Angus Robertson promises new cash for festivals as strategic partnership launched

Culture secretary Angus Robertson has pledged additional funding to support Scotland’s arts festivals as he sets up a new “strategic partnership” for the sector.

The announcement builds on the Scottish Government’s commitment to spend an extra £100m on the arts by 2028/29, a pledge made by former first minister Humza Yousaf last year.

Robertson has now launched the “strategic partnership for Scotland’s festivals” in a bid to place the sector on an equal footing to the tourism and food and drink sectors.

And in an open letter to festival organisations, he has invited stakeholders to take part in the discussion of how to improve and support the sector.

Robertson said: “It is my intention to now formally initiate a strategic partnership for Scotland’s arts festivals, to which we will invite Creative Scotland and Events Scotland. With the help of the sector, which has already identified many of the necessary next steps, I want to ensure that we are best supporting festivals.

“This will include additional Scottish Government funding, which is committed to raise additional annual spending on culture and the arts by £100m by 2028/29, aiming for an increase of £25m next year.

“I would warmly welcome the input of Scotland’s arts festivals, and those who care about them, as I initiate the Strategic Partnership for Scotland’s Festivals.”

Yousaf pledged to double the culture budget last October following growing concerns about cuts being made to the sector in recent years, including a £6.6m reduction to Creative Scotland’s budget.

The agency warned this will mean only a “proportion” of applicants will receive funding support.

Several festivals have already missed out on funding as a result of cuts, including Aye Write in Glasgow which had to initially cancel its 2024 programme. It was later able to revive some of its plans after a charity donation but it will be much smaller than previous years.

The government was warned by Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) chief Francesca Hegyi last December it had just months to save the arts. In an interview with Holyrood, Hegyi said Scotland had “about 18 months to figure this out before we lose a global asset that we will never get back”.

And earlier this summer, EIF director and violinist Nicola Benedetti told this magazine that not delivering on the promise of extra cash for the arts would be “essentially changing our goal posts and our identity”.