Young people across Scotland are to be given the opportunity to get creative and try something new, thanks to over £1 million cash seized from criminals.
Culture Minister Michael Russell today committed £1.2 million from the CashBack for Communities Scheme for an 18 month Creative Identities project in partnership with Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council.
The Cashback scheme reinvests the ill-gotten gains seized from serious and organised crime back into Scotland's communities, making a real difference to the lives of our young people.
At the Tramway Theatre in Glasgow Mr Russell said:
"It is important that we give Scotland's young people the chance to put their energies into something positive and the Creative Identities project does just that. It provides a unique opportunity for our young people to explore activities they would not traditionally have been exposed to, such as using the arts and digital media to communicate.
"Access to arts and culture must not be a luxury - it should be a necessity. The Creative Identities project, which targets looked after children and young carers, will help in some way to achieve that aim. We know that giving young people the opportunity to take part in creative activities gives them the chance to become happier and more confident. That's why it's right that we are recycling the proceeds of crime into arts and cultural activities.
"The Creative Identities project not only provides workshops for participation, it also gives the young people involved the chance to tailor activities. I firmly believe in this approach and I am hugely encouraged to see it in action. Empowering young people to shape the nature of their learning will not only build their confidence but encourage their long-term involvement in the creative world, inspiring and creating Scottish stars of the future.
"The creative industries are a key sector for the Scottish Economy, contributing over 5 billion pounds in turnover and supporting 60,000 jobs. Educating our young people about the sector and furnishing them with necessary skills is more important than ever in the current economic climate. Recognising the importance we place on the sector, I am also today meeting with representatives from the creative industries to discuss how organisations including Creative Scotland, the enterprise agencies and local authorities can work together to best serve the sector to ensure it thrives and to hear first hand the issues affecting them."
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill said:
"Criminals don't contribute to our communities - they live off them and that harms our economy as well as sapping self-confidence and ambition, especially among our young people. The devil finds work for idle hands and that is why we want to give our youngsters the opportunity to try out things that they otherwise would not be able to do.
"There is more to life than getting out of your head on drink or drugs and we want to show our young people that there is a better way by giving them opportunities to be all they can be.
"This latest strand of our CashBack for Communities scheme will help open access to creative activities for young people throughout Scotland, diverting them from crime and helping expand their horizons."
Chief Executive of Scottish Screen Ken Hay said:
"CashBack Creative Identities is a fantastic programme of creative arts and media activities for young people across Scotland. As well as learning the technical skills, the young people will learn how to tell the stories they want to tell - through dance, drama and film - and through that develop their self confidence and communication skills. The Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen are delighted to be working with national and regional partners across the country, and the Scottish Government's CashBack for Communities programme, in making it happen."
Actor Martin Compston said:
"I am happy to be supporting CashBack Creative Identities. It's fantastic that the Government is getting some of the ill-gotten gains from crime and using it to make a difference to young people by giving them the chance to try their hand at all forms of creativity."
The Scottish Government announced in 2007 that it would use the funds, from assets seized from criminals, under the Proceeds of Crime Act to support an expanded range of activities for children and young people in the areas of sports, culture and arts. Currently the Scottish Government has invested more than 12 million in a range of projects for young people through its CashBack for Communities projects. CashBack for Communities was set up to directly tackle the negative effect criminals have had on communities around Scotland and to ensure our young people have an outlet to divert them from becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and crime.