SNP minister issues 'maximum' verdict to Creative Scotland over Scottish arts funding applications

Scotland's culture secretary said organisations should be given the maximum amount that is "justifiable" as he described their applications as "wish lists" for the next three years.

He also made it clear that £4 million of ring-fenced new funding for festivals across Scotland, which has been confirmed in the Scottish Budget, was intended to "complement" rather than replace core funding for events.

In an interview with The Scotsman, Mr Robertson insisted the Scottish Government would have no involvement in the handling of the 281 applications.

And he said he had full confidence in Creative Scotland's "arms-length" decision-making, despite ordering a review of its remit and functions, which is due to get underway early next year.

The Government has ring-fenced £54m for new three-year deals for organisations in Creative Scotland's new £80m budget - an increase of around £20m on the equivalent funding pot for long-term support.

The arts agency has been allocated the lion's share of £34m in new investment for culture for the next financial year, which Mr Robertson has pledged will be "game-changing" for the arts industry.

Mr Robertson said: "Our £34m commitment is a real step-change. It's the biggest increase in culture funding in Scotland outside of Covid recovery support. It will allow for multi-year funding to be introduced for a much larger number of venues and organisations.

"It's important to stress why this really matters. If you're an arts organisation that has to spend a considerable amount of time applying for funding on an annual basis, it's a huge diversion away from the creative purpose of the organisation.

"To have multi-year funding will not only give financial certainty, but will actually allow people to concentrate on what they want to do."

Mr Robertson said it would be for Creative Scotland to decide how to bridge the gap between the £54m the government had ringfenced for its next long-term funding programme and the £87.5m total annual value of funding bids.

However, he refused to guarantee that no organisations would completely lose long-term funding when the new programme is announced.

"This is Creative Scotland funding,” he said. “It is for them to decide on these applications. Creative Scotland's strategy is for Creative Scotland to explain. That's the nature of arms-length arrangements. We need to respect the fact that we have an arms-length organisation. I have confidence in them doing it.

"Of course, everyone has put in long wish lists of what they wish to see. My priority is that we see the maximum number of organisations funded to the maximum degree which is justifiable. We'll be working with Scotland to do that in the imminent weeks and months.

"I really hope that we're going to see, right across the board of Scottish cultural organisations and venues, increased funding and a better future."

Asked if it was possible that Creative Scotland could bolster its multi-year funding pot before final decisions were made, Mr Robertson said: "That's for Creative Scotland to decide.

"They have a significant amount of money, which they currently allocate to regularly-funded organisations and they have other funding streams. One of them is the open fund and there are others.”