Creative Scotland multi-year funding decisions

This morning saw Creative Scotland publish the long-awaited outcomes of applications to their multi-year funding programme.

We’re delighted for the 251 organisations receiving positive news of their multi-year funding applications from Creative Scotland today. £60m is being committed for this year, the first tranche in three-year settlements worth £200m between 2025 and 2028. Today marks the end of a very long and arduous application process lasting some 19 months, and it’s wonderful that so many creative organisations, across the country, will now have security of funding over the coming three years. That will allow them to get back to making, touring and sharing work, to creating jobs and raising their gaze to think about the future of the creative sector in Scotland. 

Overall, there’s a significant increase in funding - close to double that of the previous round, reflecting the increase of £20m allocated to this process in the latest Scottish Government budget. And with the portfolio growing from 120 to 251 organisations there are many organisations receiving multi-year funding for the first time - almost half of those funded today are new to regular funding. We’re delighted to see organisations like SEALL (Skye), the Belmont and Birks community cinemas, and Independent Arts Projects all newly benefitting from the security of regular funding. It’s also encouraging to see organisations representing artforms new to the portfolio too, like aerial and circus. 

There is strong representation of smaller, locally-based and community focussed arts organisations in the new portfolio, which echoes the increasing recognition of the importance of this part of the cultural sector in our lives and places. Organisations like Govanhill Baths, WHALE and North Edinburgh Arts, and RIG Arts in Inverclyde serve their communities with rich, locally-rooted provision, and it’s wonderful to see their work recognised in this way.

There are some really positive regional implications too, with the new portfolio more geographically diverse than before. Fife, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway and Shetland are all seeing significant uplifts in the number of local arts organisations funded, contributing to a thriving and diverse cultural provision in those areas. And seven local authorities go from zero regularly funded arts organisations to 1 or 2 (the latter in South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, North and East Ayrshire). 

A few notes of caution. Whilst Creative Scotland report that those organisations already in the Regularly Funded portfolio have seen their average grant increase, many organisations (especially those new to multi-year funding) are reporting being funded at a lower level than that requested, with funding for many organisations at 65% - 70% of the level requested (often with uplifts planned for years 2 and 3 of their grant). This provides a strong structural foundation for their work, but will make it difficult for some to realise the level of ambition or growth set out in their applications, and will require further significant re-working of budgets and business plans. 

And multi year funding is, of course, only part of the picture. Huge numbers of artists and organisations rely on year-to-year funding via Creative Scotland’s Open Funds, under unprecedented pressure since the Open Fund for Individuals was temporarily closed in August 2024. And there are increasing building costs, employer costs and ongoing challenges to other income streams - notably local authority funding and corporate sponsorship - all of which remain important challenges to the financial ecosystem that makes the culture sector sustainable.

All that said, today is a day for resting, reflecting and re-setting, then looking forward. We’re delighted to see the hard work and active campaigning from across the culture sector translating into tangible increases in funding from the Scottish Government, and reflected in today’s announcement from Creative Scotland. 

Of course there are those not receiving positive news today, and we note with concern the impact of unsuccessful funding applications for organisations like Cumbernauld Theatre. Forthcoming details of transition funding from Creative Scotland will hopefully provide some degree of clarity and certainty. 

Whilst the nuances and intricacies of today’s funding announcement will take a few days to settle out, we’d like to recognise and celebrate the commitment, energy and creativity of all those who’ve received news of their multi-year funding applications today. We look forward to seeing exciting new plans emerge from those now given more clarity about their future, and for this opportunity for the sector as a whole to re-set and look forward with a greater sense of security. 

On the evening of the announcement, Culture Counts Director Kathryn Welch appeared on BBC 4 Front Row, listen below: