Scottish arts industry thrown £34m Budget lifeline in 'better than expected' commitment

Scotland's crisis-hit arts industry has been thrown a £34m Budget lifeline, in a commitment that has been branded “better than expected”.

Culture secretary Angus Robertson predicted the new funding for culture earmarked for the coming financial year would be "transformational" for the arts industry.

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

The Scottish Government said the additional investment would allow more organisations than ever before to secure long-term funding via its arts agency Creative Scotland.

Shona Robison answers questions on the Scottish Budget at Holyrood. Picture: Scottish Parliament TV | Scottish Parliament TV

Creative Scotland said its £80m budget settlement, which includes £20m ringfenced to expand its long-term funding programme, was “enormously welcome”.

The board of the arts agency will meet later this month to decide a final budget for the three-year scheme, which will provide at least £54m worth of support across the industry.

Union leaders said there was “welcome relief” in the cultural sector about the Budget, which also includes non-domestic rates support for music venues. The Federation of Scottish Theatre said the level of increased support for culture was “better than expected”.

The Edinburgh International Festival is currently funded by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland. | Jess Shurte

As well as the £20m earmarked for Creative Scotland's long-term funding programme, Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison's Budget includes an additional £4m that would allow its Festivals Expo Fund to expand beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow for the first time, and also support a new Festivals Partnership that was announced in the summer.

Although government expects Creative Scotland to allocate at least £54m to be “channelled” into its multi-year funding programme, this would still fall significantly short of the value of applications the body is due to decide on at the end of January.

Kirsty Findlay is starring as Maria in the current production of The Sound of Music at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. | Fraser Band

Arts industry leaders had urged the government to bring forward £100m of new annual investment, which it previously promised to deliver by 2028 - the final year of a new long-term funding cycle due to begin in April.

The National Museum, National Galleries and National Library will share a £4.2m increase, while a further £1m will be targeted towards the national performance companies like Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet.

The Government has ringfenced £4m for a new fund to support culture and heritage organisations facing challenges, £4m to revive the Culture Collective programme, which previously ran 26 arts projects across Scotland, and a £2m increase for the Screen Scotland agency, to help attract more large-scale productions to Scotland.

Around 120 organisations have long-term funding agreements with Creative Scotland, which was forced to delay decisions due to be made in October on 281 applications, worth around £87.5m a year a total, for the next three-year programme due to a lack of clarity over the Government's support for the programme.

Ms Robison described the additional £34m earmarked for culture as a "record increase".

She said: "We are committed to increasing arts and culture funding by £100m. After just two years, we are half-way there next year. Subject to the normal budget processes, I aim to deliver a further £20m increase.”

Mr Robertson said: "Our Budget could not be clearer in our steadfast support for Scotland’s arts and culture sector.

“Through this Budget, we will channel £20m through Creative Scotland to enable them to roll-out its multi-year funding programme, ensuring that the highest ever number of artists, organisations and venues receiving regular funding.”

Creative Scotland chair Robert Wilson said: “The major boost to multi-year funding and other activities opens up wider opportunities, and we are grateful for this significant vote of confidence in Creative Scotland, and the creative and culture sector.

“This is especially positive in the light of the long-term financial challenges the sector has been dealing with, and will enable people and organisations to once again look forward with more confidence.”