Actress and singer Lorraine McIntosh has said that society “can’t function” without the arts.
The Deacon Blue singer made the comments ahead of Abertay University’s winter graduation ceremony, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate in arts.
She said she was “humbled” to receive the degree and share the day with the hard-working students.
Lorraine, 60, told STV News: “I go outside and I can see all these young people and some who are not so young – none quite as old as me.
“But all these people outside, all these young people about to graduate and I think ‘they’ve worked so hard’. This is such a special day for them, and they’re sharing it with me, who hasn’t worked so hard and has been given this gift, so it’s a real honour.”
The Shetland actress also said the arts are vital for “holding a mirror up” to society.
“I think arts and culture just go hand in hand. Society cannot function without our artists,” she said.
“We need people making plays and writing songs, acting and writing poems about the state of our world, the state of humanity and where we are.
“We need someone to hold a mirror up and show us what we’re doing. I think that’s what the arts do.
“And also they just bring joy, that’s the main thing. They bring joy to people, and I think, especially at the moment, we could all do with a good bit of that.”
Lorraine joined over 400 graduates at Caird Hall in Dundee on Friday.
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