Annabelle Ewing’s plan to support Scotland’s creative industries
Scotland’s creative industries are a major part of the country’s cultural identity and economic potential. Film and television, music, publishing, theatre, design, architecture, gaming, crafts and digital media all create skilled work while helping Scotland share its stories at home and abroad.
For Ochil and South Perthshire, supporting this sector means connecting national ambition with local opportunity. Annabelle Ewing’s approach places creativity within a wider programme for economic recovery, stronger communities and a Scotland able to make more of its own decisions.
Her legal career, previous parliamentary service and experience campaigning on local issues provide a foundation for engaging with artists, cultural organisations, freelancers and creative businesses. The priorities set out in her campaign platform point towards practical representation for Scotland at Westminster alongside a long-term case for independence.
Making creative work a stronger part of the economy
Creative businesses are often small, independent and spread across towns and rural communities. They can be affected by rising costs, insecure contracts, limited workspace and difficulties accessing investment. A supportive economic strategy should recognise their value rather than treating culture as an optional extra.
Ewing’s plan can place creative enterprise within Scotland’s economic recovery by encouraging fair access to finance, business advice, training and public procurement. This would help freelancers move from short-term survival towards sustainable careers, while giving local companies greater confidence to employ, collaborate and expand.
Backing talent across Ochil and South Perthshire
The constituency includes communities with distinctive local identities, historic buildings, countryside and active voluntary networks. These assets can support festivals, exhibitions, heritage projects, community media, performing arts and visitor experiences that keep spending within local economies.
A strong local focus would also help young people see creative work as a realistic career. Partnerships between schools, colleges, libraries, cultural venues and employers could offer mentoring, production experience and technical training in areas such as sound, animation, coding, photography and digital marketing.
Connecting culture with skills and opportunity
Scotland’s creative economy depends on a broad range of skills. Writers and performers need producers, technicians, designers, accountants, lawyers, programmers and marketing specialists. Policy should therefore support the whole creative ecosystem rather than concentrating on highly visible projects alone.
The following priorities show how a Westminster representative could help build that ecosystem while working with the Scottish Government, councils and industry bodies:
| Priority | Practical benefit | Local relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Skills and apprenticeships | Builds routes into stable creative careers | Supports young people and career changers |
| Affordable workspaces | Helps studios, makers and small companies remain viable | Makes use of town-centre and community premises |
| Access to finance | Enables new projects and business growth | Strengthens independent enterprises |
| Digital infrastructure | Expands online production and distribution | Helps rural and small-town creators compete |
| Fair representation | Brings sector concerns into policymaking | Gives local voices a stronger platform |
These measures can also improve inclusion. Participation should be open to people from working-class communities, rural areas, disabled people and those who have historically had fewer opportunities to enter cultural professions.
Supporting Scotland’s screen, music and publishing sectors
Scotland has the talent and locations to attract film, television and commercial production, but investment must deliver lasting value. A responsible approach would encourage training, local hiring, partnerships with Scottish suppliers and the development of permanent production capacity.
Music venues, recording studios, publishers and independent bookshops also need attention. Their contribution reaches beyond ticket sales or commercial output: they create meeting places, preserve language and heritage, and help towns build reputations that attract visitors and investment.
At Westminster, Ewing could advocate for decisions on broadcasting, taxation, employment rights and digital markets that reflect Scottish circumstances. Stronger cooperation between UK and Scottish institutions would give creative organisations clearer routes to funding and distribution.
Championing independence and cultural confidence
For Ewing, creative policy is connected to Scotland’s ability to shape its own future. Independence would give Scotland greater control over economic development, migration, broadcasting, taxation and international cultural relationships. Those powers could be used to create a more coherent framework for creative growth.
Cultural confidence is equally important. Scotland’s literature, languages, music, design and screen production should be promoted internationally through partnerships, touring, translation and digital distribution. This approach would present creativity as an expression of national identity and a source of sustainable economic value.
A representative for Ochil and South Perthshire can bring local evidence into that national conversation. Freelancers, venue operators, makers and cultural organisations should have a clear route to raise concerns and influence policy rather than being consulted only after decisions have been made.
Turning ambition into measurable action
A credible programme needs clear measures. Progress could be assessed through creative-sector employment, the number of apprenticeships, survival rates for small businesses, use of local suppliers and participation among underrepresented groups. Transparent reporting would show whether investment is reaching communities beyond Scotland’s largest cities.
Key actions for the constituency and for Scotland include:
- Expand creative apprenticeships and paid entry-level opportunities.
- Protect affordable studios, rehearsal rooms, workshops and performance venues.
- Improve access to finance for freelancers, start-ups and community projects.
- Strengthen digital connectivity and training in rural and small-town areas.
- Make Scottish creative work more visible through international promotion.
These priorities would support a balanced sector in which commercial success, public value and cultural participation reinforce one another. They would also help ensure that economic recovery reaches people whose work is frequently flexible, project-based and difficult to classify in traditional statistics.
Creative industries can give Scotland jobs, confidence and a stronger presence in the world. Annabelle Ewing’s campaign offers an opportunity to connect that potential with representation at Westminster and a wider vision of Scottish independence. Residents, organisations and creative workers can follow her campaign, share their priorities and support practical action through the campaign website.