A cultural strategy for everyone in Stirling
The Stirling Cultural Strategy 2023–2028 is a shared plan for how arts, creativity and culture can grow, connect and reach every corner of the Stirling area — from the city centre to the most rural communities.
It builds on decades of cultural ambition in Stirling, bringing together the organisations, artists, communities and partnerships that make this place creatively rich — and asking how we do more, reach further, and ensure culture is genuinely available to everyone.
The strategy is built around four core ambitions:
Making culture more inclusive and accessible
Supporting a thriving creative economy
Using arts and creativity to improve health and wellbeing
Celebrating and strengthening Stirling's unique cultural identity
Six catalysts turn ambition into action Rather than a long list of objectives, the strategy focuses energy through six practical programmes — each one tackling a specific opportunity or challenge facing Stirling's cultural life. Together they form the engine of delivery.
Culture Board
The Stirling Culture Board provides strategic oversight of the strategy, bringing together senior representatives from across the cultural sector, local government, and partner organisations. The Board is chaired by Jillian Schofield, Service Manager for Culture, Events and Tourism at Stirling Council. It reviews progress, sets strategic priorities, and ensures the strategy delivers a long-term and sustainable vision for culture in Stirling. Current members include Stirling Council, Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland, the University of Stirling, Forth Valley College, Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Artlink Central.
Scene Stirling Place Partnership
The Stirling Place Partnership takes an operational role in delivering the strategy — working to extend opportunities for cultural and creative experience, celebrating the distinctiveness of Stirling's communities and the creativity of its people. The Partnership is chaired by Stirling Council and administered by Artlink Central, and meets quarterly. Members include Stirling Council, the University of Stirling Art Collection, Forth Valley College Creative Industries, Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland, Creative Stirling, Macrobert Arts Centre, Sistema Scotland, the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, and Stirling Council's Culture Team.
Our wider connections
The cultural strategy does not sit in isolation — it is connected to a broad range of partnerships, strategies, and civic programmes across the Stirling area.
Scene Stirling is actively engaged with the Stirling 900 Legacy and Events Group, supporting the wider heritage and events ambitions that emerged from Stirling's 900th anniversary celebrations and ensuring culture remains central to the city's ongoing identity and programme.
We are involved in the development of Stirling's Tourism and Marketing Strategy, contributing to consultation and participating in relevant subgroups around cultural events and tourism. We also have a stake in emerging work around the Visitor Levy, which presents new opportunities to invest in Stirling's cultural life.
The strategy has strong connections to the Community Learning and Development Partnership, recognising the shared ground between culture, learning, and community development. Stirling Council's Community Development team includes a dedicated culture lead, and there are close working relationships between cultural and place-based programmes and the Council's Economic Development directorate.
Through Artlink Central's work, Scene Stirling has strong links to NHS Forth Valley's Wellbeing through Arts Strategy, and to Stirling's Health and Social Care Partnership, Education directorate, and Adult Learning and Employability services — reflecting the role of arts and culture in health, wellbeing, and lifelong learning.
Scene Stirling is also connected to the Third Sector and Social Enterprise Network, the regional network across Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire TSIs, recognising the vital role of the third sector in delivering and sustaining cultural activity across the area.
Where are we now?
We are currently in year three of the strategy. A baseline survey of the sector launched in May 2026 will give us our first comprehensive picture of where Stirling's cultural life stands today — and will be repeated annually to track progress. Results will be published here.