Scottish artists stage funding cuts protests at Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe shows
Audiences warned of ‘devastating’ closure of fund for new work
Scottish artists and performers have staged protests at the end of performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe over the "devastating" closure of a multi-million pound fund for artists to create new work.
Audiences at performances of The Outrun, So Young, V.L., The Fifth Step, Love Beyond, Same Team, The Show for Young Men and June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me were told of the "crushing impact" the move will have on Scotland's culture scene.
Performers and theatre makers made special announcements over the weekend at the Traverse Theatre, the Royal Lyceum, the Church Hill Theatre, Assembly and Summerhall warning of the "crushing impact" the indefinite shutdown of the Creative Scotland fund would have on Scottish artists who "may not be here next year."
Audience members were urged to put on their phones to share and film the protests, which were staged amid a growing rebellion over the treatment of artists and the industry by the Scottish Government.
They were told that Scotland's artists are not going to "stand by and accept" the closure of a fund which has been a "lifeline" for freelances in the industry which fears that there are "worse cuts to come."
So Young, V.L. and June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me were all Scotsman Fringe First Award winners over the last few weeks, while The Outrun and The Fifth Step were both flagship theatre productions in the Edinburgh International Festival.
First Minister John Swinney met the cast of The Outrun, which was co-produced by the EIF and the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, earlier this month after watching a performance of the show.
Ministers have been promising for the last 10 months that they would "more than doubling" arts spending in Scotland and have committed to put £100m of new investment into the industry by 2028.
However Creative Scotland has revealed that it has had £10.65m of government funding allocated in its budget either cancelled or hold due to a new squeeze on public spending.
The government's arts agency announced last Monday that the closure of its fund for artists on 30 August was "unavoidable" due to a shortage of confirmed finance.
It had already warned the Scottish Parliament that Scottish culture was facing the prospect of years of "managed decline" because of uncertainty over its future budgets.
It is facing a projected shortfall of £47.5 million to meet record levels of demand for long-term funding ahead of Creative Scotland's biggest round of decisions for six years, which are expected to be made in October.
However the government has refused to agree Creative Scotland a budget for the critical three-year programme.
More than 10,000 supporters have backed a petition demanding action from the government to "avert a cultural catastrophe," while 160 arts organisations - including the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe Society - have written an open letter to Mr Swinney warning that the closure of the artists fund has triggered a "devastating" crisis.
Director Cora Bissett joined writer and performer Charlene Boyd at the end of her performance of June Carter Cash : The Woman, Her Music and Me at Summerhall.
Ms Bissett said: “Whilst all the Scottish actors and teams sweated their way through gruelling festival schedules we simultaneously got news that the very fund which is the starting point of our ideas is pulled from beneath our feet.
“Can you imagine the devastating effect that has on all freelance artists in Scotland?
“These beautiful world class productions do not arrive fully-formed. They start years prior with a tiny idea supported by the open fund, which is the incubator of artists’ ideas.
“This is not supporting us, it is cutting off our hands.”
Sharing a picture of the protest at V.L., director Orla O’Loughlin said: “Thank you to our brilliant audience for all your support post show at V.L. tonight.”
The statement read out in theatres and venues said: "The Scottish theatre community has been given devastating news.
“We wanted to use our platform to the world to make you aware of this and of the crushing impact it will have. "New work in Scotland doesn't appear out of thin air. We have a vibrant culture in Scotland making work in every art form for decades which has been hailed across the world.
"We are only able to do this because Scotland understands the value of culture and the importance of sharing stories.
"One of the ways we have been able to do this is through a fund where an individual artist can ask for money when the idea is but a seed.
"Practically everyone on this stage, and whose work you are enjoying at the festivals has benefitted from it, in building their career and craft to get an idea off the ground which has led to other companies believing in that idea.
"The open fund is the incubator for Scottish work at the Fringe and ALL Scottish art festivals. Without it, there may still be festivals - but nothing to see at them.
"But Creative Scotland has been forced to close the fund at 2pm on Friday. It will be closed indefinitely, due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm the release of £6.6m that was promised.
"Wiping out this fund removes a lifeline for the freelance artists of Scotland. Many many artists are already saying they are leaving, they cannot sustain themselves in this culture.
"We have been told this is only the beginning of worse cuts to come.
“We are not going to stand by and accept it.
"If you enjoy seeing Scottish work right here in Scotland, then please support the artists living here or we may not be here next year."
The government has insisted it is increasing arts funding this year and is committing to investing an additional £100m in the industry by 2028.
However it has warned that its budget is facing “significant challenges” as a result of the UK Government’s squeeze on public spending.
A spokesman said: “The Scottish Government already provides significant funding to Creative Scotland each year and will continue to do so.”
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