Arts centre planning £47,500 of cuts after 'disappointing' budget axes core funding

An Lanntair, which has been running for 40 years and also hosts Lewis’ only cinema, said its opening hours were likely to have to be reduced, while "ambitious" plans for live events would have to be put on hold.

At the meeting on Tuesday night, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar voted to uphold Budget proposals, rejecting an amendment put forward by two councillors last week, which would have seen dedicated creative industries revenue funding of £109,145 for 2026/27 for specific culture and heritage organisations taken from council reserves.

Instead, an open fund pot of £110,000 will be available to any arts organisations on the island, £30,000 of which will be ring fenced for projects promoting Gaelic.

An Lanntair chief executive Sean Paul O’Hare, said: “We've been sitting this morning going through budgets, where we now have to cut £47,500 in our programs, our projects and also look at reduced cinema, reduced programming and even a reduction in opening hours for the centre.

“These are all the things now that we have to put to our board and decide in terms of how we move forward. Losing £47,000 is a significant hit for any arts organisation in Scotland, but on the islands, it's even more significant due to the high cost of operating. So it's a very disappointing outcome. But we persevere, and we're determined, and the board are determined.”

He added that he believed a campaign, backed by local arts organisations and led by An Lanntair, was responsible for the existence of the £110,000 fund, which is likely to be funded through money from the Crown Estate.

The decision follows the local authority’s withdrawal of core arts funding two years ago, which was replaced by a short-term, temporary scheme intended to bridge the gap.

However, the temporary arrangement, which gave An Lanntair £47,500 a year in funding, is also now coming to an end, with the result a removal of all secured local authority annual investment in the islands’ arts sector.

Mr O’Hare said he hoped Creative Scotland, which has provided £1.7 million of multi-year funding to the centre over three years, and the council could work together to create an arts strategy for the islands - potentially backed by the private sector.

He said: “We will, of course, look for alternative funding sources. But it's a very competitive market out there. It's very tough times in terms of funding, and there's no guarantees, so I expect an effect on our project delivery, and it'll reduce our community impact.”

He added: “It's not just about public authority money or Creative Scotland money. We're looking here for a resourced strategy. There's an opportunity now to move forward, and we'll be certainly calling for a new art strategy for these islands that can be resourced by multiple sources.”

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar did not respond to a request for comment.