'We need bread and roses': Artists say creative industry must be prioritised

It comes after it was announced the Aye Write festival would be saved, but scaled-back.

Published 18th Apr 2024

One of the performers for this year's rescued Aye Write festival says many other scheduled artists will be devastated by the scaled-down event.

Organisers of Glasgow festival last month cancelled this year's event after arts body Creative Scotland turned down its bid for cash, sparking an outcry from leading literary figures and politicians.

However, the literary event was saved from cancellation by a last-minute donation by the Colin Weir Foundation, which offered up £65,000 to allow some parts of the event to go ahead.

Authors Lionel Shriver and David Nicholls and actors Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson will be among those appearing, while Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon will be in conversation with crime writer Val McDermid.

'People are leaving careers before they've even started'

Damian Barr is a Scottish writer whose event 'Maggie & Me' is one of those still going ahead in this years Aye Write festival - he says it is a shock and a 'scandal' for fellow creatives who will no longer participate.

The author says funding cuts across the sector make it a difficult industry to thrive in.

He said: "It's a really hard time to be making art right now, whether you're making music or comedy, whether you're making pictures or whether you're making books.

"Funding is being cut across the board and it's starting to have an impact.

"People are leaving careers before they've even really started, people are reporting increased problems with mental health.

"There's a sense that to be able to do the job that you've trained for, worked hard for, saved for and put your whole life into - that you somehow have to be the very best of the very best.

"But not all artists are going to be Picasso, not all writers will be Alice Walker or Tolstoy, but I think that we risk losing a great deal of diversity if we don't develop artists."

'We need bread and roses'

He added: "I think Scotland could take a really leading role in this.

"I see lots of funding being made available for sporting events which we know have brilliant value for people's mental health, for community, for cohesion.

"Arts do the same and arts deserves to be a priority.

"It's not an indulgence, it's not an extra We need bread and roses.

"We know how valuable the arts are economy, to our communities an to us as individuals.

"Whether that's enjoying a book, going to a gallery or turning on the telly and watching a program - that has been made by designers, writers producers directors.

"All these people who also work in the arts so I do think that Scotland could take a leading role in making the arts at the heart of the countries, wellness and economic strategy."

Calls for crisis summit

Earlier this week, there was a call for a crisis summit on the future of arts and culture festivals.

Scottish Labour said events will go under, unless there is more support from the Scottish Government.

Creative Scotland says currently, it can only back around a third of the applications it receives.

The Scottish Government says culture sector funding has gone up from nearly £16 million to almost £200 million this financial year.

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