Scottish music stars sign open letter against cuts to major arts programme
Over 170 Scottish musicians, including Franz Ferdinand and Paolo Nutini, have signed an open letter to address the Scottish government’s funding cuts after Creative Scotland closed its coveted arts programme over concerns about financial support.
The programme was closed after it faced “uncertainty” about government funding, and Iain Munro, the organisation’s chief executive officer, said the decision was “unavoidable”.
In response, hundreds of musicians have united to pen an open letter claiming that the cuts have “ignited the worst crisis that Scotland’s music and wider arts sector has ever faced.” It adds that a “cultural catastrophe” is unfolding, and in order to prevent “immediate risk of collapse”, the funds need to be reinstated.
So far, artists who have signed the letter include Paolo Nutini, Franz Ferdinand, Young Fathers, Honeyblood, Biffy Clyro, The Proclaimers, Nadine Shah, Glasvegas, and more. The campaign is scheduled to be live for 48 hours, coinciding with the deadline for the Open Fund, which is August 30th.
The Open Fund has typically supported artists, musicians, producers and writers, with applications open to anyone wishing to gain support. The latest cut is a significant hit to prospective and aspiring creatives as Creative Scotland anticipated to receive £6.6m from the government.
The open letter calls for the Scottish government to take a number of immediate actions to remedy the issue, including “confirm the previously committed cultural investment” for the financial year, “ensure that the planned £25m increase in cultural funding for 2025 is secured” for the following financial year, and “expedite the distribution” of the pledged £100m funding increase by 2028 to 2029.
“We are more than just entertainment”
In light of the cuts, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand described it as a “disappointingly short-sighted” situation that will “cost exponentially more than what is saved in the short term financially.” He added: “The arts are how a nation knows who they are. Without them we have an identity as two dimensional as the bottom line of a balanced account.”
Stina Tweeddale of Honeyblood also commented on the gravity of the cut while reflecting on her own experience at Creative Scotland: “I can wholeheartedly say that my career would not have been the same without it,” she said. The singer added, “I implore the Scottish Government to reconsider this move, as there is no doubt that a lack of this support will have a colossal impact on the arts sector. We are more than just entertainment.”
Across the UK, it’s no secret that the arts sector has been struggling financially for several years, with 125 grassroots venues closing in 2023 and more following suit as a result of rent increases, the cost-of-living crisis, noise complaints, developers taking over, and other reasons.
In light of the recent Oasis reunion announcement, the Music Venue Trust released a statement revealing that only 11 of the 34 grassroots venues that the band played on their first tour in 1994 are still open today.
However, although frightening to any future prospects for the arts centre, open letters like the latest to save Creative Scotland’s Open Fund send a clear message to governments about the importance of the arts to culture and the economy.
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