Arts in Scotland face 'managed decline' with funding shortfalls

Arts leaders in Scotland have warned that the sector is facing "death by slow cuts" because of a lack of clarity over funding, with delays and funding shortfalls meaning some large institutions face temporary closure within months.

- Lanre Bakare

Shona McCarthy, who is stepping down as the director of the Edinburgh festival fringe in 2025 after nine years, called for clarity from the Scottish government - not just on funding but also its wider arts policy.

"What is happening here is death by slow cuts," she said. "Not just the funding situation but the policy environment that's been created. There's this attitude that the festivals are going to rock up and just happen every year. And they're really not."

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many in Scotland praised the government's response, as several institutions that had never received centralised arts funding were able to get support. But there has been a chaotic funding environment since, figures have told the Guardian.

The sector welcomed a promise by the then first minister, Humza Yousaf, in October last year to pump an extra £100m into the arts by 2028.