CULTURE MATTERS: Does Scotland Need A Culture Act?

Culture Matters is a collaborative event series brought to you by the new Cultural Industries subject area of University of Glasgow, and Creative Glasgow.

Cultural Industries was created in 2025 to bring together the University’s expertise across a broad range of cultural, arts and media industries. The teaching and research of this subject area is national and international, theoretical and applied – and focussed on ways of supporting a thriving, sustainable and socially-just cultural sector. Creative Glasgow also launched in 2025 as a new membership organisation that works to connect, champion and celebrate creative practitioners across the Glasgow City Region.

Together this new partnership creates space for critical conversations on some of the most pressing issues facing the creative and cultural sectors and those that work in them. Drawing on academic, sector, and policy perspectives, these free evening events aim to be a lively and timely opportunity for shared dialogue and learning for creative practitioners, cultural workers, academics, and students alike.

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Running Order

5.45pm Drinks & Networking on Arrival

6.00pm Welcome and Introductions from Head of Cultural Industries Subject, Prof. Mark Banks

6.15pm Chaired Discussion

7.15pm Audience Q&A

7.30pm End

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CULTURE MATTERS: Does Scotland Need A Culture Act?

In this first event we delve into the current advocacy for a Culture Act for Scotland in the lead up to the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Elections. This campaign argues:

“Given the central role which culture plays in our economy, our international profile, our education system and so many other areas of society, it’s time for MSPs to pass legislation which ensures this is the case long into the future.”

We’ll be exploring

• What has precipitated this campaign?

• What are the imagined benefits of a Culture Act for Scotland?

• Where are those advocating for a Culture Act looking to in the world for inspiration?

• What legislative mechanisms might a Culture Act contain?

• What responses have there been to this proposal from Scotland’s political parties, policy makers, cultural institutions, and cultural workers?

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The Event Contributors

Culture Matters is hosted by Professor Mark Banks, Head of the new Cultural Industries Subject Area, and this first discussion will be chaired by Dr. Nikki Kane, Lecturer in Creative Industries and Culture Policy, and Convenor of a new MSc course in Cultural Institutions.

We’ll be joined by panellists Joseph Peach, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Culture Counts, Veronique AA LaPeyre, Director of the Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN), and Cllr Holly Bruce, Scottish Greens Councillor for the Langside Ward and Green candidate for the Glasgow Southside Holyrood constituency. Read on below for more detail about our panellists.

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Access

This event series takes place in the Advanced Research Centre at University of Glasgow. The events take place on the ground floor, and there is level access throughout.

Accessibility details are outlined here: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/arc/accessibility/

Contact details/directions here: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/arc/contact/

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MEET THE PANELLISTS

Joseph Peach, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Culture Counts

Joseph Peach is Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Culture Counts. A musician by background, Joseph studied piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and spent those years touring, making records and teaching, mainly in Scottish folk music. Work in music continues whenever possible.

Outside music, Joseph has had a varied career in policy, research and public affairs. Previous roles include time as an MSP staffer, work focused on rural depopulation, and supporting improved living standards and financial wellbeing for people on low to middle incomes, as well as a previous stint as Culture Counts’ Advocacy Manager.

Joseph is a member of the NorthWest 2045 steering group, a network of organisations and community groups working towards a sustainable, repopulated rural economy and resilient, thriving communities in North West Sutherland and Coigach. Joseph is also a trustee of Muirneag na Mara, the charity established to rebuild and care for the historic 80ft (24m) sailing vessel SV Muirneag as a sail training ship and community asset for Ullapool and surrounding areas. Linkedin Joseph@culturecounts.scot

Image credit Lost Clock Productions, 2026
 

Veronique AA Lapeyre, Director of the Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN)

Scottish Mauritian Veronique AA Lapeyre is a new generation leader and multi-hyphenate who works across strategy, communications and programming. A highly skilled cultural and communications strategist, Veronique has worked with non-profit and commercial organisations based in Scotland with a global reach for over 18 years.

Veronique is the Director of Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN). Founded in 2012, SCAN is the member-led network for artists, curators and arts organisations. SCAN has a long-standing role for the visual arts sector as a supporter, convenor and critical friend: raising awareness, contributing to key conversations of the day, and creating space for reflection and collective learning. Veronique also currently sits on the Culture Counts steering group.

Passionate about supporting Scotland’s cultural sector - particularly the contemporary visual art and craft community - to achieve their ambitions Veronique champions inclusive practices, intersectionality, and environmental sustainability. Veronique is interested in universe building, cultivating positive futures, collectivism, storytelling and has an obsession with archiving as the seeds for our future. She is a trained Coach and Action Learning facilitator working with individuals and organisations, and sees coaching as a key transformative tool for world building. An advocate for new ways of working and anti-oppression within the arts, Veronique launched her side-project, Project Zanana in 2018, to connect BPOC working in the Scottish creative industries, and the project continues to evolve.

Image credit Lydia Smith, 2026.

Holly Bruce, GCC Councillor, Scottish Greens

Holly Bruce is a Scottish Green Party councillor for Glasgow’s Langside ward, elected in 2022 with a record-breaking result that saw her top the poll ahead of the council leader. A law graduate and feminist activist, she gained national recognition for her landmark "feminist town planning" motion, which made Glasgow the first UK city to officially prioritise the safety and needs of women in urban design.

Holly serves as Vice-Chair of the Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods Committee, sits on the Wellbeing, Equalities, Communities, Culture and Engagement City Policy Committee, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. She is currently the Green candidate for the Glasgow Southside Holyrood constituency.

https://www.instagram.com/cllrhollybruce/?hl=en-gb

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**SAVE THE DATES for our upcoming events in this series**

CULTURE MATTERS: Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2026 - What legacy for culture this time? 6th May 2026, 5.45-7.30pm, Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow.

CULTURE MATTERS: Does Scotland need a basic income for artists? 12th June, 5:45-7:30pm, Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow.