Scottish concert halls and theatres thrown £10m lifeline to help survive shutdown

Scotland’s performing arts venues have been thrown a £10 million lifeline to help them tackle the impact of the coronavirus shutdown.

Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop made the announcement at the Scottish Government's daily coronavirus briefing. Picture: John Devlin

An emergency relief fund is to be created to try to lift “the threat of insolvency” from venues which are unable to open due to social distancing restrictions for the foreseeable future, as well as help to bring staff back from furlough and avoid the need for mass redundancies.

The Scottish Government announced the extra funding today following extensive lobbying over the risk of long-standing theatres, concert halls and dance venues going bust.

Applications will be handled by arts agency Creative Scotland and will not be restricted to venues which it is already funding.

However the Federation of Scottish Theatre warned that the additional funding only represented a “fraction” of the lost box income the sector expects to rack up during the ongoing shutdown.

Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said the government was also considering a request for dedicated help from grassroots music venues amid warnings that they are in “dire straits,” with the entire sector facing “almost complete collapse.”

She said she was also urging the UK Government to use its “significant borrowing powers” to plough more money into the cultural and creative industries sectors, which would allow the Scottish Government to offer “even more support to respond to this crisis and build for the future.”

Large gatherings at cultural events have been banned in Scotland since the middle of March. The Scottish Government has yet to give any indicative dates for when indoor and outdoor events of any size can resume, even with social distancing in place.

Ms Hyslop said: “Our performing arts venues effectively had to close overnight, with an almost complete loss of income. There is no doubt that in doing so they saved lives, and for that I am extremely grateful.

“As we navigate our way through the pandemic, we know physical distancing is vital to ensuring that we do not see a second wave of infections, but we recognise the difficulties this presents for those in performing arts.

“This dedicated fund will be a vital lifeline to help performing arts venues continue to weather the storm. We are also actively considering support for grassroots music venues.

“We know the impact of this crisis will be long-term so ambitious action to support the future of these organisations, as well as our wider cultural infrastructure, is vital.

“Our theatres and performing arts venues and the talented freelancers who work with them are an essential part of the fabric of Scotland’s culture and communities and promote our international reputation, and we are determined that they will survive and be able to thrive again.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon added: “We know this will not solve every problem facing our culture sector, and that more support is needed.

“But I hope this £10m will be a lifeline for theatres - and also send a signal of how important we believe arts and culture are, not just to our economy, but to our wellbeing too.”

Iain Munro, Creative Scotland’s chief executive, said: “We welcome this £10m from the Scottish Government which will provide a critical injection of cash to help meet the immediate needs of venues which have been so badly impacted by the pandemic.

"It is significant, welcome and demonstrates the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to culture but we also recognise that organisations and individuals working across the wider cultural sector are facing extremely challenging circumstances which, in some cases, threaten their long-term viability.

"We will therefore continue to work closely with both the Scottish Government and other partners to explore every possible avenue for further support.”

Jude Henderson, director of the Federation of Scottish Theatre, said: “We’ve been working hard since day one to make the case for our industry.

“Today’s important announcement represents a fraction of the amount of the income lost to the sector this year and we look forward to working closely with Scottish Government and Creative Scotland on the next steps and phasing of this funding.

“We need to make sure that every pound counts as we rebuild a thriving theatre and dance sector which tells all of Scotland’s stories.

Liam Sinclair, joint chief executive of Dundee Rep, said: “We know that pressure on public budgets is huge and we profoundly appreciate Scottish Government’s recognition of the importance of live performing arts in people’s lives.

“Our members make a difference here in Scotland and around the world and this investment is an essential element in helping us all to build back better.”

Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman’s theatre critic, said: “This is not a huge amount, but under the circumstances it’s a very good start, and it is such a welcome signal of support from the Scottish Government.

“It could at least prevent some of the worst impacts on the big building-based companies. It will have to be spent very carefully.”

It emerged today that the Scottish Government had been asked to bail out grassroots music venues, which do not normally rely on public funding, but are facing indefinite closure due to the dificulties in enforcing social distancing during the pandemic.

Nick Stewart, spokesman for the Music Venues Alliance in Scotland, has asked Ms Sturgeon for £3.4 million to prevent widespread closures of grassroots music venues.

In a letter to the First Minister, he said: “Our venues represent the very best of our creative industries and cultural sector. They are

not large corporations seeking a handout, or heavily subsidised organisations making additional demands on the public purse.

“These are small and medium enterprises, deeply entrepreneurial and fiercely independent, trying to do the right thing for their communities, both in this crisis and across many years of supporting artists and audiences.

“The sector has existed for many years solely because of the passion and dedication of these owners and operators, and we do not come to you lightly on their behalf seeking government

financial support.

“This sector faces an almost complete collapse without immediate action - 93 per cent of grassroots music venues will permanently close by October without your intervention.

“If lost, these businesses will not return; the start up costs for a new music venue are too high, licensing restrictions on noise are too strict for potential operators to consider it, and the premises themselves will be lost to redevelopment for alternative use. We would like to work closely with you to avert these outcomes.”

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