Slow Horses star launches blistering attack on SNP over 'stupid and unacceptable' decision

Scottish stage and screen star Jack Lowden has branded the Scottish Government's latest arts funding cuts "stupid and completely unacceptable."

The award-winning Slow Horses star told an audience at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow that the arts were too often seen as a "luxury" in Scotland.

The actor spoke out as culture secretary Angus Robertson broke his silence on the funding row to insist the government was "listening very carefully" to artists - but refused to grant a reprieve to a multi-million pound fund expected to close indefinitely tomorrow.

Speaking at the end of a performance of his new play, The Fifth Step, Mr Lowden demanded that the government "steps up" to reverse the cut to a "desperately needed" open fund for artists, which will be shut down indefinitely by Creative Scotland from tomorrow.

Jack Lowden (left) and Sean Gilder (right) are currently starring in The Fifth Step at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic | Mihaela Bodlovic

Mr Lowden, who was given his breakthrough acting role by the National Theatre of Scotland, said artists were the "ground zero" of an entire ecosystem.

He said they were "growing sick" of hearing how Scottish culture punches above its weight as he called for the government to wake up to the potential of the country’s arts industry.

Jack Lowden is starring in the National Theatre of Scotland production The Fifth Step at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow. Picture: Simon Murphy | Simon Murphy

Mr Lowden and co-star Sean Gilder performed in The Fifth Step at the Edinburgh International Festival earlier this month before its transfer to Glasgow.

Addressing the sell-out Pavilion crowd after the opening night performance, Mr Lowden said shows like The Fifth Step were only possible because an artist was able to develop an idea.

Jack Lowden (right) in The Fifth Step. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic | Mihaela Bodlovic

He told the audience: “Artists are the ground zero of an ecosystem that begins with ideas. This cut is stupid and completely unacceptable.

“We all need the arts, all of us, whether as an escape route to another life for kids in school struggling with academia, whether it’s to raise awareness of places, people and things that need a spotlight shone on them, or whether it’s to come to a place like this or watch something at home that makes us think or helps us not to think, we all need the arts, all of us.

Actor Jack Lowden at Leith Theatre. Picture: Andy O'Brien

"We know that times are particularly hard in most areas of life at the moment, we are not blind to that.

"But we in the arts, a sector that is too often considered a luxury or not as important, we are all beginning to grow sick of the ‘punching above our weight’ tagline that is so often thrown at us as a kind of ‘och, we do alright’ cop out.

Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden star in Slow Horses. | Apple TV

“We have the potential in this country in the arts to be more than all right.

“So we are asking that the government steps up, stops this cut and gives us back the support that our industry desperately needs.”

The government continues to insist it is increasing investment in the arts, despite the cuts announcements from Creative Scotland, which had £13.2m worth of funding restored to its budget earlier this year, to bring it to more than £68m which is fully allocated in its annual spending plan.

Culture secretary Angus Robertson said the government was dealing with “very significant challenges in the public finances” and said it was considering the issues laid out by the artistic community, alongside financial pressures.

He said: “I understand the concerns of many people within the artistic community, and I want to reassure those individuals that the Scottish Government is listening very carefully to the representations they are making.

“We are investing significantly already in cultural activities, with over £55 million of investment in Creative Scotland this financial year.”