Open Letter to John Swinney, Kate Forbes and Angus Robertson
OPEN LETTER – CLOSURE OF THE OPEN FUND FOR INDIVIDUALS
Open Letter to First Minister John Swinney, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes &
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs & Culture, Angus Robertson.
We, the undersigned representatives of Scottish arts organisations and festivals, are writing to express our grave and deep concern over the Scottish Government’s failure to provide certainty surrounding the £6.6 million Grant in Aid budget for Creative Scotland.
In direct consequence, Creative Scotland has announced the abrupt closure of the Open Fund for Individuals, the primary route to public funding for Scottish Artists to develop their projects.
The closure of this vital fund is nothing short of a crisis for the Scottish arts community and directly contravenes the government’s own Action Plan 2023 [i] , which states: “it is vital that all eligible organisations and practitioners have the opportunity to apply for support”.
The Open Fund for Individuals is not just a financial resource—it is the cornerstone of independent artistic creation in Scotland, supporting the livelihoods of countless artists. Without it, many artists are left without the means to continue their work.
This risks sending a stark message out to the world: Scottish arts is closed for business. In the same month as the global spotlight is on Scotland’s vibrant cultural scene through the Edinburgh Festivals, this cessation of support for local artists is particularly devastating.
The consequences of this situation are grave:
1. Sector Health and Wellbeing: Independent artists are the heartbeat of Scotland’s cultural ecosystem, and many rely on public funding not only to create and innovate but also to sustain their everyday lives. The sudden closure of the Open Fund leaves them without crucial financial support, putting their wellbeing and livelihoods at serious risk; and directly contravenes both Creative Scotland’s and the Scottish Government’s commitments to Fair Work.
2. Drain of Talent away from Scotland. The emotional and financial strain and the removal of funding places on artists will result in artists choosing to live & work elsewhere to sustain their practices. This is highly detrimental to Scotland particularly when the creative industries are seen as a key growth sector, and forecast to grow by 4% by 2026. [ii]
3. Cultural and Economic Damage: The arts are a significant contributor to Scotland’s economy and cultural identity. Without funding, the production of new work will slow to a trickle, leading to fewer performances, exhibitions, and community programs. This diminishes Scotland’s cultural vibrancy and impacts local economies that benefit from a thriving arts sector.
4. Scotland is absent from International Stages: Without the creation of new work, Scottish Artists will no longer be invited onto International Stages – thereby putting at risk the financial sustainability of these individuals, the reputation of Scotland’s Culture around the globe, but also The Actions outlined within the Scottish Government’s Cultural Action Plan (2023, page 4), which states “and, “we aim to open new markets and develop new audiences, supporting the Culture Sector’s financial resilience”. [iii]
5. Scottish Festivals & Venues are at Risk: We note Angus Robertson’s commitment to Scotland’s Festival ecosystem made on the 8th August [iv], as well as the Cultural Action Plan’s commitment to our wider built infrastructure. It is therefore vital to highlight that the closure of the Open Fund directly impacts them due to the lack of Scottish Work being Created and the high risk of Scottish Work being absent from their stages.
6. Community Engagement & Wealth Building at Risk: Within your Action Plan (page 5v) you highlight “the intrinsic value of culture and its ability to deliver beneficial outcomes across Scotland’s communities”. The Open Fund for individuals supports the creation of work by and for these very communities – it also provides for the development of work that speaks of the experiences of Scotland’s rich and varied communities. The closure of this fund threatens to strip Scottish residents of valuable cultural experiences, widening social divides and reducing the reach and impact of the arts as well as weakening Scottish Government’s commitment to Community Wealth Building.
The resilience of Scotland’s cultural sector is not infinite. Artists cannot continue to bear the burden of delayed and inadequate support. We strongly urge the Scottish Government to recognise the severity of this situation and take immediate action to release the necessary funds to Creative Scotland, allowing the Open Fund for Individuals to be reinstated. This is a necessary first step towards securing the future of the arts in Scotland, but alone it is not enough to reverse decades of shrinking support. It is now more vital than ever that the Scottish Government follows through on its promises to “more than double” investment in arts and culture and we seek urgent clarification on the timeline and mechanisms for delivering the pledged £100m increase in funding by 2028-29.
We look forward to your prompt response and positive action on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
LJ Findlay-Walsh (Artistic Director) Sam Eccles (Executive Director) Take Me Somewhere Festival
Nicholas Bone (Artistic Director) Anna Hodgart (Producer) Magnetic North
Karl Taylor (Artistic Director) Nat Walpole (Communications Manager) BUZZCUT
Matt Addicott (Artistic Director) Platform
Judith Doherty (Chief Executive & Co-Artistic Director) Deborah Crewe (Director of Finance and Development) Grid Iron
Mhari Robinson (Executive Producer) Independent Arts Projects (IAP)
Dawn Taylor (Artistic Director & CEO) Aidan Nicol (Producer) Manipulate Arts
Catriona Duffy and Lucy McEachan (Co-directors) Panel
Vicky Rutherford-O’Leary (Executive Producer) Christine Devaney (Artistic Director) Leigh Robieson-Cleaver (Administrative Producer) Curious Seed
Annie Hazelwood (Programme Coordinator) Kristen Nelson (Archivist) Alex Misick (Projects Producer) Sam Harley (Schools and Youth Coordinator) Luna Issa (Common Ground Project Coordinator) Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow (CCA)
Kenny McGlashan (CEO) Youth Theatre Arts Scotland
Alice McGrath (Creative Director) Red Bridge Arts
Jennifer Bates (Creative Director/CEO) Solar Bear Theatre Company
Jim Hollington (Chief Executive) Tony Mills (Artistic Director) Dance Base
Rhona Matheson (Chief Executive) Jennifer Phillips (Head of Artist Development) Judith Anderson (Head of Development & Operations) Starcatchers
Sarah Gray (Producer) Scottish Theatre Producers Marion Bourbouze (Head of Marketing) Belinda McElhinney (Chief Executive) Pamela Walker (Senior Producer) Fiona Ferguson (Creative Development Director) Imaginate
Tony Reekie (Executive Director) Catherine Wheels
Al Seed (Director) Al Seed Productions / Waypoint-1
Jo Verrent (Director) Unlimited, UK wide commissioning organisation for disabled artists
Martin Joseph O’Neill (Artistic Director) The Stove Network
Jo Timmins (Artistic Director) James Preston (Executive Producer) Lyra
Tom Forster (Programmer & Producer) Summerhall
Jill Smith & Kathryn Boyle (Producers) Feral
John Harris (CEO & Artistic Director) Red Note Ensemble
Caitlin Skinner (Artistic Director & CEO) Stellar Quines
Carolyn Lappin (Executive Director) YDance
Kresanna Aigner (CEO / Creative Director) on behalf of the board and team of FBA
Findhorn Bay Arts
Claire Halleran Envelope Room
Robyn Wolsey and Heather Fulton (Co-directors, Maternity cover) ATLAS Arts
Emma Ruse (Chief Executive) Framework Theatre Company
Cicely Farrer (Programme Manager) Lucy Byatt (Director) Hospitalfield, Arbroath
Cora Bissett Freelance Theatre and Film Director.
Tzipporah Johnston (Executive Director) Door in the Wall Arts Access CIC and Neuk Collective
Robert Softley Gale (Artistic Director) Mairi Taylor (Executive Director) Birds of Paradise Theatre Company
Irene Kernan Craft Scotland
Claire Lamont (freelance Actor and Theatre Maker)
Ben Harrison (Co-Artistic Director) Grid Iron and Freelance Director,
Performer and Producer.
Bryony McIntyre, Barry Esson (Co-directors) Arika
Hayley Durward (Chief Executive) Citymoves Dance Agency
Max Slaven (Director) David Dale Gallery & Studios
Severine Wyper (Executive Producer), Matthew Lenton (Artistic Director), Eleanor Scott (Producer) Vanishing Point
Kate Grenyer (Director) Fife Contemporary
Anita Clark (Director)
Sara Johnstone (General Manager) The Work Room
Charlotte Mountford (Director) Lyth Arts Centre
Natasha Gilmore (Artistic Director), Jo Walmsley (Executive Producer), Elle Taylor (Production Manager), Nicola Denman (General Manager) Barrowland Ballet
Ellie Davies & Alison Burnley (Co-Executive Producers) Riff Raff Producing CIC
Lucy Gaizely, Gary Gardiner, Louise Irwin (21 Common)
Douglas Irvine (Artistic Director)
Laura Penny (Producer)
Sophie Ochojna (Marketing and Development Manager)
Visible Fictions
Simon Hart (Director & CEO) Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival
Lynne Hocking (Volunteer Chair of the Board) Applied Arts Scotland
Independent creative practitioner
Seona McClintock (Creative Director & CEO) Theatre Gu Leòr
Pete Lannon (co-artistic director) SUPERFAN
Karl Jay-Lewin (Creative Director), Liz Egan (Finance & HR Director), Ruth Kent (Participation Lead) ,Alison Burnley (Producer), Jon Davies (AIM Culture Collective Co-ordinator), Mie Roche-Nishimori (Office & Internal Operations Lead),John Lyndon (Marketing & Communications Lead) Dance North Scotland
Annabel Cooper (Co-Director) Sanctuary Queer Arts
Jenny Brownrigg (Curator/Researcher) GSA
Kirsten Body, Catriona Meighan, Richard Bracken, Nicola Gear, Lorna Campbell (committee) Circus Artspace
Katrina Brown (Director) Chloe Reith (Curator) The Common Guild
James Mackenzie (Artistic Director) ZOO Venues
Amy Marletta (Creative Director) Upland
Tina Fiske (Director) CAMPLE LINE
Fiona Bradley (Director) Fruitmarket
Kim McAleese (Director) Eleanor Edmondson (Curator) EAF (Edinburgh Art Festival)
Charlie Wood (Director) Underbelly
Beth Bate (Director) Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA)
Dani Rae (Managing Director) Assembly Festival
Alex Marrs (Programmes & Communications Producer) Cove Park
Charles Pamment (Director) theSpaceUK
Lyndsey Jackson (Deputy Chief Executive) Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
Moira Jeffrey (Director) Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN)
Jan-Bert van den Berg Artlink Edinburgh
Louise Stephens (Creative Director/CEO) Rona Munro (Chair) Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland
Catherine Gillespie (Manager) Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
Tessa Giblin (Director) Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh
Richard Birkett (Festival Director) Siobhan Carroll (Open Programme Convenor) Diana Stevenson (Festival Manager) Glasgow International (GI)
Amanda Nicoll Cumbernauld Theatre Trust
Amy Liptrott (Director) Aberdeen Arts Centre
Sorcha Carey (Director) Collective, Edinburgh
Linda Crooks (CEO & Executive Producer) Traverse Theatre
Joan Clevillé (Artistic Director, Scottish Dance Theatre) Liam Sinclair (Executive Director) Andrew Panton (Co-Artistic Director Dundee Rep) Dundee Rep & Scottish Dance Theatre
Kate Nelson (Director) Nutshell
Peter Arnott, playwright
Jo Clifford, playwright
Matthew Zajac (Artistic Director) & Jack MacGregor (Associate Artist) Dogstar Theatre
Kieran Hurley, playwright and screenwriter
Claire Lamont, actor and theatre maker
i A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan: December 2023, page 3:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/culture-strategy-scotland-action-plan/pages/3/
ii, Skills Development Scotland 2023:
https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/areffkbq/sectoral-skills-assessment-creativeindustries.pdf
iii https://www.gov.scot/publications/culture-strategy-scotland-action-plan/pages/4/
v https://www.gov.scot/publications/culture-strategy-scotland-action-plan/pages/5
All very sad however when there are not enough resources to pay for anything like the recovery places (and other effective interventions) for drug and alcohol dependents in the country with the tragic consequent death toll that entails, hard choices have to be made. To govern is to chose, our problem is that the population want everything at once – that is not possible in the country’s present predicament.
The sad truth is that there is plenty of public funds which remain untapped because the Scottish government refuses to take any serious steps to tax the land and the buildings upon it.
Here are the figures:
How the Scottish Government (SG) can fund all devolved public expenditure, increase the budget by 10% and provide a Universal Citizens Income (UCI) of £200 per week fro every adult and child under the current Devolution Settlement.
The SG introduces AGFRR (Annual Ground Floor and Roof Rent) to replace all devolved taxes: Council Tax, LBTT, Commercial Rates, and Income Tax on earned income of everyone in the house so no one would pay these.
According to GERS the total Scottish expenditure for 2023/4 is £111,2 billion.
Of that devolved expenditure (SG and councils ) £66.72b
to address austerity add 10% 6.67b
add a UUCI of £200 per week for every child and adult £55b
total devoted expenditure to end austerity in control of SG £128.39b
Scotland’s land areas including roofs and floors is 840.84b square metres of which urban land types ( all properties and land where Scottish Water has a sewerage connexion and all non agricultural buildings in rural Scotland) comprises 136.4b square metres.
98.5% of the total devolved spend is allocated to urban land types: £126.5 b
You divide the £126.5b by the 136.4b area and that gives an AGFRR rate per square metre of £9.272 .
The average modern semi detached villa and garden is approx 384 square metres so the AGFRR on the house is £3,560.
Remember AGFRR replaces all devolved taxes: Council Tax, LBTT, Commercial Rates, and Income Tax on earned income of everyone in the house so no one would pay these.
In addition, every member of household gets a UCI of £200 per week. £10K per annum.
There are separate AGFRR rates for rural land types to ensure affordability.
It has been confirmed to me by email by the Head of the New and Environmental Taxes in the Scottish Government that AGFRR can be introduced as a national tax without the consent of the UK government provided that unit complies with section 80I of the Scotland Act
The power to create a UCI without the consent of the UK government is contained in section 28 of the Scotland Act. It must not be a pension or paid for out of UK government funds. That is why the funds for it are raised within Scotland as I’ve shown.
I’ve long supported your ideas on this in principle Graeme, what I was railing against is all these groups incessantly wanting more public subsidy for their pet projects, blithely ignoring the hard choices that have to be made. As you can see from the open letter there is a massive collective of arts rent-seekers out there, agitating for scarce resources.
Another example the other day was the SG decision to stop subsidising peak time rail fares. This was because the reduction in cost was insufficient to tempt people out of their cars and onto trains. Up pops Jackie Bailley to howl that the decision was a ‘slap in the face’ for her constituents in Helensburgh.
Personally I am not sure about the merits of the universal income but I do agree land taxation is a major un-used opportunity. Why is no-one listening to you?
Some of their ‘pet projects’ are like award-winning theatre companies!
The arts are subsidised everywhere. Not everything is or should be purely commercial.
I agree but when the country can’t ‘afford’ rehab beds to tackle the drug death emergency (as declared years ago) lashing out on these artists is obscene.
It’s been very frustrating over the last ten years to fail to get a meaningful response from politicians and economists. With the exception of two economists , one of whom unbelievably just couldn’t get his head round it and the other raised some reasonable observations which I answered and then went quiet on me.
In the last week one of Scotland’s economic institutes has declined to comment on AGFRR as it says there is not enough data to examine and model. That can’t apply to AGFFR as all the information is factual and a simple arithmetic formula. How it might affect inflation, work practices, etc. are not known.
As you know Scottish ministers and organisations like Commonweal have consistently said that the Scottish Government cannot create new national taxes with the UK government consent. This comment is based on advice from civil servants in the Scottish Government. A friend of mine made a FOI to the SG about new national taxes and received that response. He then passed the response to me and I pointed out to the Head of the SG New and Environmental taxes that the SG had already used its devolved powers to introduce a new national tax without the consent of the UK government, Land and BuildingTransaction Tax. LBTT. He then accepted that was the case. I then challenged him that provided any new tax which complied with the terms of section 80I of the Scotland Act then it was possible for the SG to introduce a new national tax. AGFRR complies with that section. He then accepted that what he had said originally was wrong and my proposition was correct. To date I do not know if this civil servant has revised his advice to Scottish ministers. If he does we might find a change from the SG.
Scotland works within a pocket money economy decided by politicians in another country.
It’s simple, the national government can do one of three things:
1. Raise taxes for the ‘luvvies’, many of whom are transient outsiders (note the sames) here for a CV building exercise and ready to move on to ‘higher things’. We are not talking about artists starving in garrets here.
2. Get TOTAL control of all levers of governance and wealth creation, and if the preferred status is remaining in the UK, only sending money to London for mutually agreed ‘Union’ matters such as defence or whatever.
3. Cut spending elsewhere. The question is, what should the government cut? Tell me.
Oh, and by the way, go out into the streets and tell the homeless sleeping on cardboard in shop doorways that they can stand outside the concert halls and listen to jazz music for free, paid for by the Scottish taxpayers, many of whom are on the breadline as it is.
‘ALL ARTISTS ARE OUTSIDERS’ – ‘NO ART WANTED HERE THIS IS SCOTLAND’
No need to ‘shout’. There is also the art of debate and conversation and that doesn’t need a hand-out.
if ‘Scotland works within a pocket money economy decided by politicians in another country’ it does so because the SG allows this to be so. It must change now.
I’m a life-long SNP supporter (65 years of it) and yes, I agree with what you say. Sadly, the SNP have been suckered into playing the game according to Westminster rules. Shona Robison yesterday on TV spoke of the ‘devolved administrations’ when she she be saying the ‘national governments’. Also I agree with you on the land issue – inaction in dealing with a sector of society (the big landowners) which will never vote for independence or the SNP. What are the SNP afraid of?
Gu math ceart, a Sheumais
I live in a big semi, a quick calc comes up with 2,500m2. At £10/M2 that’s £25k pa.
You seem to be saying that if I pay £25k I will no longer need to pay income tax of £20k ish (I’m retired), Council tax of £3k AND my wife and I will pocket £20k between us. And the net result is that Scotland will have more money.
You sure?
Think of the bill winging its way to the 433 folk who own 50% of Scotland’s land and relax Matthew.
Methinks there would be an estate dis-investment or two on the horizon. Land Prices would collapse to levels that could be economically justified bearing in mind this tax. The speculation in land that marks this benighted country would be over. These massive ‘trophy’ estates would be broken up. Farmers and landowners would scream blue murder. Forestry and Land Scotland (with about 500,000ha) would require a huge bail out, would public bodies like this have an exemption?
Fashion billionaire Anders Povlsen (Danish) is Scotland’s largest landowner, with more than 220,000 acres across 13 estates. Denmark limits real estate sales to foreigners: one must have a residence permit and live in the country for at least five years to buy a property. A legal entity can purchase real estate: one must open a company in Denmark for this.
Foreigners can buy both land and property in Scotland. There are currently no restrictions preventing foreign investment in Scotland. Bought and sold for anybody’s gold like a trafficked hure. Scotland – Europe’s gaslighted mug.
From memory Mr P would pay around £70m each year for his land holding in Scotland. I don’t think he pays anything just now, but he does pay his home council in Denmark tax on his property holdings in Scotland.
I think there is a discussion to be made about non Scottish residents being able to buy land and property in Scotland. It’s not about nationality but residence. I’m told that the Danish restrictions are not watertight.
But the message I replied to referred to urban land, not the big estates.
yes! There is so much land and property which contributes nothing to public funds. The Land Commission estimates that 60% of dilapidated and vacant land in urban Scotland belongs to the public sector. AGFRR is payable on all land and property so all owners have the incentive of stewarding what they own do they can pay AGFRR or dispose of it to others who will.
The figures work!
Providing funds for people to continue working will possibly stop more people becoming desperate and falling into despair..towards drugs and drink perhaps ?
People with fulfilled lives are generally healthier .If you take away that funding ..it is a downward slope.
The health of a nation depends on taking into account the creativity elementof being human,art,music ,poetry……without that .what are we but cogs in a wheel to support a system grinding to a halt
Meg, plenty of people have to make do with run of the mill jobs and still manage to be fulfilled. Can the letter authors not find fulfilment without taxpayer money paying them to be in that happy state?
These artists develop work for audiences, not themselves.
That the audiences are unwilling to pay for, necessitating taxpayers to do it?
Arts are subsidised around the world. If you want to live in a society without art and culture that’s what your going to get.
How kind of them. From my basic pension (my sole income) I support Ukrainian refeugees and have done for two years. I don’t get a penny of tax-payers money. Why should highly-paid people in the arts expect to get hand-outs. Ironically some probably produce works about the unfairness of society, or about poverty, addiction etc. The big irony is these people are addicted to hand-outs.
I think your really confused. Who are these ‘highly paid people’ working in the arts?
Sad, genuinely myopic!
Please reconsider.
What is ‘sad’? The letter or the funding decision? If the latter, what Scottish Government funding would you scrap to re-direct to the authors (or their organisations) instead?
An impressive list of signatories. I hope they succeed in getting this destructive and short-sighted decision reversed.