Creative Scotland faces £ 7m funding shortfall after 350 pleas for support
The Scottish Government's arts agency Creative Scotland is facing a £ 7 million funding black hole to help prevent venues and arts organisations going out of business.
Creative Scotland Scotland has been bombarded with 350 bids for cash from a fund set up to help those "at significant threat of insolvency” due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The quango has been asked t o provide £ 22m worth of funding to music venues, theatres, comedy clubs, nightclubs, festivals, art galleries and multi- use arts venues.
However, it has only £ 15m to share between the venues and organisations that believe they are eligible .
They have all been asked to demonstrate that they were “most critical to the cultural life of Scotland” and that their “existence is threatened by Covid- 19 restrictions”.
Live events were ordered to shut down by the Scottish Government in mid- March and are still banned across the country.
The Culture Organisation and Venues Recovery Fund was announced in September by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as part of a £ 59m package of measures for the cultural and heritage sectors.
It was aimed at helping venues and ar ts organisations which have been f orced to close but do not normally rely on public funding.
Key players in the live music a n d c o medy s e c t o r s h a d spent months lobbying Creative Scotland and the government for recognition of their plight and promises of financial assistance.
Eva Mackay, a director at the Stand Comedy Club, said: “Our industry has been left high and dry by the government and funding bodies. It’s up to Creative Scotland to help institutions like ourselves and others who were previously viable open businesses. Decisions need to be made quickly and fairly.”
Donald Macleod, chair of the Night- Time Industries Association in Scotland, which rep
resents live music venues and nightclubs, said: “Whilst any help is appreciated from the Scottish Government, the reality is that these measures sim
ply don't go far enough.”
A Creative Scotland spokeswo ma n s a i d : “T h e f u n d aims to provide emergency support f or organisations.
” We’ve received 348 applications totalling over £ 22m.”