Tag: financial pressures

‘Warm words do not support our vital cultural life and creativity’

Fringe Society publishes its review of the year 2024

Today, Tuesday 26 November 2024, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society publishes its review of the year 2024, outlining its activities over the past 12 months. These include the Society’s core services to artists, as well as the work it undertakes year-round to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.

This year the Fringe maintained its unique position in the world as one of the most important performing arts expos on the planet. Over 1,800 arts industry delegates came to the festival to see, book and buy work for opportunities such as onward touring and broadcast potential. 

Artists from 60 countries performed across 3,746 shows in 262 venues and some 900 accredited media wrote about the festival and reviewed work. 

Along with the success of this year’s festival there continue to be significant concerns regarding the cost and availability of affordable accommodation in Edinburgh, pressures on the supply chain, and an unhelpful policy environment; all exacerbating the already fragile cultural economy of the Fringe.

At the close of this year’s Fringe, Fringe Society Chief Executive Shona McCarthy penned an open letter outlining the many challenges faced by the sector and its thousands of artists, supporting the no art without artists campaign by Scottish creatives.

The Fringe Society also supports the current #InvestInCulture campaign from Scotland’s cultural sector, which seeks to increase the Scottish Government’s budget contributions of national spend on culture from 0.5% to match or exceed the European average investment in culture of 1.5%.

The challenges facing the Fringe Society, the Festival Fringe and the Scottish arts sector can only be overcome with long-term collaborative, sustainable action and investment. 

As such, in a new development for this annual publication, the 2024 review of the year has been designed as a launchpad for further discussion. 

In Shona McCarthy’s last review of the year before stepping down as Chief Executive, the Fringe Society invites potential funders, partners, sponsors and those who benefit from the economics of the Fringe to engage with them now and help ensure the sustainability of this unique event into the next 77 years.

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: ‘This year’s review is an invitation for discussion and to find solutions for the future of this amazing festival and expo. 

“The whole sector needs action and investment and so does the Fringe. As the most influential and important performing arts marketplace in the world, the Fringe is crucial for the whole cultural ecosystem, not only for local, UK and international artists, but for the thousands of arts industry and media delegates who come here every year to view work, and source content for their own theatres, festivals and platforms. 

“Warm words do not support our vital cultural life and creativity.  Warm words do not provide platforms for Fringe artists on a global stage.  Warm words do not help communities and audiences experience an event of global significance, on an Olympic scale, on their own doorstep. 

“Now is the time to step up and work collaboratively to secure the future of this signature event for Scotland.  After nearly ten years at the helm of the Fringe Society, I urge our public funders, our potential sponsors and partners, and those who have the influence, to turn words into action and sustainability for the sector and for this iconic event for the next decade.’

Benny Higgins, Chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: ‘Against an increasingly difficult policy environment and ongoing financial pressures, I congratulate Shona and the entire Fringe Society team on all that they have achieved this year. 

“Artist support remains at the core of the work of the Fringe Society and the team work tirelessly to ensure this festival can continue.

“This isn’t easy work but is vital to ensure artists can continue to create and share their creativity that we all benefit from.’ 

2024 Fringe Society Review of the YearDownload

£150,000 Award for Civic Arts Organisations open for applications

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation opens applications for £150,000 Award for Civic Arts Organisations

Cultural organisations across the United Kingdom have been invited to apply for the £150,000 Award for Civic Arts Organisations, run by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. 

This year’s award is themed around ‘Co-Creating the Future’. It spotlights organisations that are helping to transform communities, even in the most challenging of contexts – whether by igniting joy, hope, compassion and energy, improving wellbeing, forging new connections, or developing solutions.

The Award for Civic Arts Organisations began in 2020, as a response to the Covid19 pandemic. This year, many arts organisations still face difficulties: according to Arts Council Wales, the costs of staging cultural activities have risen by as much as 40 per cent. The Award offers prize funding of £150,000, one of the largest amounts for an award in the arts.

Louisa Hooper, Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch), said: “The Award for Civic Arts Organisations is designed to support cultural projects that put community at their hearts. In difficult times, it’s more important than ever that art and culture are available to everyone.

“By prioritising co-creation, this year we’re looking to recognise organisations that create lasting change by working with and in communities to address their needs and concerns, deepen relationships, and use arts and creativity to enable positive change.”

Previous recipients of the award include The Art House in Wakefield, which created the first studio sanctuary for asylum seekers in the UK, Project Art Works, a collective of neurodivergent artists and activists based in Hastings, and Heart n Soul and the Museum of Homelessness, both based in London.

Baroness Bull, chair of the Award panel, said: “The Award for Civic Arts Organisations is vitally important in encouraging and rewarding genuine engagement and co-creation with local communities.

“In the years since the award was founded, we’ve seen hundreds of entries from organisations across the UK demonstrating a commitment to changing lives through art.”

Sydney Thornbury, CEO of The Art House in Wakefield, highlights the impact the award can have for organisations themselves: “The stability the Award provided combined with these new funding opportunities has deepened the work we were already doing and has opened up new opportunities for how we can further extend our civic impact.”

The independent panel of judges are Darren Ferguson, CEO/Founder, Beyond Skin; Ica Headlam, Founder, We Are Here Scotland; Philipp Dietachmair, Head of Programmes, European Cultural Foundation; Rachel Noel, Head of Programmes and Partnerships, Tate; Rhiannon White, Co-Artistic Director, Common Wealth Theatre; Saad Eddine Said, CEO/Artistic Director, New Art Exchange; and Sydney Thornbury, CEO/Artistic Director, The Art House (main recipient of 2022 Award).

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK Branch, founded in 1956, was one of the earliest champions of community engagement in the arts.

In 1959, it published the seminal report Help For The Arts, which pioneered ideas including artists and writers in residence in non-artistic institutions, and arguing for more focused and sustained funding for arts organisations outside London and the major cities.

‘Perfect storm’ of financial pressure facing Scotland’s cultural sector

A ‘perfect storm’ of financial pressure is being faced by Scotland’s cultural sector. This is the warning from the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.

In a report published this week, Holyrood’s Committee looks ahead to the Scottish Government’s 2023-24 budget and the impact of budgetary decisions on Scotland’s culture sector. It calls on increased urgency to address budget pressures through innovative approaches to funding.

The report underlines recommendations made by the Committee during previous budget scrutiny. It calls for these innovate approaches to be accelerated in order to address the difficulties being faced.

During its consideration, the Committee heard the challenges facing that sector have become more acute as it struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and further compounded by the cost of living crisis following on from longer term budget pressures. The Committee has recommended taking an innovative approach to budgeting including greater use of public and private investment as well as multiyear funding.

The Committee also repeats its call from last year for the mainstreaming of the culture budget. It also asks the Scottish Government for updates on embedding culture more broadly as part its plans for a wellbeing economy.  This would take into account the contribution which preventative spend in areas like the arts and other cultural activities makes towards health and wellbeing.

Speaking as the report launched, the Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP said: “Scotland’s cultural sector plays a vital role in Scottish life. But we heard blunt warnings from those within the sector that stark choices lie ahead.

“Increased operating costs come at a time when most cultural venues are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and without truly innovative approaches to funding, there is a real danger that Scotland’s skilled cultural workforce will be lost along with some of our best loved cultural icons.

“There are no doubt considerable pressures across all areas of the Scottish Government budget, and there are no easy choices. But the current situation provides an opportunity to accelerate these innovative solutions. The Scottish Government must take action to protect this fundamental part of our society.”

Prezzo pledges to feed thousands of vulnerable people and families on low incomes this Christmas

  • Prezzo and Feeding Britain are working together to bring platefuls to those who need it the most this Christmas. 
  • As part of the “Love Every Moment This Christmas” campaign, Prezzo is celebrating local heroes who have done outstanding work over the last year to give them a chance to create new memories with loved ones this Christmas

Hunger has no place in the 21st century. With research showing that 3 million children go hungry during the school holidays due to the loss of free school meals* and the additional financial pressure during the Christmas period, many can find it hard to relax and celebrate with loved ones during the festive period.

That’s why Prezzo has partnered with Feeding Britain, a leading charity that helps provide meals to vulnerable people and families on low income, to provide an additional 15,000 meals and create special moments for everyone this Christmas. 

To support the “Love Every Moment This Christmas” campaign, Prezzo and Feeding Britain are inviting everyone to get involved in two ways.

Firstly, you can nominate unsung heroes within your community who have done amazing things over the last 12 months and deserve to be celebrated. Maybe they delivered meals or helped raise vital funds, or they went above and beyond to help look after vulnerable people during the pandemic.

Simply visit https://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/christmas/heroes to nominate and share an inspiring story of someone special for their chance to receive VIP treatment at their local Prezzo with friends & family

If you’re not able to nominate a local hero, but would love to still show your support, you can visit https://feedingbritain.org/donations/prezzo/ to donate and help Feeding Britain and Prezzo provide more meals for vulnerable people in the UK – all from as little as £2!

Karen Jones, Chairman at Prezzo said “Last year, we didn’t get the chance to make Christmas memories with family, friends and loved ones. This year will be different. We’re delighted that this Christmas we will be able to welcome and celebrate with our customers! 

“That’s why we want to help bring our communities together and allow them to make new memories and love every moment. We’re delighted to be working with Feeding Britain to celebrate local heroes and to be raising vital funds for the incredible work that they do across the UK.”

Andrew Forsey, National Director at Feeding Britain says “We are enormously grateful to Prezzo for their generous support which will add massively to our ability to help families in need this Christmas.”