The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Youth festival future in doubt as funds axed
Culture: City council agrees to withdraw support but creates broader fund
BRITAIN’S biggest gathering of young performers from around the world faces a desperate struggle for survival after Aberdeen City Council signalled the end of its funding.
Aberdeen International Youth Festival, which has run every year since 1973, relies on an annual grant of around £150,000 for up to a third of its costs.
But a behind-closed-doors meeting of the authority’s education committee has unanimously backed pulling the plug financial backing for the event from 2018-19. AIYF chief executive Stewart Aitken said that if the cut was approved by the finance committee next month, it would be a “major challenge” to keep the festival running.
A £100,000 fund will be set up instead “to make funding more widely available across the city for a broader range of cultural events” to mark Scotland’s Year of Young People in 2018.
Education convener John Wheeler said: “We are keen to continue working with the festival, and we are sure the youth festival will be able to adapt and attract funding from external sources.”
Cash-strapped council chiefs have pulled the plug on financial support for the Aberdeen International Youth Festival – putting its survival in serious doubt.
For more than four decades, the event has attracted crowds to the north-east and hundreds of young performers from across the globe.
But Aberdeen City Council’s education committee unanimously agreed that the event should not receive financial support as part of the authority’s 201819 budget.
That will put a £150,000 hole in the budget of what organisers say is the biggest of its kind in the UK – around 30% of what it needs annually.
AIYF chief executive Stewart Aitken said it would be a “major challenge” to keep it going.
A final decision on whether or not to continue the backing will be made at the next meeting of the finance committee on December 1.
When asked if the festival could continue without direct funding from the local authority, Mr Aitken said last night: “I think it would be a major challenge.
“It would also be a major disappointment, especially in the Year of Young People, if our international young people’s festival, which is all about celebrating young people, would not be supported, especially as it is the only one of its type in Scotland and the biggest in the UK.” He said the festival involved “a fantastic range of activity every year which brings a great benefit to the people of Aberdeen” – though he accepted that “in certain times of austerity, some decisions and recommendations have to be made which are not as popular”.
2018 will be the “Year of Young People” across Scotland and the committee approved a £100,000 fund for projects – from which the festival would be eligible to bid for a share.
The news of the potential loss of AIYF comes despite Aberdeen campaigning for the coveted title of city of culture 2025 after two previous failed attempts.
John Wheeler, convener of the education committee, said the move had cross-party support and was taken “after serious consideration”.
“What we are trying to do next year, as it is the Year of Young People, is to make funding more widely available across the city for a broader range of cultural events.
“It’s important that we have a diverse a range of groups applying for this funding as possible.
“The International Youth Festival has over the years been a large part of the cultural calendar for Aberdeen.
“We are keen to continue working with the festival in a constructive way, and we are sure the youth festival will be able to adapt and attract funding from external sources.”
Vice-convener Lesley Dunbar said funding for the current financial year would not be impacted.
The AIYF has advertised its plans for next year’s festival, from July 27 to August 4.
She said: “A final decision will be made as part of the wider budget setting process of the full council early in 2018.
“However, we felt it was important to engage at the earliest opportunity with the AIYF to ensure the committee’s position is communicated and that adequate time is available for alternative funding options and business models to be explored by the festival’s leadership team for future years.”
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn said his party had “reluctantly” agreed the move.
He said: “This wasn’t an easy decision and not one that was taken lightly but unfortunately we didn’t feel we could support any other options.”
“This wasn’t an easy decision and not one that was taken lightly”