Scottish arts organisations to hold 'State of Nation' summit over funding cuts and uncertainty
The arts sector said it wanted to collaborate and stabilise before the next round of multi-year funding begins.
Major arts organisations in Scotland are to gather for a “State of the Nation” summit on "building a strategic response" to funding cuts and political uncertainty affecting the sector.
The State of the Nation conference will discuss how organisations can collaborate to prepare themselves to be in a stable position for the next round of multi-year funding before lobbying begins.
Arts bodies including National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and A Play, a Pie and a Pint are among more than a dozen organisations set to attend the summit. The event will be co-hosted by An Tobar and Mull Theatre, and the Citizens Theatre and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland in Glasgow.
The organisers said following the end of the recent funding application process, which in January saw many arts organisations granted multi-year support from Creative Scotland, groups were already asking how they could best prepare themselves to be in a stable position before the process begins again.
They warned that although the process encourages collaboration, there are no formal structures in place to support applications, leaving organisations depending on personal relationships or duplicating work, stretching already limited resources.
Dominic Hill, artistic director and joint chief executive of the newly-reopened Citizens Theatre, said: “I’m truly delighted to be co-hosting such a vital gathering for our sector. The Citizens Theatre has always been about bringing people together—and now, in our wonderful new building, that sense of welcome has been elevated even further. I look forward to welcoming colleagues from across Scotland into a space that’s been renewed for dialogue, collaboration and the bold thinking our sector needs more than ever.”
Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, artistic director of An Tobar and Mull Theatre, said: “After years of firefighting, it feels powerful to be co-hosting an event that’s unapologetically about hope, ambition and collective action. This is our chance to stop reacting and start shaping the future we want — on our own terms.
“I hope this gathering sparks a renewed sense of agency and solidarity across the sector, and marks the beginning of a movement towards lasting, systemic change.”
The programme for the day-long event, on October 24, will focus on three key areas of discussion. These areas are resource sharing, advocacy and lobbying, and looking to the future to ensure the sector does not suffer the same problems as in the previous year.
Louise Stephens, creative director and chief executive of Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland, said: “There is little breathing space in our industry for strategic thought and few spaces for exchange at organisational level. Spaces to exchange ideas, practice and joint thinking are essential to help us effectively advocate for our sector as a whole.
“For me, it’s part of our responsibility as leaders of organisations - however big or small - to make sure we make these chances to talk and work together, so that our individual efforts and hard work translate into a healthy foundation for the art and artists, which are essential to our organisations’ existence. Our sector has been in reactive mode for many years now, so I’m thrilled to help make this opportunity for productive conversation and the chance to genuinely work together for the health of the sector.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Any suggestion that there has been a cut to this year's culture budget is simply not true.
"In fact, thanks to a £34 million uplift in the Scottish culture budget, a record number of artists and organisations are now receiving regular funding, including 141 of the overall 251 who now have that stability for the first time.
"The reality is that the culture budget has increased and will be increasing further. This Scottish Government is committed to investing at least £100 million more annually in the arts and culture by 2028-29, having increased investment by £49.8 million to-date.
"Thanks to this increase in funding and committment of this government Creative Scotland have provided certainty to arts bodies up and down the country with multi-year funding.
"To help shape the future delivery of public funding we will consider the findings of the ongoing independent Review of Creative Scotland to maximise the impact of this increase for artists and organisations.”
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