There has been no statement, detailed information or commentary in the local press about this. Although ironically there has certainly been plenty of comment about the current economic climate, the importance of tourism and the development of the city centre.

Festivals are an important part of a city’s cultural life however hand to mouth events funding is not a substitute for broader cultural infrastructure, which supports long term retention of skilled workers in the Cultural Industries, diversity of employment and permanent resources for visitors and residents alike.

People seem to blindly accept that Arts cuts are an inevitable casualty in tough economic times, however imagination and vision are the only things likely to pull us out of such crisis and in an area such as ours promotion of the region through the arts is a key strategy to achieving long term stability and growth.

Inverness must be the only city in the world where a street sign reading “Falcon Gallery” refers to a multistorey carpark and not a showcase of its unique visual culture.

I look forward to Creative Scotland’s research and report into the economic benefits of the Arts as perhaps this might go some way to convincing politicians and councilmen of what those working in these industries already know; that culture is our greatest asset in terms of economic and social recovery, sustainability and health.

Programmes such as the Federal Art Projects in the United States during the Depression prove even in the most difficult economic circumstances, vision that acknowledges the importance and value of all the Arts in relation to quality of life and identity is a transformative element that has a lasting legacy.

It is not clear who is steering the ship in relation to Arts, Museums and leisure facilities or even what the destination is.