Creative Scotland closes Open Fund
Florence Lockheart
Monday, August 19, 2024
The Scottish Government has been unable to confirm the £6.6m needed for the fund in the current financial year
Creative Scotland has announced the closure of its flagship Open Fund for Individuals due to the Scottish Government’s inability to confirm £6.6m in Grant-in-Aid budget for the public arts funding body for the current financial year.
The announcement comes as Scotland presents homegrown and global talent at Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and follows the Scottish Government’s reinstatement of a £6.6m cut to Creative Scotland’s budget despite being reversed last year. Creative Scotland had planned to combine £3m of the £6.6m budget with £3m of National Lottery income to support the Open Fund in 2024-25, but without confirmation that this budget will be released, it does not have enough funds available to support all its funding routes.
Creative Scotland CEO Iain Munro said: ‘The level of uncertainty regarding the provision of Grant-in-Aid budgets from the Scottish Government is creating critical problems for the ongoing support we can provide to Scotland’s culture sector. This decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals is not one we would have wanted to take but is unavoidable without the funding from the Scottish Government being available. Like everyone working in Scotland’s culture and creative sector, we understand the extreme pressures on public finances but want to see longer term budget certainty from the Scottish Government, including the additional £100m announced in October 2023, details of which have yet to emerge.’
The Open Fund for Individuals offered grants of between £500 and £100,000 to artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners living in Scotland. The £6m fund was designed to support specific projects, and periods of research, development and/or delivery of creative activity lasting up to two years. The application process for the Open Fund had been under review by Creative Scotland.
The Fund will close to new applications at 2pm on 30 August 2024. All currently submitted Open Fund for Individuals applications will be processed.
