Artists Matter - Response to Creative Scotland’s Closure of the Open Fund For Individuals on 30th of August 2024
As a Trade Union representing freelance visual and applied artists, we are outraged by the shock announcement made on Monday 19th August by Creative Scotland, who revealed that they will be closing the Open Fund for Individuals. They have stated that this is due to a budget shortfall from the Scottish Government citing that the money that had been promised to Creative Scotland in the Spring Budget has not been delivered.
We are deeply concerned about the immediate and knock on effects this decision will have on our members and across the whole sector. This decision by Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government is further punishing individual freelance artists who are already in precarious financial situations.
Artists are interdependent with networks in the wider economic ecosystem in Scotland. If elements of these ecosystems and networks collapse because of financial instability, there will be consequences that cause permanent scars not only to the vibrancy and viability of the arts sectors, but also to the local urban and rural communities in which they are embedded and serve. This includes impacts on tourism and hospitality jobs that are dependent on the arts and culture sectors.
The Open Fund is the primary source of arts funding in Scotland for individual artists, musicians, writers and performers to develop their vision for their own practice on their own terms, outside of the institutional restrictions and parameters set by arts organisations.
Scotland will not have an arts and culture sector without the individual practices of artists, who make the artworks. This decision to stop support for freelance artists particularly affects artists from low income, marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds. It means that the only people who will be able to afford to develop the direction of their practices are those from privileged or wealthy backgrounds.
Artists who are planning to apply for the Open Fund have until 2pm on Friday 30th of August 2024 to submit their grant applications. See the announcement on Creative Scotland’s website.
SAU President, B.D. Owens, along with colleagues from the STUC Creative Industries Trade Unions Group, is due to meet with a representative from Creative Scotland and Scottish Government officials on Thursday 22nd August to find out more details and we will be demanding answers. We will keep you informed.
