Background
Scotland + Venice is a partnership between Creative Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and the British Council.
Promoting new work at one of the world’s most prestigious visual art festivals - the Venice Biennale - Scotland + Venice plays a vital role in helping to raise the profile of Scotland as one of the most vibrant countries for the production, promotion and presentation of contemporary art.
This review of the Scotland + Venice Visual Arts programme (from 2009 - 2017) was commissioned by Creative Scotland and undertaken and written by Tessa Jackson OBE and Annabel Jackson Associates in 2017-18.
Our statement in response to the report
Creative Scotland welcomes the findings of this evaluation of the Scotland + Venice Visual Arts programme. The report underscores the value and importance of the project while highlighting ways in which we can enhance its delivery and impacts. In planning our approach to Scotland + Venice 2019 we have already taken account of the report’s recommendations and we will continue to work with our partners in British Council Scotland and National Galleries of Scotland to address these further.
In considering our long-term ambitions for Scotland + Venice, we will be exploring how to build stronger links between the presentations at the Venice Art and Architecture Biennales. These are major, international, flagship projects for the country and we would like to do more to capitalise on the opportunities they afford.
In the last 15 years we have successfully supported artists and creative practitioners to deliver work of the highest quality in these most international of arenas. We are now able to build on these significant achievements and, through our work with partners including the Scottish Government, to strengthen Scotland’s reputation as a dynamic centre of creative and artistic excellence.