Beyond the Stage – Next Steps

Following our recent event at the Scottish Parliament, Articulation’s Co-Chair Nicola Lawton shares her reflections on the progress made and the concrete actions we will take to keep our sector’s voice heard.

I was delighted to be invited to speak at our Parliamentary event, building on the momentum of the Beyond the Stage report. Produced with Queen Margaret University, this report offers brilliant insight into our sector, its broad reaching value, and the vast and inclusive artforms it encompasses. As co-chair of the board of trustees, I’m delighted that Articulation has such a clear vision for the future, the place it holds in our sector, and how it has the power to bring us all together and push for the change that is so desperately needed.

For the past decade or two, I’ve worked in circus and outdoor arts, spending time in communities at small scale events and local festivals to bigger events with national stages. I have seen the amazement and delight on the faces of many; the joy that outdoor arts, circus and spectacle brings to people all over Scotland. From big cities to rural village communities, the impact is clear. When amazing experiences are provided, people will remember them for years to come, creating special moments with friends, family and neighbours.

The report makes it abundantly clear that we need collaboration with sector stakeholders, policymakers, our members and other practitioners to develop the sector in Scotland and continue to celebrate our successes and the opportunities our sector can offer.

I believe that Articulation is ready to harness the power of the collective, to be more connected, more supportive and more assertive in order for our creative community to not only survive but thrive in Scotland. I’m delighted to be part of the board who will be guiding Articulation through this next phase of work and to help make a difference for those we represent.

As stipulated by the findings outlined in the Beyond the Stage report, there are clear steps we can take to support our sector moving forward.

• The first and most important is acknowledgement of outdoor arts, circus and spectacle as artforms in their own right. We are calling on Creative Scotland and other funders and stakeholders to recognise outdoor arts, circus and spectacle to be distinct artforms that are uniquely inclusive.

• To create appropriate funding criteria that recognises and includes these artforms, reflecting the breadth of our current creative practices, which encompass multidisciplinary work that often sits across different funding criteria. This will give artists working in these disciplines legitimacy and funding to grow, finally placing outdoor arts, circus and spectacle on a level playing field with theatre, dance and other established artforms, both nationally and internationally.

• In addition, we will strive to work towards Outdoor Arts, Circus and Spectacle being recognised as part of Scotland’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. In December 2025 the UK government set out its first major steps for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK and work towards creating a new inventory of living heritage. This is the perfect opportunity for Articulation to advocate for our sector’s artforms. This inventory has the ability to spark a national conversation about our customs, celebrations and cultural events that are valued by our communities, helping us to safeguard these artforms for future generations. 

• Articulation will lead the way to develop a strategy that calls for recognition, investment and embedment into Scotland’s cultural policy to champion wellbeing, creativity and shared experience in every community across the country. We will start by supporting Culture Counts new Culture Act, which we’re asking to be implemented in the next parliamentary term and will provide a solid foundation for putting culture at the heart of our everyday lives in Scotland.

• Finally, we are calling on the Theatre, Dance and Music sectors to collaborate with us on codes of practice to ensure safeguarding, strong health and safety and wellbeing policy across all venues and events staging outdoor arts, circus and spectacle performances. We are also calling on local authorities, the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland to ensure that all new indoor venues are designed with the technical requirements of circus artists in mind.

I truly believe that if we work together as a sector, we can achieve great things.

I was honoured to close off our parliamentary event with a farewell gift for long standing board member and chair Jennifer Paterson who has served for 12 years as chair of the board. Jen’s unwavering commitment to the sector has been abundant, from supporting artists with equipment and advice to providing opportunities to connect, learn and grow through both All or Nothing and Articulation. I would like to say a heartfelt thanks Jen for all of her hard work, support, advice and guidance as chair of Articulation, and welcome her continued contribution to the organisation as a board member.