Creative Scotland 'plans to reopen' Open Fund for Individuals as government confirms release of £6.6m budget

Creative Scotland has announced it will work to try and reopen the Open Fund for Individuals after the Scottish Government confirmed it will receive funding previously allocated to it in the 2024/25 Scottish budget—including the £6.6m for the fund.

Last month, Creative Scotland revealed it would be closing the Open Fund after claiming it could not get confirmation of the release of the budget. However, today, culture secretary Angus Robertson has announced a review of Creative Scotland to ensure its operations and structure are optimal to the needs of the culture sector, as part of this year’s Programme for Government.

The review, which will be the first since the public body’s establishment in 2010, will "examine Creative Scotland’s remit and functions as a funding body, and how the overall impact of planned increases in levels of public funding can be maximised to support sustainability in the sector and in participation in the arts".

Full details of the review and its process will be set out to parliament in the near future. The culture secretary also confirmed that following a period of necessary due diligence, Creative Scotland had now received funding previously allocated to it.

Robertson said: "Scotland’s culture is world-renowned and it remains integral to our nation and our economy. Over the past 14 years, Creative Scotland has had a significant role in supporting that role, distributing £65 million of public funding in the last year alone.

"With the sector having faced a number of new and enduring challenges since then, the time is now right for us to ensure Creative Scotland’s remit and functions remain relevant, in line with our commitments to invest at least £100 million more annually in the arts and culture by 2028-29, and to continuous improvement across all our public bodies.

"It is routine for public bodies to undergo reviews throughout their lifetime, and while that process is ongoing we are clear that we expect the organisations involved to take forward their business as usual. Creative Scotland is no different and they will be carrying on with their important work throughout.

"In the meantime I’m pleased to confirm release of £1.8 million to Creative Scotland for youth music, and another £6.6 million, which includes £3 million towards its Open Fund and £1 million for Screen Scotland."

Iain Munro, chief executive of Creative Scotland said: "Creative Scotland notes the intention to review the way the sector is supported, as announced by the First Minister in the Programme for Government, and we look forward to hearing more details.  

"We welcome the continued commitment to provide an additional £100m in funding for Culture and will work with the Scottish Government on the effective allocation of that funding, to the benefit of culture and creativity in Scotland. We also welcome today’s confirmation of £6.6m, originally committed to Creative Scotland by the Scottish Government at the start of this financial year, reinstating budget removed in the previous year.

"We continue to see unprecedented levels of demand for the Open Fund for Individuals and will process the high volume of applications we have received. With the budget now confirmed, we will work to reopen this fund. We are sure today’s confirmation of the release of this funding will be welcomed by the creative community of Scotland."