Unprecedented Response to Scotland's Cultural Crisis

29 August 2024 - Press release

Scotland's Artists and Music Industry Rallies Together, With Over 1,000 Signatories Added to an Open Letter to Scotland's First Minister in Under 24 Hours

Lewis Capaldi, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Nadine Shah, JD Twitch, and hundreds of other artists have joined the call, urging the Scottish Government to immediately reinstate Creative Scotland's Open Fund for Individuals and Youth Music Funds, and confirm the planned £25 million increase in cultural funding for 2025 will be secured by the start of the new financial year (1 April 2025). 

READ THE OPEN LETTER, SEE THE FULL LIST OF SIGNATORIES  AND BECOME A SIGNATORY HERE 

In less than 24 hours, more than 1,000 artists and music industry professionals have signed an open letter to Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, calling for the urgent reinstatement of Creative Scotland's Open Fund for Individuals and Youth Music Funds, and assurance that the planned £25 million increase in cultural funding for 2025 is secured by the start of the new financial year. The overwhelming response highlights the severity of the crisis, and the deep concern across the cultural sector.

New high-profile signatories include chart-topping artist Lewis Capaldi, Shirley Manson of Garbage, acclaimed singer-songwriter Nadine Shah, and JD Twitch of Optimo. They join a growing coalition of voices that already features Biffy Clyro, Paolo Nutini and Franz Ferdinand, among others, demanding immediate action from the Scottish Government. 

Shirley Manson of Garbage, said: "The arts must be protected at all costs inside of a flailing capitalist system. They are fundamental to educating and fostering a healthy, joyous community and culture."

Nadine Shah, said: "Music creators are too often overlooked for the direct impact they have on wider society and the economy. These funds are vital for nurturing and developing Scottish talent."

The movement has also garnered support from a vast array of both emerging and established artists, including the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Swim School, Iona Fyfe, VLURE, Vistas, Declan Welsh and the Decadent West and more. Industry organisations including UK Music, the Musicians' Union and Music Venue Trust have also added their weight to the cause, reflecting the breadth of concern across the UK's music landscape as well as within Scotland.

Robert Kilpatrick, CEO and Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), said: "The response we've seen in just 24 hours reflects just how severe this cultural crisis is. Scotland's artists and wider music industry are standing together with an urgency and unity that we haven't seen before, and this is being driven by the fact that the stakes have never been higher. We can't afford to wait – the Scottish Government needs to act now before it's too late. The future of our creative sector and the livelihoods it supports are hanging in the balance. Culture funding must be deemed essential."

With less than 24 hours remaining before the campaign closes, the stakes for Scotland's music industry can't be overstated. The closure of Creative Scotland's Open Fund for Individuals, set for 2pm tomorrow (Friday 30 August), firmly marks the beginning of a sustainability crisis for Scotland's cultural sector which will have devastating and long-lasting effects. 

Creative Scotland's Open Fund for Individuals has been essential for providing seed funding that allows artists to create work and develop; enabling them to build sustainable careers, engage audiences and fill venues. As more people come to shows, tourism and hospitality benefit significantly, creating a ripple effect that boosts the wider economy. Without this foundational support, the entire ecosystem – from artists to the businesses that thrive on cultural events – faces a serious threat.

The closure of Creative Scotland's Open Fund for Individuals is only part of the issue. There is also a critical delay in reopening the Access to Music Making and Strengthening Youth Music Funds. 

Lewis Capaldi, who has become a signatory of the campaign, was a participant in the Hit The Road project; an initiative run by the Scottish Music Centre, and supported by the Youth Music Initiative's Access to Music strand.

Gill Maxwell, Executive Director of the Scottish Music Centre, emphasised the significance of these funds: "Hit the Road, our touring programme for 14-19 year old musicians and songwriters, is funded by the YMI Access to Music strand. Young artists are offered professional advice on aspects of stagecraft, career development, and connecting with the live industry. The project employs tour managers, equipment suppliers, and a PR team while our circuit of grassroots venues across Scotland benefits by attracting new young audiences for live music.

Back in 2014, Hit The Road played a small part in kickstarting Lewis Capaldi's career by featuring him, then age 17, on a three-date tour and directly introduced him to influential live music promoters and a well-connected management company. Investing in emerging artists is crucial to Scotland's music industry: there's no art without them. Successful musicians and songwriters create employment, sustain our music infrastructure, and generate economic benefit, not to mention the cultural and social benefits to the Scottish nation and beyond."

Recent research by UK Music highlights the economic impact of music activity in Scotland. In 2023, music tourism accounted for 1.6 million visits to Scotland, with visitor spending reaching £499 million. This influx of visitors supported the employment of over 4,000 people across various sectors, demonstrating that investing in culture not only supports artists, but drives economic growth which supports and bolsters public services.

Recent co-commissioned research by the SMIA, conducted by Dr. Robert Allan, found that in 2018, Scotland's music industry generated an estimated £195 million and supported approximately 10,373 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in 2018. The vast majority – around 9,157 of those roles – were carried out by freelancers, who rely on cultural funding to sustain their careers. 

The Open Letter calls on the Scottish Government to take the following immediate actions:

1. Confirm the previously committed cultural investment of £10.7 million for this financial year, allowing Creative Scotland to re-open the Open Fund for Individuals and open applications for the Access to Music Making and Strengthening Youth Music Funds.

2. Ensure that the planned £25 million increase in cultural funding for 2025 is secured by the start of the new financial year (1 April 2025). Additionally, expedite the distribution of as much of the pledged £100 million annual cultural funding increase by 2028-29 as early as possible.

Failure to address these crucial funding needs will lead to widespread job losses, the erosion of sector skills and irreversible damage to Scotland's cultural landscape.

With the campaign due to close at 2pm tomorrow (Friday 30 August), the SMIA urges everyone within Scotland's music and arts sector – and beyond – to add their names to the open letter before it's sent to First Minister John Swinney.

To read the open letter and join the growing list of signatories, please visit: smia.org.uk/cultural-funding-crisis 

Keep up-to-date with the SMIA's journey on Facebook @TheSMIA, Twitter @TheSMIA and Instagram @The_SMIA.