Curtain rises on new cash deal for major Scots theatres

Leading Scottish theatres have been advised their long-term funding deals are set to continue until 2015.

But the managers of major Central Belt theatres, including the Traverse and Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh and the Citizens and Tron in Glasgow, have not been formally told what level of support they will receive.

The venues were given were advised of the deals by arts agency Creative Scotland late last week.

Andy Arnold, artistic director of the Tron, told The Scotsman: “I am happy to say that we understand that we are funded through to March 2015, which is obviously very reassuring to us. We look forward to discussing the long-term theatre strategy.”

Creative Scotland has faced an angry backlash in the past two weeks over a sweeping review of cash grants to touring theatre companies, art galleries and other arts organisations.

Nearly 50 groups that had received two-year “flexible” funding grants, including the award-winning Grid Iron and Visible Fictions theatre companies, were shifted to one-off “project” funding for projects or programmes of work. Many are concerned it will leave them unable to plan their work and retain staff.

Last week, seven leading Scottish playwrights publicly called on Creative Scotland to rethink a “catastrophic error of judgment” and work for a “return of trust”.

The chairman of Creative Scotland, Sir Sandy Crombie, said at the weekend that he welcomed “constructive debate”, stressing that the groups involved were “vitally important to the arts and culture across Scotland”.

Creative Scotland says the move is part of a shift from Scottish Government to lottery funding.

Sir Sandy pledged: “We will be continuing to work closely over the coming weeks and months to find the right investment approach.”

Behind the scenes, however, concern has also been growing over the position of seven larger theatre organisations that receive long-term, three-year “foundation” funding.

Current arrangements for the Traverse, Lyceum, Citizens and Tron, along with the Scottish Youth Theatre in Glasgow; Horsecross, which runs Perth Theatre and the city’s Concert Hall; and Y-Dance, the national youth dance agency, expire in March 2013. They have not been renewed.

In many cases, they rely on showing work by the touring companies and aim to plan productions years in advance.

Adding to the uncertainty, a wider “sector review” of Scottish theatre being carried out for Creative Scotland has yet to report its findings.

The theatres have now been told that “new agreements for foundation organisations will be issued in July for signature in the autumn, and will span until March 2015”, according to correspondence seen by The Scotsman. But funding levels have not yet been formally agreed.

A spokesman for the agency said: “Creative Scotland is committed to foundation organisations for the long term. Contracts will be renegotiated shortly, following the feedback meetings we’re currently scheduling with other organisations.”