Creative Scotland pledges to free artists from bureaucracy
Andrew Dixon, chief executive of Creative Scotland, has pledged to free artists from bureaucracy by saying no to some funding requests more quickly, “in order to say yes to others”.
An amalgamation of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council the body receives a £60m annual grant to promote the arts. Acknowledging that this sum alone is insufficient for the task however Dixon is looking to harness this cash to leverage additional funding streams rather than provide sole financial backing to aspiring artists.
This could see Creative Scotland “devolving” power by handing money to outside consortiums and businesses in the public and private sectors. A move designed to attract further funding or tax breaks, rather than offering the money direct to artists.
Such thinking has been prompted by a planned spending review, although no decision has yet been made on future funding.