A statement from the staff and board of Grid Iron Theatre Company.
Grid Iron are dismayed by Creative Scotland’s decision to close the Open Fund for Individual Artists. This fund provides critical support to individual artists, who in turn offer employment for collaborators on their projects. It is an essential part of the arts ecology of Scotland.
As a very lean company, with a core staff of three, Grid Iron relies hugely on the work of individual freelance artist whose livelihoods will be significantly affected by this cut. The cut will disproportionately affect authors, playwrights, fine artists, composers and others for whom an individual artistic endeavour is essential to the creative process, before sharing it with others, be that other artists or the wider public.
To announce this cut in the middle of the world’s biggest arts festival, an event the envy of the world over which is already hugely subsidised by the work of individual artists and which demonstrates so well the societal and economic impact that Scotland’s cultural sector has, beggars belief.
We call on Creative Scotland and The Scottish Government to work together immediately in order to reverse this decision and call further on the Scottish Government to re-assure Creative Scotland that funds will be put in place to support this critical sector.
We urge everyone to click on and sign the Open Letter attached. This letter should not just be from people who work in the arts but from everyone who loves, participates in and partakes of art and culture in all its many and wonderful forms.
PLEASE SIGN BY 4.30PM MONDAY 26TH AUGUST.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nIT2F0eeSLLpdTOb-0UYMZtqL34gj4MjR4RZTVt7HIQ/edit
