 2025 In 23/24 and 24/25 there were 40 work and volunteer opportunities. b) Number of training and awareness sessions delivered. December 2025 In 23/24 and 24/25 there were 8 training and awareness sessions either led or run for the under 26s. 8.5 We will develop our Learning and Engagement programme to support young people’s development and use of arts activity to develop skills Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Existing staff resource Work pathways programme developed with secondary schools during 2023. October 2028 After a departmental restructuring in 2023, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Learning & Engagement continue to deliver and grow our range of regular, weekly classes in both music and drama for children and young people. Participants work alongside professional theatre makers and musicians to create their own work in a safe and enriching space across Perth Youth Theatre, Perth Youth Musical Theatre and the Youth Music Initiative. We also champion the further benefits the performing arts bring to people’s health and wellbeing. For adult learners, alongside Dance for Parkinson’s, PKAVS Carers’ Choir and Vocal Chord, supporting through singing those with chronic health conditions in partnership with NHS Tayside, we will establish a new project with Alzheimer’s Scotland called Here & Now in 2025/26. This will enable
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 37 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update those living with the disease and their carers the opportunity to explore artist expression through workshops and replace our previous creative writing programme for mental health, My Story, My Stage, delivered in partnership with Mindspace over the past three years. Beyond our core programme of work, in 2024/25, we established a creative hub for emerging writers, actors, directors, and producers. This has been designed to nurture our network and unite often lone workers who struggle to build a team or find new opportunities with workshops, talks and creative sessions. From 2025/26, we will also collaborate with other Scottish venues to set up further hubs, cultivating a wider sense of community across the sector. Then, over the next three years, we are expanding our Perth Youth Theatre programme with Perth Youth Theatre Production, a skills development initiative offering weekly classes for 15-18-year-olds to learn and build skills for the workplace, whether a future career in the arts or other sectors. Taught by industry
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 38 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update professionals, the classes will cover a range of disciplines, including costume, lighting, set design, and stage management. We will also create The Collective, a free programme for young people not in employment or full-time education. They will work together to develop skills in different aspects of the arts and create a piece of work based on their experiences in a challenging world. 8.6 We will build out initiative to develop skills in the young workforce in production and technical craft areas Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Existing staff resource Develop ongoing programme building on success of youth arts bursaries (funding dependent) 2023 In 2023/24, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall restructured our Technical team to create more entry-level positions for recent graduates or those who took a practical path into the industry. This promotes equality of opportunity and long-term careers in theatre. Our experienced team guides project participants and new members, facilitating their growth and providing development opportunities for existing staff. As part of the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce initiative, we also support general skills and enable alternative talent pipelines for the sector.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 39 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 8.7 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will offer highquality work experience and work placement opportunities for young people in Perth and Kinross in all departments of the Theatre Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources, including PKC and CS funding Established relationships with schools and FE/HE institutions to work together to provide bespoke high-quality opportunities and work programmes October 2028 In 2024, the Theatre hosted 12 work placement opportunities across the Theatre departments. The Theatre has built relationships with local schools and FE Colleges and formalised the processes to ensure high quality experiences. 8.8 Pitlochry Festival Theatre will continue to offer creative learning and performance opportunities for young people through creative engagement activity and hosting NT Connections annually Pitlochry Festival Theatre Existing resources, including PKC and CS funding Annual performance events including NT Connections Festival October 2028 In 2024, the Theatre hosted NT Connections Festival for four youth theatre companies and will host 6 groups in 2025. The Theatre runs a weekly drama club at Pitlochry High School, two youth dance sessions, and runs workshops and activities in schools all of which have performance opportunities. It also runs an Early Stages group for 0-5 year olds. 8.9 Blairgowrie Book Festival engage with schools via ‘Authors in Schools’ programme Bookmark Festival Existing resource Sustain and develop the programme to provide a day of reading, writing, acting and drawing led by professionals in various primary schools in or near Blairgowrie October 2028 Each year an ‘Authors in Schools Day’ is organised by one of our committee members, Jen Geddes. She chooses one of the primary schools in or around Blairgowrie and works out a day’s activities to include the whole school. Workshops of all types are run by our invited authors - from drama groups, to storytelling and writing, and music. Over the past 12 years, we’ve involved a great many schools from Kirkmichael
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 40 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update to Coupar Angus. Next year the day will be spent at St Stephen’s in Blairgowrie. Book Trust Scotland helps to fund this through their Live Literature programme. Bookmark also awards a prize to Blairgowrie High School for a short story written by a senior pupil. This is in memory of Bookmark’s founder, Christine Findlay. We fund this ourselves. Cultural Pledge 9 - We pledge to support and develop our small creative and craft businesses. No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 9.1 Develop the UNESCO brand in Perth and Kinross by supporting events and festivals across the whole area. PKC Funding identified Deliver support to a number of new and existing initiatives October 2028 Launched in November 2024, Perth Craft News is a way of establishing a platform to highlight and amplify craft- based festivals and events, as well as local businesses and individual makers. 9.2 Increase awareness of the maker-spaces in libraries and The Famous Grouse Ideas Centre. CPK, PKC Yes New target of 410 uses of the makers space in 2023 October 2028 Following review, the maker-spaces in libraries are being consolidated. 9.3 Create Makers Drop-In nights in WASPS Creative Exchange to WASPS, PKC Yes Drop-in nights introduced in February 2023 and run for six months February to June 2023 Complete. This activity has allowed for greater opportunities for makers / creatives
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 41 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update increase awareness of the building and the people who work there and has enabled more people to engage with the building and make use of the resources. 9.4 Develop and print a Creative Perthshire map to be distributed across the whole area Perthshire Open Studios with support from UNESCO City of Craft Yes Number of maps distributed October 2026 This activity to be reviewed (paused for 2025/26). 9.5 Support a creative/maker to make new work via a residency project, then secure funding for next year Birnam Arts Yes a) Applications received and positive evaluation from the maker/ creative b) Further funding secured Complete by June 2023 Complete. For our 2023 artist in residence (AiR) call out, we targeted artists having to balance their care responsibilities with their practice. Everyone who applied fitted the requirement – 16 people applied who are caring for partners, parents or young children. We chose Jessica Ramm (fine art performance, printmaking, sculpture, multimedia) because of her strong application, her work being risk taking, high end, with a strong sense of excellence and who is rapidly becoming acclaimed. Throughout the residency, Jessica explored working with local rocks, considering their implication of time, vibration and layers of experience. Her proposal was in tune with our environment curatorial line, engaging with the local landscape. Jessica lives locally (within 20 miles of Birnam) and
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 42 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update at the time of the residency was a new mum with an 8 month old baby. She was breastfeeding so we bought a fridge to enable her to express and store her breastmilk, following Scottish Government guidelines on how to support a breastfeeding mother. Although there is no expectation of a finished outcome for our AiR opportunities, Jessica carried out research and development work for a sonic art piece which enabled her to create a finished piece which she presented at the DUSK Art Festival, 18- 21 June 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. Jessica expressed interest in bringing the ‘rock concert’ to Birnam – and accepted a solo exhibition at BA from 27 April - 2 June 2024, where she performed a site-specific scratch ‘rock concert’ and presented a series of new screen prints and collages. We continue to keep in touch with Jessica and recently connected her with Dr Louisa Preston from Stirling University (who exhibited at BA between 19 Oct- 24 Nov 2024) in line with Louisa’s academic research around zines. In terms of AiR legacy, we received funding for two AiRs in 2024 (and two more again in 2025) via the Creative Scotland Open Fund.
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Culture Strategy 2023-28, Mid-Term Review Culture Pledges and Actions - updates 43 No. Action Lead Resource Success measure Deadline Progress update 9.6 Perthshire Artisans will work with UNESCO City of Craft to fund 3 Masterclasses over a 12-month period for Perthshire Artisans to further develop their business skills, inspire ambition to develop new markets and improve sustainable practices. Perthshire Artisans Yes Number of attendees October 2026 As of November 2024, UNESCO City of Craft teamed up with Perthshire Artistans to produce a sponsored article in We Are Makers magazine which is distributed worldwide, featuring a local glassmaker. We are also in discussions around supporting sponsored Perthshire Artisans memberships for emerging makers. In October 2024, we launched a database survey to collect information on local makers who are interested in delivering craft-based workshops, though this was open publicly and not just within the Perthshire Artisans membership. 9.7 Raise the profile, create opportunities, and build relationships with local creative and craft businesses. PKC/Perth UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art (CPK) Existing staff resource and external funding where available Number of small creative and craft businesses engaged in new projects March 2028 Proposed new action.