While Holyrood had announced over £100 million of funding for art in Scotland by 2028, this has yet to begin materialising, leaving many in the industry concerned for the future. Creative Scotland has been left with a deficit of around £47 million, leaving events such as The Edinburgh Film Festival increasingly reliant on crowdfunding to continue. Other venues have disappeared completely, most notably the Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts, which will close in December.
Scottish music has fought hard to establish itself over the years, and has more than held its own during the popularity explosion of British ‘Indie’. Acts such as Franz Ferdinand and Paulo Nutini, who helped to define the genre, are now spearheading the new fight against austerity. An open letter signed by the two acts, along with over 150 other Scottish musicians, has called on First Minister John Swinney to protect the industry. Clearly, the importance of government support for art is not lost on established Scottish artists, with Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos warning of the “exponential” cost to culture that cuts would bring.
Austerity treats art as ‘unessential’ and creative industries are often first on the firing line when it arrives. In a world dictated by profit, cuts such as those in Scotland are far from unique, and speak to the importance of protecting artists worldwide. Despite art providing our lives with meaning and substance, many in government and business see it as beneath them. This line of thinking has left local services such as film, theatre and writing decimated in Scotland and beyond.
How much potential is suffocated by the denial of resources to emerging artists? Why should we as a society consider creativity unimportant? The fight of those in Scotland is a fight for all of us, and their dedication to protecting their livelihoods should inspire us all.
