Pathfinder Project working to widen local arts and cultural involvement
Last updated | 22/02/2008
The Lifelong Learning Committee will hear how a Cultural Pathfinder Project, supported by the Scottish Government, is helping communities in Perth and Kinross to shape and develop their own arts and cultural activities locally.
The projects were set up by the then Scottish Executive to support the development of expertise to enable more people to take part in cultural events, taking into consideration local priorities through direct engagement with communities. The Perth and Kinross Pathfinder has focussed around the stART festival in East Perthshire. It has examined how the 2007 event could increase involvement in creating arts and culture opportunities and as a result, benefit the rural communities involved. The work of the community group leading the stART festival has been supported by the local cultural co-ordinator, based at the Alyth Community Wing.
With a change of approach nationally, the report notes that the Council are well-placed to move forward as the aim of the local Pathfinder has been to work directly with communities. It is felt that access to cultural activities has increased, at the same time as boosting community skills, confidence and knowledge and building support networks between groups in the East Perthshire area.
Perth and Kinross Council officers are working closely with other cultural pathfinder projects in Fife and Dundee and the Outer Hebrides to continue to bring the best practice in arts and culture to our region.
Councillor Liz Grant, Convener of Lifelong Learning welcomed the report: "The evaluation of the Pathfinder project has identified real long-term benefits from 2007's stART Festival. Community feedback has shown local people welcomed the opportunities to make choices about cultural activities in their area. People have told us that these arts opportunities have had a significant positive impact on their lives and I hope this will be a springboard for future work . We are pleased that work seen as a model of good practice nationally is emerging from Perth and Kinross."
