Scottish Government abandons Creative Scotland cuts

Scotland’s deputy first minister, John Swinney, yesterday announced a U-turn on the Scottish Government’s proposed 10% cut for the budget of Creative Scotland, the public body that supports the arts across the country.

The Scottish Government had revealed the proposed cut in December 2022, requesting that Creative Scotland use £6.6 million from their lottery reserves to supplement this grant funding. However, Creative Scotland chief executive Iain Munro warned in January that this plan would not keep the company stable, and it may have to halve the number of organisations it funds.

Swinney, who is also acting finance minister, announced the changed budget plans in Scottish parliament yesterday afternoon. He said: ‘I am now in a position not to require that [Creative Scotland use its lottery reserves] and will provide an uplift of £6.6 million for 2023-24 to ensure Creative Scotland’s reserve funding can supplement rather than replace grant funding.’

This news follows days of campaigning organised by the UK-wide Campaign for the Arts alliance and Culture Counts with over 15,000 people signing a petition calling for funding to be restored. Eight unions representing workers in the creative industries including musicians called on the government to rethink cuts to Creative Scotland’s funding and union leaders warned that the proposed cuts would threaten 8,500 jobs in the sector.

Swinney added: ‘There is a substantial increase in the Scottish Government’s funding for culture and major events in the next financial year, at a time when the country requires the inspiration that the culture and arts sector can provide for all of us. I have judged that this is the absolute limit of additional funding that I can provide.’