Boost for theatres, festivals and arts centres as Creative Scotland unveils £208m funding package

Theatres, festivals, arts centres and organisations across Scotland have been awarded significant funding boosts in the biggest shake-up of the nation's cultural landscape in modern times.

The number of organisations on three-year funding deals has more than doubled by national arts agency Creative Scotland after it was promised an additional £40m from the Scottish Government over the next two years.

Organisations which have had long-term funding since the last round of decisions seven years ago will see an average increase of 34 per cent in the forthcoming financial year and 54 per cent by 2026-27.

The overall funding package, which will support 265 organisations, will be worth at least £208m over the next three years.

The long-running Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, which was forced to close temporarily in December due to financial problems, has announced it will reopen in April after securing three-year funding.

However, Cumbernauld Theatre, in Lanarkshire, has warned its future is now “at risk” after it was the only organisation to completely lose its long-term funding, which has been worth £266,000 in recent years.

Of the 279 organisations which made it through to the final decision-making stage, 251 have secured three-year funding.

Another 13 applicants have been offered a year of "development funding" and will be asked to submit new proposals which fully meet Creative Scotland’s criteria to allow the join the multi-year programme in 2026-27.

Among the groups offered a temporary reprieve are Traverse Theatre, the Scottish Poetry Library and the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, which have all previously had funding.

Others which Creative Scotland has earmarked funding for if their plans are approved over the next year include the Findhorn-based venue Universal Hall, the Hidden Door festival in Edinburgh and the Edinburgh-based music group Hebrides Ensemble.

More than half of the 251 organisations in the new programme have been offered three-year funding for the first time, with a £60m budget available in the forthcoming financial year and £74m available for the following two years.

These include Summerhall Arts, which is expected to take over the year-round programming of events at the long-running Fringe venue, the charities leading plans to reopen the Filmhouse cinemas in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and the Aye Write festival in Glasgow, which was cancelled last year due to a lack of funding.

Other first-time recipients of three-year funding include the Hebridean Celtic Festival in Stornoway, the Cumnock Tryst festival and Gaiety Theatre in Ayrshire, the East Neuk Festival in Fife, Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute and the North Edinburgh Arts complex.

Leading industry organisations supported include traditional music group Hands Up For Trad, the Scottish Music Industry Association, Showcase Scotland and the Federation of Scottish Theatre.

The Edinburgh International Festival has again secured the biggest funding allocation, which will increase from around £2.3m currently to £3.2m in the first year of the new programme and £4.2m in the following year.

The operators of the Screen Machine, Scotland’s mobile cinema service, have secured £410,00 for each of the next three years, almost double their current level of support.

Theatres securing significant boosts include Dundee Rep, which will see its funding rise from £1.9m to £2.6m then £2.8m and the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, which will see an increase from £1.2m to £1.5m to £1.7m.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre's annual funding will rise from £425,000 to £650,000 then £850,000 over the next two years, while the Tron Theatre in Glasgow will see a rise from £850,000 to £1.1m.

However Cumbernauld Theatre described Creative Scotland’s decision to pull the plug on its long-term funding as “devastating” as the funding it had applied for had been essential to ensure it could stage shows on “scale and ambition.”

Chief executive Sarah Price said: “We are heartbroken by this decision.

“Cumbernauld Theatre is a vital part of Scotland’s cultural landscape, dedicated to telling important Scottish stories, supporting artists, and making the arts accessible to all.

“We know the value of what we do – the joy it brings, the opportunities it creates, and the impact it has on our community. While this decision is devastating, we remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to secure the future of our theatre.”

The charity which runs the An Tobar arts centre and Mull Theatre on the Isle of Mull said its increase, from £410,000 to £582,000, was a real-terms cut as it had seen its costs rise by up to 65 per cent in the space of five years.

Artistic director and chief executive Rebecca Atkinson-Lord said: “The reality is that running an arts organisation on an island is significantly more expensive than on the mainland.

“While any uplift in funding is welcome, if it doesn’t keep pace with real costs, it puts pressure on what we can deliver for our community.”

A statement from the CCA in Glasgow said: “We want to thank Creative Scotland for believing in us and for the significant uplift in our funding across the next three years.

“The past year has been incredibly tough. We’ve fought incredibly hard to keep CCA alive and to make sure we would be here for the long-term.

“This funding is a recognition of that fight and a testament to the resilience, creativity and determination of our team the artists we work with and the community that has stood by us.”

Summerhall Arts chief executive Sam Gough said: “We’re incredibly grateful that Creative Scotland believe our ambitious programme is worthy of funding, and importantly, that they have put the trust in our dedicated team to deliver this.”

The Hebridean Celtic Festival, which has been running for nearly 30 years, said its first ever three-year funding commitment would be “game-changing” for the event.

Iain Macphail, chair of the festival’s board, said: “The positive and vital impact this progressive and future looking decision by Creative Scotland will have on our festival cannot be overstated.

“It will help secure jobs, greatly enhance our ability to plan and ensure that we can deliver on our reputation for providing a world class event from the Outer Hebrides and continue to deliver for the regional economy.

“HebCelt is much more than a festival, it is integral to the cultural and economic fabric of our entire community, and we are grateful to Creative Scotland for recognising that important role.”

Edinburgh International Festival chief executive Francesca Hegyi said: “We welcome this increased investment in the Scottish cultural sector, which will help to showcase the enormous talent of this country.

“We are grateful for our uplift in funding, which recognises the unique role we play in connecting Scotland to the world, and gives us a firm foundation from which to build.”