Equity has criticised the ‘deeply disappointing and short-sighted’ actions of the Scottish Government which have forced Creative Scotland to close a major arts fund.
Creative Scotland announced yesterday that they would be closing the Open Fund for Individuals because of a lack of funding from the Scottish Government.
The Open Fund for Individuals is one of Creative Scotland’s key funding programmes. The £6m fund is vital in supporting activity initiated by artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland.
The cuts announced this week to Creative Scotland come after a £6.6m budget cut was reimposed on the public body in 2023. It also follows the recent Equity campaign that highlighted the sweeping reductions in local government funding for the arts because of austerity.
Commenting, Equity Scotland Official Marlene Curran said: “This is a deeply disappointing and short-sighted move by the Scottish Government which will put artists across the country out of work.
“The Scottish Government’s latest cuts to culture funding in Scotland do not bode well for the renewal of Creative Scotland’s core budget in October.
“If we are to believe the Scottish Government’s promise to seriously increasing arts funding for Scotland over the next decade, we need to see more funding on the table right now. Sadly, the government’s track record suggests otherwise. But Equity, as the union for performing arts, will fight for a funding deal that matches the ambitions of the Scottish Government as promised only last year.”
