Latest news with #CreativeScotland
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Cumbernauld Theatre chief quits months after funding row
Ms Price, who described the decision as 'devastating' at the time, launched an immediate campaign for a rethink from the government and its arts agency Creative Scotland. She warned that the decision on its future support had put the future of Cumbernauld Theatre "at risk." Read more: Ms Price previously described the treatment of Cumbernauld Theatre as "grossly unfair,' called for 'further scrutiny' of Creative Scotland's decision-making process and suggested its funding application was 'not fully reviewed.' However there were suggestions that Cumbernauld Theatre's funding application had fallen far short of the required standard. In an announcement confirming her departure, Ms Price, said she had found the last few months 'challenging.' Sarah Price is stepping down from her role as chief executive of Cumbernauld Theatre. (Image: Cumbernauld Theatre) However Cumbernauld Theatre chair Alan Caldwell said it had now understood why its funding application had been unsuccessful and accepted the decision. However he insisted that there could still be a 'brilliant future' for Cumbernauld Theatre. Cumbernauld Theatre moved to a new building, Lanternhouse, in 2021. (Image: Cumbernauld Theatre) The theatre has brought in Patricia Stead, a former executive director and chief executive of the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, and Jim Hollington, former chief executive of Dance Base in Edinburgh to head up a new 'task force' which will be charged with securing its long-term future. Ms Stead will take over as interim chief executive by the end of this month. Cumbernauld Theatre was the only organisation in Scotland to be dropped from Creative Scotland's multi-year funding programme, despite claims by the arts agency that all organisations it had previously funded would be getting a 'significant uplift after years of standstill funding.' The theatre trust, which dates back to the early 1960s, lost its funding less than four after relocating to a new building, Lanternhouse. At the time of the funding cut, Ms Price said: 'We are heartbroken by this decision. Cumbernauld Theatre is a vital part of Scotland's cultural landscape, dedicated to telling important Scottish stories, supporting artists, and making the arts accessible to all.' Ms Price said: 'It's been an enormous privilege to lead Cumbernauld Theatre through one of the most transformative chapters in its history. 'Embarking on a mission to leave behind the Cottage Theatre and launch Lanternhouse from raising funds for capital fit-out to designing the systems and processes that underpin our daily operations, this journey has always been about building something bold, inclusive, and community-driven. 'Together, we have launched an original cinema programme, expanded our community engagement and live performance programme, and developed an innovative collaborative theatre producing model that places artists, staff, and local voices at the heart of professional performance development. 'While recent months have been challenging, recognising the need for change and welcoming in the new interim chief executive, Patricia Stead, and a task force led by Jim Hollington, marks an important and positive next step. 'I feel confident that I am leaving the organisation with the capacity to work successfully with key stakeholders Creative Scotland and North Lanarkshire Council and secure the long-term future of the theatre. 'I leave with enormous pride in what we've built – a creative, open-hearted organisation committed to empowering people through the arts. I know the team will continue to take that work forward with integrity and imagination, and I will always be cheering Cumbernauld Theatre on.' Mr Caldwell said: 'We are delighted that someone of the calibre and with the enormous experience that Patricia has is able to join and lead the organisation through this period. 'We have accepted that our application for multi-year funding was not successful, and we understand the reasons why and that this decision will not be changed. 'However, we still believe, and we know that our communities rely on the belief, that there could be a brilliant future for this organisation, one in which it continues the vital and longstanding work it has been delivering with and for its important communities. 'We are working with a team of external experts led by Jim Hollington to support us in exploring the possible models and ways forward to secure a successful and vibrant future for this organisation.' Ms Stead said: 'Cumbernauld Theatre Trust is an indisputably vital resource for its communities and an important contributor to the broader theatre ecology in Scotland. 'The respect and affection for its work has been strongly demonstrated in the outpouring of support from audiences, the arts sector, across the political spectrum and from its local community. 'This theatre means so much to so many and its future currently hangs in the balance. I look forward to joining the excellent and very experienced team and working with them to harness its award-winning reputation, its passionate support and its vision for its future in order for us all to enjoy its success for many years to come.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Tourist tax targeted as Edinburgh festivals raise 'stagnation' fears
She suggested some were still in a 'precarious' position despite securing new long-term Scottish Government funding earlier this year. Read more: In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Ms Anderson suggested that Edinburgh's proposed new visitor levy - which will be introduced just before next year's summer festivals - was a 'huge opportunity' to help event organisers move from 'survival mode to thriving". Ms Anderson is the third director of the organisation Festivals Edinburgh, which was launched in 2007 to help secure the capital's status as the world's leading 'festival city". Lori Anderson is the director of Festivals Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) Ms Anderson works with 11 of the city's annual festivals, including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, the Tattoo, Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, and the city's celebrations of jazz, film, visual art, science, storytelling, children's entertainment and books. Ms Anderson revealed that the 'scale and ambition' of some festival programmes had already had to be reduced as a result of lower-than-hoped-for Scottish Government funding, particularly for this year's events. Lori Anderson is director of Festivals Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) She suggested that the new Scottish Government funding deals announced by its arts agency, Creative Scotland, in January had not reversed the impact of prolonged standstill funding, which dated back as far as the 2008 global financial crash. Ms Anderson said: 'Edinburgh's festivals are finally in a more stable position after been in crisis mode for a good few years now with significant budget cuts, the pandemic and negotiating Brexit. 'But most of the festivals did not get as much as they wanted for their multi-year funding programmes and the timing of the announcement was much later than expected, which is making 2025 a difficult year. A number of festivals have had to adjust their scale and ambition of their programmes. The Edinburgh International Book Festival relocated last year to a new home at the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Picture: Edinburgh International Book Festival 'Looking ahead to the future, they are really at a bit of a crossroads now. They have a bit of stability at the moment, but their funding is always precarious and always a challenge.' The Scottish Government committed an additional £40m for Creative Scotland's multi-year funding programme, however this is being rolled out over two years. The Edinburgh International Festival's annual funding has increased from £2.3m to £3.25m this year, with a further £1m increase to come in 2026-27. The book festival's annual funding will has gone up from £306,000 to £520,000 this year and will rise a further £160,000 next year, while the art festival's funding is going up from £100,000 to £130,000 then £170,000 over the same period. Two of the city's most high-profile festivals, the Fringe and Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival, do not have long-term funding from the Scottish Government or Creative Scotland. Texan rope performer 'Duke Loopin' on the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Picture: Gordon Terris Ms Anderson added: 'Creative Scotland's funding announcement was really welcome, but that doesn't mean that everyone is really settled now. 'The fire-fighting has subdued a bit and it has provided a bit of stability, but some of the festivals are still in quite a precarious position. The Edinburgh International Film Festival has been running since 1947. 'I think the two directions the festivals could go in from this crossroads moment are either stagnation or ambition. 'There are some opportunities ahead which mean they can start to think more about their future ambitions now, a couple of years ahead of their 80th anniversary. Lori Anderson is director of Festivals Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'We don't want to see the stagnation of the festivals. We want to see them thrive and not just be in survival mode.' Edinburgh's long-planned visitor levy, which is also known as a 'tourist tax,' will be introduced by the city council just days before the main summer festival season gets underway in 2026. Anyone booking accommodation from October 1 will be liable to pay the new five per cent levy, which will be capped for visits of up to five nights. The council, which has predicted the new levy will raise up to £50m a year by 2028, and has pledged that it will be 'reinvested directly into initiatives that benefit residents and enhance visitor experiences.' Ms Anderson described the visitor levy as a 'really exciting opportunity' to secure the future of the festivals. But she warned there was a risk of the city 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' if event organisers and their artists had to pay the extra charge but did not see it reinvested in the festivals. Ms Anderson said: 'The festivals are really entrepreneurial when it comes to looking at creative ways to raise income and being financially sustainable. 'The big challenge for them at the moment is around the cost of doing business in Edinburgh. 'It is an expensive place to live, work and visit and to put on a festival. In particular, there are very high accommodation costs at the moment. 'Visitors, performers and festivals that support the accommodation costs of their artists will have to pay the visitor levy when it comes in. 'But I think it's actually a really exciting opportunity. It's a huge moment for Edinburgh to think holistically and have significant investment across the whole city. It's a moment to be looking forward to and planning for. 'We would hope that, given the contribution that the festivals make to the city, some of the visitor levy income would come back to them, otherwise it would just be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.' Under the council's current spending plans, 35% of the money raised via the levy will be ringfenced for culture, heritage and events, although detailed proposals have not yet been agreed by councillors. Ms Anderson said: 'A lot of the festivals are keen to look at investing in their programmes. It could make a huge difference to enable longer-term planning. 'But there is also a huge opportunity to take a strategic approach to the whole city. 'We could see some really exciting projects to the fore to improve infrastructure and connectivity around the city and really help to invest in our cultural organisations, venues and attractions. There's lots to be looking forward to there.' Ms Anderson said the long-term funding secured by many of Edinburgh's festivals earlier this year needed to be the 'start of a new conversation' about how they are supported by the Scottish and UK governments, and the city council. She added: 'Edinburgh's festivals make a huge contribution socially, culturally and economically to Edinburgh, Scotland and the UK. We need to value them and support them with the resources that are needed to maintain and develop them. 'The festivals are second only in scale to an Olympic Games. You have to think about the support and resources are put into an Olympic Games. The festivals have survived for nearly 80 years. They're something that the city, Scotland and the whole of the UK should be incredibly proud of. They're a huge asset, which makes a really significant social, economic and cultural contribution. 'They are joyful, they are inspirational, they are diverse, they happen all year round and they change year-on-year. 'We want to see them supported in order to take forward their ambitions, to continue to represent Scotland and be something that we are incredibly proud of.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scale of arts sector abuse, bullying and harassment exposed
The Scottish Trade Union Congress study more found that one in three had not been paid for freelance work they had carried out, 69 per cent had experiences of being paid late and 83 per cent had a seen a real-terms fall in their earnings in recent years. Read more: Its report into the research highlights widespread concerns over the behaviour of individuals, including unwanted sexual advances, physical assault, 'yelling and swearing at staff' and the 'mistreatment of freelance artists to the point of tears.' The STUC said its findings suggested that organisations had been "slow to act" when concerns had been raised by workers, adding that it had received accounts of organisations "prioritising their own reputation or fear of legal action over supporting those who experienced harassment or bullying." The report on 'worker exploitation' also found that almost a third of arts-industry workers had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) asking them not to talk about work. The STUC said there was a 'clear indication' that these agreements were being used to discourage or prevent individuals from reporting unethical or inappropriate conduct. Other key findings included 46 per cent of workers losing work or pay after falling ill, or taken maternity or bereavement leave. Almost three quarters of those surveyed said had rarely or never had access to a clear and accessible complaints and appeal process when carrying out freelance work. The STUC said the report made it 'abundantly clear' that, despite the Scottish Government's commitment to the country being a leading 'fair work' nation, the rights of arts industry workers were being 'ridden roughshod' by shoddy employers and poor employment practices The report urges the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland to agree minimum terms and conditions people on freelance contracts should expect, and for Creative Scotland to get a specific remit in future to support artists and workers, and monitor and enforce 'bad working practices.' Just over 800 creative industries workers were surveyed in March and April of this year. The report found 53 of them had experienced or seen bullying, abuse or sexual harassment at work. The research states: 'Respondents described direct instances of sexual harassment, including unwanted sexual advances, being offered work in exchange for sexual favours, sexual and derogatory remarks on set, and physical assault. 'Bullying behaviour was also prevalent, ranging from yelling and swearing at staff, mistreatment of freelance artists to the point of tears, threats of disclosing confidential information, manipulation of governance procedures, and intimidation. 'Some instances highlighted the abuse of power by individuals in leadership positions, such as heads of organisations and directors.' One respondent said: 'I have worked for many years and several times I have either been offered work in exchange for sexual favours or witnessed similar situations with other people.' Another said: 'I have personally witnessed employees being yelled and sworn at by the director of a publicly funded arts organisation where I worked as an employee. I have also personally witnessed visiting freelance artists being mistreated to the point of tears in the same organisation. 'I have also heard of staff being throttled and yelled at by a director at another publicly funded arts organisation.' STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: 'Fair work means fair work. It doesn't mean, as our report found, hundreds of workers being subject to bullying, sexual harassment and abuse within a sector built upon precarity and inequality. 'The Scottish Government must take seriously our findings and hear the voices of Scotland's creative workers if we are to protect and enhance their livelihoods. 'We all want to make fair work a reality but that cannot be done whilst the rights of creative workers continue to be ridden roughshod by shoddy employers and poor employment practices.' Musicians' Union regional organiser Caroline Sewell said: 'Whilst this report will read as somewhat shocking for many, sadly there won't be many surprises for those working in the creative industries in Scotland who are acutely aware of these issues which this report holds up to the light. 'It is clear from the findings of this report that freelance musicians, and other creative workers are being routinely undervalued, underpaid, and mistreated in an industry that simply could not function without them.' A spokesperson for the Scottish Artists Union said: 'We knew from our own surveys, and ongoing casework, that freelance artists in the visual arts and applied arts sectors have been experiencing significant exploitation and discrimination. 'We had hoped that other parts of the arts and culture sectors were faring a bit better - however as the report shows it is a bleak picture across the board. 'Everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome at work. Everyone should be standing up against bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and discrimination in our workplaces. 'It is vitally important that freelance workers are given the same protections as employed workers."
The Independent
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Aye Write festival to return in November
The Aye Write book festival is to return in full in November after a programme of pop-up events last year following funding issues. This year's festival will take place across 11 days from Thursday November 6 until Sunday November 16 as the event celebrates its 20th anniversary. Wee Write, a book festival entirely for children and young people, will return in March 2026. Last year's festival was cancelled after Creative Scotland turned down its bid for funding. However, a series of pop-up events was held, boosted by a £65,000 donation from a charitable foundation set up by late EuroMillions winner Colin Weir. This year, Glasgow Life was awarded £262,500 from Creative Scotland's 2025-28 Multi-Year Fund for the delivery of Aye Write in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Bailie Annette Christie, chairwoman of Glasgow Life, said: 'We're really looking forward to the return of Aye Write this year and marking an incredible 20 years of Glasgow's much-loved celebration of books, storytelling, and the love of reading. 'We are grateful to Creative Scotland for their support and our festival team is busy planning an inspiring and diverse programme of pop-up and festival events. 'We can't wait to welcome readers, writers and book lovers back to Aye Write over the coming months and during November.' In the lead-up to this year's Aye Write, the festival will host a series of pop-up events again, the first of which will be Liam McIlvanney in conversation with Scottish literature expert Dr Valentina Bold. He will be discussing his new psychological thriller The Good Father in the event at the Mitchell Library on Thursday July 31. Tickets for this event are on sale now and available from The wider programme for Aye Write 2025 as well as ticket and venue information will be unveiled in the coming months.
Glasgow Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow's Aye Write book festival set to return in 2025
Organisers Glasgow Life have now revealed that the literary bash will celebrate its milestone 20th anniversary across 11 days from Thursday, November 6 until Sunday, November 16, ahead of Book Week Scotland taking place later in the month. However, the junior version – Wee Write – will not return until March 2026. In the lead up to this year's Aye Write, the festival will again host a series of pop-up events. The first of these, Liam McIlvanney in conversation with Scottish literature expert Dr Valentina Bold, inspired by his new psychological thriller The Good Father, will take place at The Mitchell Library on Thursday 31 July. The book festival is returning after a year's absence (Image: NQ) Tickets for this event are on sale now and available from The wider programme for Aye Write 2025 as well as ticket and venue information will be unveiled in the coming months. Aye Write is produced by Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture, events and active living in Glasgow, with support from Creative Scotland. In January this year, Glasgow Life was awarded £262,500 from Creative Scotland's 2025-28 Multi-Year Fund for the delivery of Aye Write in 2025, 2026 and 2027. READ MORE: 10 firms in the Glasgow area named for not paying National Minimum Wage Opening date revealed for global retailers brand-new Braehead store Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: 'We're really looking forward to the return of Aye Write this year and marking an incredible 20 years of Glasgow's much-loved celebration of books, storytelling, and the love of reading. 'We are grateful to Creative Scotland for their support and our festival team is busy planning an inspiring and diverse programme of pop-up and festival events.
