Creative Scotland has announced the indefinite closure of one of its major art awards, after millions of pounds in funding for the organisation was put on hold by the Scottish government.
The organisation, which is Scotland’s public body for the arts and culture, released a statement yesterday (19 August) confirming that executives have taken the “difficult decision” to close its Open Fund for Individuals to new applications from 30th August. The decision comes after the Scottish government refused to confirm the release of a £6.6m grant-in-aid budget.
The Open Fund for Individuals was set up to support the activity of Scottish artists and other creative practitioners. Applicants have previously received funding for a range of projects including exhibitions, community workshops and the creation of visual arts collectives.
Iain Munro, chief executive officer of Creative Scotland, said in a statement that the decision to close the fund “is not one we would have wanted to take but is unavoidable without the funding from the Scottish government being available”.
In response to these remarks, a Scottish government spokesperson said: “We have increased arts and culture funding this year, as the first step to achieving our commitment to invest at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by 2028/29."
They added: “The Scottish budget continues to face significant challenges. We are considering the implications of the actions announced by the chancellor on 29 July for our public finances, and the next steps required by the Scottish government.”
News of the grant’s demise comes as millions of locals, tourists and creatives visit Scotland’s capital city for the Edinburgh festivals, including the Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF). Social media reaction from Scotland-based creatives has been overwhelmingly negative, with many placing the blame on the government, Creative Scotland—or both.
Kathleen Jamie, a Scottish poet, said in a post on X that the cuts were Creative Scotland and the Scottish government “at their worst”. Meanwhile playwright Rachel O’Regan criticised the fact that decision was announced with only 11 days notice during the busy festival season, with “not even a mention of mental health resources for artists”.
Despite this shock, long-term budget uncertainty has been a problem at Creative Scotland for some time—the organisation received a £6.6m budget cut late last year. Furthermore, according to Munro, Creative Scotland has still not been provided with any clarity by the Scottish government on its recently promised £100m investment in the arts sector.
“Like everyone working in Scotland’s culture and creative sector, we understand the extreme pressures on public finances," he said, "but want to see longer-term budget certainty from the Scottish government, including the additional £100m announced in October 2023, details of which have yet to emerge."