About us

The Institute of Contemporary Scotland (ICS) was established in 2000 with Magnus Magnusson as its first patron and Kenneth Roy, its founder, as first director.
     ICS aims 'to stimulate discussion and revitalisation of thought and debate in Scotland' and 'to stimulate awareness and discussion of social, economic and cultural issues affecting Scotland and Scots through education and educational initiatives'.
     In proposing the foundation of ICS, at a public meeting in Glasgow on 23 October 2000, the broadcaster Ian Mackenzie said its purpose was to be 'undogmatic, to be intellectually free, and to encompass and share any aspect of life in our land, past, present and future'. He described it as 'yet another effort to break free from narrow sytems of thinking'.
     
ICS attempts to fulfil its founding principles and ideals in two main ways:
     The Young Scotland Programme promotes the intellectual development of people in the early stages of their working lives with an annual residential course (or courses) in which a cross-section of men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures come together for an intensive exchange of ideas and experiences.
     There are debates on issues of the day, guest speakers (the first was a Nobel prize-winner), group discussions and informal dialogue. The intellectual core of the programme is however the writing and presentation, by each delegate, of an Argument paper on a subject of current interest or controversy of the delegate's own choice. The author of the most outstanding paper is awarded the title Scotland Young Thinker of the Year.
     The programme originated with a pilot scheme in Glasgow in November 2002. It was so successful that it was extended to Northern Ireland in 2003, England and Wales in 2004, and the Republic of Ireland in 2005. The Young Scotland Programme is now part of the wider Young UK and Ireland Programme organised by ICS's partner organisation, Leaders of Tomorrow.
     Since 2002, 471 delegates have successfully completed the Young Scotland Programme. One delegate, Collette Paterson of the Law Society of Scotland, wrote an article for the Scotsman about her experience of the programme.

[click here] for Collette Paterson's article

In conjunction with the Young Scotland Programme, ICS has an annual award for the Young Scot (or Scots) of the Year in honour of an outstanding Scottish journalist and former editor of the Herald, Arnold Kemp.
     This award is given in recognition of outstanding work in the community by young people between the ages of 18 and 30.

The other principal way in which ICS strives to fulfil its founding ideals is through the publication, three times a week, of the online current affairs magazine, the Scottish Review. SR was established in January 1995 as an independent quarterly journal of commentary on Scottish affairs. It was acquired by ICS in 2001 and went online in February 2008. It endures in print as an annual hardback anthology.
     The Scottish Review, like ICS in general, is non-party-political and offers a forum for discussion for a variety of contributors of all political persuasions and none. In recent months, reflecting its commitment to freedom of information and expression, SR has been conducting a campaign for more transparency in Scottish public life.

[click here] for the Scottish Review (www.scottishreview.net)

Until 31 December 2008, the Bridges Programmes Ltd, which works for the encouragement of asylum seekers and refugees and attracts a substantial volume of public funding, was a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICS. Since 1 January 2009, when the Bridges Programmes Ltd, with ICS's blessing and good wishes, acquired autonomous status as a charity in its own right, ICS has been a much smaller organisation (at least in terms of financial resources and staffing) but has enjoyed a period of great creativity and development.
     ICS has no public funding. It depends entirely on the goodwill of individuals who support its ideals and activities by subscription or donation. It has charitable status.
     Since ICS expects transparency of others, it is proper that it should be transparent itself. We append the latest annual accounts.

[click here] for ICS's 2008 annual accounts

Trustees
Kenneth Roy (Chairman), Alan Fisher, Fiona MacDonald
Company Secretary and Deputy Director: Islay McLeod

Charity Number: SC030680
66 John Finnie Street
Kilmarnock KA1 1BS
Tel: 01563 530830
Fax: 01563 549503
email: admin@contemporaryscotland.com