Applying for Scottish Government culture funding left arts workers 'burnt out,' new research reveals

The research reveals how some people working on complex applications suffered panic attacks and were left "burnt out" by the demands for evidence.

The independent report said there was "demonstrable evidence of significant harm to wellbeing" as a result of the process put in place by government agency Creative Scotland for organisations seeking funding for the next three years.

The level of work needed on applications is said to have led to "a high degree of overwork and unpaid labour" within organisations, despite "fair work" commitments being a key criteria for government funding.

The new research suggests that the application process fell "far short" of Creative Scotland's own "best practice" guidelines, and had had a "very significant financial cost" for most organisations.

The findings have emerged as leading Scottish venues, festivals, events and organisations have been left in limbo over when their funding applications will be decided, amid fears of a projected £47.5m funding gap to meet demand.

The independent research was commissioned by the Creative Entrepreneurs Club to explore the impact of a prolonged application process to secure long-term Scottish Government funding via Creative Scotland.

Organisations had to submit initial plans for 2025-2028 by last October and final proposals by the end of April, shortly before the independent survey was carried out.

However there is still no confirmed government funding for the three-year funding programme, which is due to be announced this month.

There are fears decisions on the 281 applications could be delayed until January if Creative Scotland is not given an indicative figure ahead of the Scottish Budget being announced in December.

An average of 140 hours was said to have been spent on the first stage of the application process, with the second stage taking an average of 245 hours, with some respondents suggesting they had submitted the equivalent of a PhD.

Industry leaders with decades of experience described the application process as the worst they had ever encountered.

One respondent said: "I had never experienced burnout in over 30 years of work. I now know the meaning of the word.”

Almost 90 per cent of respondents to the survey said they had delayed, paused or cancelled work - including performances and schools programmes - due to the demands of the funding process.

One respondent said: "We had to stop basically everything and put the organisation on pause for two months."

The research report states: "Less art was made in Scotland as a result of the application process."

The pressure on organisations' working capacity required that the majority of respondents pause, delay or cancel other work, including public events."

Given the scale and importance of the fund and the large amount of organisations applying, this had the effect of disrupting almost the entire arts sector in a variety of ways – from audiences and communities who saw their arts events and participation dwindle to freelance workers in the sector who faced financial hardship as a direct result of the delay, pausing or cancellation of work."

A spokeswoman for Creative Scotland said: “We will conduct a comprehensive, independent evaluation of the multi-year funding process after the decision-making phase is complete. It will offer applicants the chance to provide detailed feedback on all aspects of the fund, including the application process.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As First Minister John Swinney has made clear, the Scottish Government is enormously sympathetic to financial support for the artistic and cultural sector in Scotland.”