Cora Bissett protests Scottish Government funding cuts

Artist across the Edinburgh Festivals have made protest speeches opposing the Scottish Government funding cuts

Transcript

00:00I'm Cora Vista, I'm the director of the show. Well done team.

00:05Thank you for supporting your work.

00:07There are 3,000 shows on offer at this festival, choosing this Scottish work.

00:12Can you all hear me okay?

00:16However, I do want to talk about something critically important,

00:19and I promise it won't keep you for more than a minute and a half.

00:22Feel free to turn your phones on, feel free to record this and share it.

00:25I want the news to be out here.

00:27Amidst the joy and celebration of the live performances this month in Edinburgh,

00:32the Scottish theatre community has been given devastating news.

00:36Myself and other Scottish theatre makers today are using the platform we have,

00:41which is stages around the city, to make you aware of this and the crushing impact it will have.

00:48New work in Scotland doesn't appear out of thin air.

00:51We have a vibrant culture in Scotland, making work in every art form for decades,

00:56which has been hailed across the world.

00:59One of the ways that we've been able to do this is through a fund called the Open Fund for Individuals.

01:04It's where an individual artist can ask for money when an idea is just a seed.

01:09It's where Charlene started with her idea, and she was able to draw the brilliant companies to her to get support for that.

01:17I should have said at the start of this, I'm speaking on behalf of myself and all other freelancers in the sector,

01:22I'm not speaking on behalf of the National Theatre of Scotland or FrisAid.

01:26I just have to say that just came out.

01:29This show wouldn't have been here without that start-up fund that Charlene was able to access.

01:35The Open Fund is an incubator for Scottish work at the fringe, and for all Scottish festivals.

01:41Without it, there might be festivals, festivals, but there'd be nothing to see at home.

01:47This week, Creative Scotland, our funding body, was forced to close this fund,

01:52but it officially closes next Friday at 2pm.

01:55It will be closed indefinitely due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm the £6.6 million that was promised to them.

02:04Wiping out this fund removes a lifeline, a lifeline for the freelance artists of Scotland.

02:10Many, many artists are saying they're going to just have to leave the profession, they just can't sustain.

02:15We are not going to stand by and accept this.

02:18We are demanding the Open Fund is reinstated, but we have until next Friday to do that.

02:25Once it's gone, it's gone.

02:28If you enjoy seeing Scottish work right here in Scotland, please support the artists living here, or we might not be here next year.

02:36You can do this by sharing pictures right now, videos of this, write to your MSPs, use this hashtag,

02:45hashtag NoArtWithoutArtists, feel free to photo this.

02:50You can look up campaignforthearts.org, there's a petition that's going to the Scottish Government.

02:56Time is critical, it really is.

02:59I'm not being overly dramatic, despite that being the business that we're in.

03:03This is our lifeline being cut, and we want to survive, and we want to keep making great work for you.

03:09So support Scottish artists, stop the cuts.

03:13Thank you very much.