Creative Scotland review ordered as artists secure £6.6m reprieve for vital fund

The Scottish Government has ordered a full-scale review of its arts agency – just weeks before the body is due to decide on £87.5 million worth of critical funding applications from festivals, events, venues and organisations.

Scottish culture secretary Angus Robertson. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | Lisa Ferguson

First Minister John Swinney used his Programme for Government to announce the review into Creative Scotland as he confirmed the release of money to reprieve a multi-million pound fund for artists, days after being warned the country was on the brink of a "cultural catastrophe" over the resource’s closure.

Actor and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduate Sam Heughan. Picture: Robbie McFadzean | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland/Robbie McFadzean

The Government said individuals and organisations from all parts of the cultural sector would be asked to feed into the review of Creative Scotland, which will examine all of its remits and functions, and whether its operations and structure were “optimal to the needs of the culture sector”. It will be the first review of Creative Scotland since the agency was established in 2010.

A commitment to invest £100m more in the arts industry by 2028 was also repeated. The funding pledge was first made by previous first minister Humza Yousaf in October last year following a backlash over a previous budget cut for Creative Scotland.

Creative Scotland still does not have a budget for a three-year funding programme due to be announced next month. The agency has confirmed it plans to press ahead with its timetable for deciding on the 281 applications, even though the Government is adamant Creative Scotland will not get a budget for the next financial year until December.

The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) warned there was a risk of some organisations “vanishing” from the cultural landscape forever unless the government committed new investment to the long-term funding programme.

Jack Lowden has been starring in the National Theatre of Scotland play The Fifth Step in recent weeks. Picture: Simon Murphy | Simon Murphy

Mr Swinney, culture secretary Angus Robertson and finance secretary Shona Robison have all been targeted by campaigns since Creative Scotland revealed £10.6m of previously allocated government funding had either been cancelled or put on hold.

However, Creative Scotland has come under fire for a number of funding decisions over the past year, including rejections for the Aye Write literary festival in Glasgow, the  Lammermuir Festival classical music showcase in East Lothian and the Edinburgh Deaf Festival. There was further controversy over a decision to award £85,000 to an artist for a film project involving the shooting of "real sex" scenes.

The Government has now agreed to hand over £8.4m of the £10.6m, including £3m that was earmarked for the open fund for artists, £1m for Screen Scotland and £1.8m for youth music projects and initiatives.

However, a further £2.2m that was previously pledged to Creative Scotland, for Edinburgh’s festivals and the Culture Collective project, has been reallocated in the Government’s culture budget.

The Government has faced a growing arts industry backlash in recent weeks after Creative Scotland warned the arts industry was facing the prospect of “managed decline” in future years unless there was an urgent roll-out of promised new funding.

At the time, the quango told Holyrood’s culture committee that “continuing uncertainty” over its in-year and future budgets was “increasingly challenging to manage".

The review of Creative Scotland was announced at Holyrood the day after Mr Robertson said he was “disappointed” at the decision to close the open fund for artists.

Speaking after Mr Swinney’s first Programme for Government was announced, Mr Robertson said: “Scotland’s culture is world-renowned and it remains integral to our nation and our economy. Over the past 14 years, Creative Scotland has had a significant role in supporting that role, distributing £65m of public funding in the last year alone.

“With the sector having faced a number of new and enduring challenges since then, the time is now right for us to ensure Creative Scotland’s remit and functions remain relevant, in line with our commitments to invest at least £100m more annually in the arts and culture by 2028/29, and to continuous improvement across all public bodies.

“It is routine for public bodies to undergo reviews throughout their lifetime, and while that process is ongoing we are clear that we expect the organisations involved to take forward their business as usual. Creative Scotland is no different and will be carrying on with its important work throughout.”

Recent events have seen hope vanish and trust lost. Today’s announcement is a positive step forward, and it’s now essential that the relationship between the Scottish Government and the cultural sector be renewed with a spirit of mutual respect. Culture funding must be deemed essential,

SMIA chief executive Robert Kilpatrick said: “Recent events have seen hope vanish and trust lost. The announcement is a positive step forward, and it’s now essential that the relationship between the Scottish Government and the cultural sector be renewed with a spirit of mutual respect.  Culture funding must be deemed essential, and both clarity and assurance regarding future sector investment is urgently required. The sector cannot wait years for the investment it desperately needs now.”

Creative Scotland chief executive Iain Munro said: “Creative Scotland notes the intention to review the way the sector is supported and we look forward to hearing more details. We welcome the continued commitment to provide an additional £100m in funding for culture and will work with the Scottish Government on the effective allocation of that funding, to the benefit of culture and creativity in Scotland."

A spokesman for Creative Scotland said: “We await clarification from the Scottish Government on the scope of the review. However, we do not anticipate this affecting the multi-year funding programme and we continue to work to the published process and timeline.”