The Scottish Arts Council’s drama strategy for the next two years will sustain the areas where there are clear strengths, and provide additional investment to improve artistic standards and givegreater access to quality work for audiences.

The launch of the National Theatre of Scotland has highlighted the energy and talent within the theatre sector and provided a challenge and encouragement to theatre artists to aim higher. It also offers new opportunities for the Scottish Arts Council and theatre practitioners to work in partnership with the NTS. The particular strengths of the sector lie in the areas of new writing, work for children and young people, and a growing interest and success in innovative and crossdisciplinary work. Scottish playwrights enjoy wide international recognition, as does the energetic children’s theatre sector. Many developmental theatre artists continue to gain national and international reputations.

The Scottish Arts Council Corporate Plan identifies priorities for 2007-2009 and it will work within these priorities to achieve a vibrant and sustainable theatre sector:

1 Increase the scope and quality of support for artists - the Scottish Arts Council will increase support for individual theatre artists through: (i) fellowships, with an international dimension; (ii) support for ‘creative producers’; (iii) new programmes for assistant directors and associate artists, including a focus on disability and cultural diversity; (iv) support for continuing professional development and critical exchange programmes in partnership with the Federation of Scottish Theatre; and (v) promotion of international showcases for dance and drama.

2 Secure the foundation of Scotland’s artistic development - the Scottish Arts Council has agreed funding at an enhanced level on a five-year cycle for eight drama Foundation Organisations, which will have a key role in creating and presenting work of high quality locally and nationally. It will use its Quality Framework to help them to develop best practice in all areas. The drama Foundation Organisations are: The Arches Theatre Company (Glasgow); Dundee Repertory Theatre; Imaginate (Children’s International Theatre Festival); Puppet Animation Festival; the Royal Lyceum Theatre (Edinburgh); Scottish Youth Theatre (SYT); Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh); and Tron Theatre (Glasgow). The Drama Department also leads on one cross-art form organisation which has foundation status - the MacRobert Arts Centre (Stirling).

3 Create flexibility to support the new and innovative - the Scottish Arts Council wishes to create an environment where the new and the innovative can flourish, and has set up a pool of project and programme funding which will allow more flexible investment for up to three years. Seventeen drama organisations will benefit from this funding in 2007/08. The artists supported by these organisations provide work in a variety of genres and styles, for adults, young people and children, in rural and urban settings. The companies will remain responsible for keeping themselves financially and organisationally healthy. The Scottish Arts Council will continue to support initiatives that help companies to share their experience and resources including developing models for Creative Hubs. It will continue to provide support for playwrights through the Playwrights' Studio Scotland which mentors writers and promotes their work. Its New Work Development Fund will help playwrights and other theatre artists who want to develop their practice. The integration of the Citizens Theatre and TAG Theatre Company will provide a strong platform for yet more quality work for young people. The Scottish Arts Council's relationship with the vibrant youth theatre sector comes through foundation funding for Scottish Youth Theatre (SYT), and support for Promote YT, which helps networking, training and information exchange within the sector.

4 Create opportunities for participation in the arts - the Scottish Arts Council promotes the Council’s equalities agenda through many of our funded organisations, but the work of Theatre Workshop, Lung Ha's Theatre Company and Birds of Paradise Theatre Company with disabled theatre artists is particularly relevant. The promotion of cultural diversity includes Ankur Productions and Theatre Insaan. The Scottish Arts Council will make sure that audiences across the country have access to a good choice of styles and genres of quality work in drama across the country, not least through the work of the Foundation Organisations. The new Programming Fund will encourage co-operation between venues and allow audiences to see and hear diverse artists from beyond Scotland. It will look at how more people can get access to the arts through forms such as Street Arts. The Touring and Production Fund will encourage the nationwide creation and touring of work (including in Gaelic). It will consider the establishment of a touring exchange to improve the co-ordination and provision of work across the country. These initiatives will be informed by the Scottish Arts Council's new Theatre Touring Strategy.

5 Create a culture of co-operation with partners and the arts community - in 2007/08 the funding of the National Theatre of Scotland will come under the direct responsibility of the Scottish Executive. The Scottish Arts Council believes that it is vital that communications between the NTS, the Scottish Arts Council and the rest of the sector are maintained. It will form a Theatre Forum, which will involve the key practitioners from the sector so that they can reflect and comment on issues that affect drama in Scotland, and share knowledge and understanding.

6 Make the transition to Creative Scotland - the formal process of merging the Scottish Arts Council's roles and responsibilities with those of Scottish Screen began in January 2007, with the formation of a new board, whose members were drawn from the two existing bodies. Scottish Arts Council staff look forward to working with the new board to achieve a smooth transition into Creative Scotland. Together they will continue to develop the vision for the new organisation.

The drama budget for 2007/08 was £12.06 million which includes £4.94 million allocated to eight Foundation Organisations (see 2 above). In addition to the drama budget, the department invested £405,767 in one cross-art form Foundation Organisation.

Details of all Scottish Arts Council funding and awards schemes, including current deadlines and applications forms, can be downloaded from the Scottish Arts Council website.