Joe GallopIn response to what is being described as the “worst crisis that Scotland’s music and wider arts sector has ever faced,” a coalition of prominent Scottish artists and music industry professionals have called on the government to reverse devastating funding cuts.
Artists including Biffy Clyro, Paolo Nutini, Franz Ferdinand and Young Fathers (pictured) have joined forces in a campaign to demand the immediate reinstatement of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals and Youth Music Funds.
The campaign, led by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), comes as the Scottish Government has failed to confirm the release of previously allocated Grant-in-Aid funding, leading to the closure of these financial lifelines.
The SMIA has urged artists, industry professionals, and music businesses across Scotland and the wider UK to sign an open letter to First Minister John Swinney. The letter, which will be sent on 30 August, warns of a potential “cultural catastrophe” that could result in widespread job losses across an already underfunded sector.
“Culture funding must be deemed essential,” the letter states, emphasising the far-reaching impacts on Scotland’s music ecosystem. “Without the ability to secure funding, many artists and industry freelancers will be unable to sustain creative activities. This will lead to critical job losses and sector skills vanishing, damaging Scotland’s music industry irrevocably, along with the Scottish economy.”
The campaign has already attracted over 170 signatories, including key figures from across the music industry. Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand voiced his concerns, saying, “This is a disappointingly short-sighted cut which will cost exponentially more than what is saved in the short term financially. The arts are how a nation knows who they are. Without them, we have an identity as two-dimensional as the bottom line of a balanced account.”
The open letter also highlights a disparity between the Scottish Government’s stated goals and the current funding situation, pointing out that while an additional £100 million in cultural funding has been pledged by 2028-29, this does not address the immediate crisis.
The letter urges the Scottish Government to immediately confirm the £10.7 million cultural investment for this financial year to reopen Creative Scotland’s funding programs and secure the planned £25 million increase for 2025. It also calls for the expedited distribution of the pledged £100 million annual cultural funding increase by 2028-29.
SMIA CEO and creative director Robert Kilpatrick described the situation as a “cultural emergency of unprecedented scale,” stressing that the stakes couldn’t be higher. “We are facing the loss of vital jobs, creative careers, and our diverse cultural identity. The time to act is now. We need every voice to unite and demand that the Scottish Government fulfils its commitments. Our sector’s survival – and Scotland’s cultural future – depends on it.”