Artists can expect to be paid more in shake-up of funding body

It sees the organisation ­positioning itself not only in its primary role of funding the arts, but as an advocate for the cultural economy, campaigning "on behalf of artists and creative people as they are essential to a successful and balanced society and a healthy, productive economy."

The body will try to improve the pay of artists, noting that it will "encourage everyone who is in a position to generate better levels of remuneration for artists and creative people to do so, in order to ensure that Scotland is a country where artists and creative people can live and work successfully."

Also officially launched today is a funding pot worth £90 million to regularly support the nation's arts companies for the next three years.

This is the most significant change yet in Creative Scotland's operations under Ms Archer.

The plan - titled Unlocking Potential, Embracing Ambition - says in the next decade "people will seek to access and drive creativity locally in their own communities as well as being proud to tell stories, sing songs, play music and create connections through dance, art, theatre, craft, literature and film."

The plan's five priorities include artistic excellence and experimentation, with other themes emphasising digital working and caring for the environment.

The new regular funding programme replaces the former plan where the nation's arts companies were divided into annual funding, project funding or long term foundation organisations.

Now, all arts companies are being asked to apply for three-year regular funding, with a deadline for submission of July 7, and decisions being made by October.

All regularly funded ­organisations will need to "clearly demonstrate how their work helps to deliver two ambitions: excellence and experimentation and access and enjoyment, the body said.

On whether more or fewer arts companies will have regular funding in the new scheme, Ms Archer said: "We don't know yet, it depends on how many apply and how much they want. We will have to take a considered decision and take stock when the applications come in."

Later this year the public body which supports the arts will unveil a shorter-term funding model called Open Project funding. There will also be a new round of information meetings across the country, and it has also launched a new £75,000 website.

Those companies that currently receive foundation, project or annual funding have had their funding confirmed until March next year.

Ms Archer said the new ten-year plan was an attempt to "step our vision up a notch" and would be equally applicable in an independent Scotland as one that is part of the UK.

She added: "We won't change our message, in whatever political context we are working in."

In contrast to the last Creative Scotland plan, written primarily by former chief executive Andrew Dixon, this "crowd sourced" programme has been influenced by consultations and the input of 1000 people from the arts, film and creative industries, the body said.

Ms Archer said: "This is an extraordinarily creative, dynamic country with individuals and companies who achieve and want to achieve great things, and its our job to unlock that potential and embrace that ambition."