STIRLING CULTURAL STRATEGY CATALYST
Skills and Workforce
Creativity for Health and Wellbeing
What is this?
Stirling has a wealth of creative talent — in its organisations, its college and university, its independent practitioners, and its communities. But a recurring theme in conversations that shaped the Stirling Cultural Strategy was a gap: not a lack of ambition or ability, but a lack of visible, connected pathways between people who want to work creatively and the organisations and opportunities that need them.
The Skills & Workforce catalyst aims to bridge that gap. It's about making the creative economy in Stirling more legible — to students, to career changers, to employers, and to the practitioners already working here who want to develop, connect, and stay.
Get involved
Are you a creative employer, education provider, or practitioner with views on skills and workforce development in Stirling? We want to hear from you — your input will directly shape how this catalyst develops.
Updates
This is one of the catalyst areas we are actively developing. Baseline data from the 2026 sector survey will give us our first detailed picture of the skills landscape across Stirling's cultural workforce. Watch this space — and get in touch if you'd like to be part of shaping it
Why this matters in Stirling
Stirling's creative sector is small but increasingly well-connected. The city has real assets — Codebase for digital and creative businesses, Forth Valley College and the University of Stirling providing a pipeline of talent, a growing heritage sector, and a community of independent writers, composers, designers, musicians, and makers. Many of them, however, have to travel outside the area to sustain their practice and employment.
The challenge is connection. Not everyone entering creative education is aware of local opportunities. Not every employer knows where to find local talent. And not every practitioner has the business, digital, or professional development support they need to sustain a creative career in Stirling rather than elsewhere.
Heritage skills represent a particular and urgent gap. Of all recorded properties in Stirlingshire, 20% date from pre-1914, requiring specialist skills in stonemasonry, slating, lead-working and other traditional crafts. There is a shortage of people trained in these skills — placing Stirling's built heritage at risk and representing a significant missed economic opportunity.
What are we working towards?
The vision set out in the strategy is straightforward: cultural employers and those seeking creative employment come together, with clear, supported pathways between them. That might take the form of a regular skills market or networking event, mentoring and apprenticeship programmes, digital platforms connecting practitioners with commissioners, or targeted training linked to real employment opportunities.
The Creative Directory on the Scene Stirling website is a first step — a visible, searchable register of creative practitioners across the area. The baseline sector survey launching in May 2026 will, for the first time, map the skills, gaps, and needs of Stirling's cultural workforce in detail.
What are we working towards?
The vision set out in the strategy is straightforward: cultural employers and those seeking creative employment come together, with clear, supported pathways between them. That might take the form of a regular skills market or networking event, mentoring and apprenticeship programmes, digital platforms connecting practitioners with commissioners, or targeted training linked to real employment opportunities.
The Creative Directory on the Scene Stirling website is a first step — a visible, searchable register of creative practitioners across the area. The baseline sector survey launching in May 2026 will, for the first time, map the skills, gaps, and needs of Stirling's cultural workforce in detail.
Key partners
Delivering on this catalyst requires close collaboration across education, enterprise, and the cultural sector. Key partners should include Forth Valley College, University of Stirling, and Stirling Council's Economic Development team, as well as local cultural providers.