Publication - FOI/EIR release

Breakdown of arts and culture spend: FOI release

Published: 17 December 2024
Directorate: Culture and Major Events Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills
FOI reference: FOI/202400438271
Date received: 28 October 2024
Date responded: 22 November 2024

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Information requested

(a) the total amount of money that the Scottish Government has spent on arts and culture for every year since 2020/21 and

(b) a breakdown of this spend by geographical region. I have interpreted your ask to cover the funding that the Scottish Government provides through Creative Scotland, Museums Galleries Scotland, Scottish Library and Information Council and directly to the Scottish Youth Theatre, Sistema Scotland and the National Performing Companies.

Response

The information that you requested under part (a) (the total amount of money that the Scottish Government has spent on arts and culture for every year since 2020/2021) is available from the Scottish Government website at the links below:

2020/2021: Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - select Budget 2020-21 Tables and then CTEA tab.

2021/2022: Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - select Budget 2021-22 Tables and see rows 308- 313

2022/2023: Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - select Scottish Budget: 2022-23 - Level 4 Data and select Constitution, External Affairs & Culture

2023/2024: Scottish Budget: 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - select Scottish Budget: 2023-24- Level 4 Data and select CEAC

2024/2025: Supporting documents - Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - select Scottish Budget: 2024-25- Level 4 Data and select CEAC

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

In relation to part (b) of your request - a breakdown of the Scottish Government's spend by geographical region I have broken down my response by organisation:

Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland publish in their Annual Reviews a breakdown of the total geographical spread of their funding which is combined Scottish Government and National Lottery funding. This information is available online at the following links:

Annual Review 2020/21 | Creative Scotland ( see page 28)
Annual Review 2021/22 | Creative Scotland ( see page 25)
Annual Review 2022/23 | Creative Scotland (see page 30)

Information on geographical spread specifically of Scottish Government funding:

Regularly Funded Organisations:

This information is available online at the following link: Regular Funding Network 2018-21 | Creative Scotland

Screen Scotland:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of geographical spread of funding to Screen Scotland. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact Creative Scotland at enquiries@creativescotland.com who may be able to help you.

Culture Collective:

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested at annex A to this letter.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of geographical spread of funding for Culture Collective in 2023/2024. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Festivals funding:

All funding through the PLACE festivals programme goes to festivals that take place in Edinburgh. In relation to EXPO, this funding is split between festivals taking place in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The funding breakdown for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 by region is set out below:

Festival	2020-21	2021-22
CELTIC CONNECTIONS	125,834	110,000
GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL	100,000	100,000
EDINBURGH ART FESTIVAL	135,834	135,000
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL	100,000	120,000
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL	75,000	50,000
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE	560,000	550,000
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CHILDRENS FESTIVAL	105,834	115,000
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL	100,000	95,000
EDINBURGH JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL	115,834	120,000
EDINBURGH SCIENCE FESTIVAL	150,000	140,000
SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL	85,834	120,000
HOGMANAY	150,000	145,000
FESTIVALS EDINBURGH	£200,000	200,000

TOTAL (£)	2,000,000	£2,000,000

Information is available online at the following links for 2022/2023 onwards:

2022/2023: Support for Scotland’s international festivals - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

2023/2024: £1.8 million for Scotland’s world-class arts festivals - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

2024/2025: Festivals Expo Fund: £1.7 million Awarded to Cultural Festivals Enabling International Opportunities for Artists and Creatives | Creative Scotland

Youth Music Initiative:

Covid19 emergency funding and recovery funding

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of geographical spread of funding provided by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland in 2020/2021 financial year to support the culture sector during the pandemic and in their recovery from the pandemic . The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

National Performing Companies

The five National Performing Companies - the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Scottish Ballet, the Scottish Opera and National Theatre of Scotland receive direct funding from the Scottish Government.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of the spread of funding to the five National Performing Companies by geographical region. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact the National Performing Companies who may be able to help you. Their contact emails are as follows:

Royal Scottish National Orchestra - info@rsno.org.uk
Scottish Chamber Orchestra - info@sco.org.uk
Scottish Ballet - Feedback@scottishballet.co.uk
National Theatre of Scotland - info@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Scottish Opera - feedback@scottishopera.org.uk

Sistema Scotland

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

2020/2021 - Information in Annex B
2021/2022 - Information in Annex C
2022/2023 - Information in Annex D

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of the funding for Sistema Scotland by geographical region for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because this information is not yet available.

Creative Communities

Creative Communities supported 46 projects between 2020 and 2022, in 17 local authorities; East Dumbartonshire, West Dumbartonshire, Dundee, Glasgow City, Clackmannanshire, Renfrewshire, Na h- Eileanan Siar, Dumfries and Galloway, Highland, Perth and Kinross, Falkirk, Fife, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, North Lanarkshire, Argyll and Bute and Inverclyde.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of geographical spread of funding provided by the Scottish Government to Creative Communities. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked forbecause the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact Inspiring Scotland at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk who may be able to help you.

Museums Galleries Scotland

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of the spread of funding to Museums Galleries Scotland by geographical region. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact Museums Galleries Scotland at Admin@museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk who may be able to help you. Their email address is:

Scottish Library and Information Council

Covid19 Relief Fund

The Scottish Government provided £1.25 million in November 2021 for a Public Library COVID Relief Fund supported 23 projects around the country to re-connect communities with their libraries. A breakdown of this fund by Local Authority is available at the link below: Lifeline for libraries - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Public Library Improvement Fund

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under sections 21(information already reasonably accessible) and section 22 (information intended for future publication) of FOISA applies to that information. our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under sections 21(information already reasonably accessible) and section 22 (information intended for future publication) of FOISA applies to that information.

Information on the Public Library Improvement Fund for 2021/2022 and the first phase of awards for 2023/2024 by local authority is freely available at the links below:
2021/2022 - Scottish Government support for library projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
2023/2024- Supporting new public libraries projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Arts Alive
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of geographical spread of funding provided by the Scottish Government to Creative Communities. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact the Scottish Book Trust at info@scottishbooktrust.com who may be able to help you.

Scottish Youth Theatre
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have breakdown of geographical spread of funding provided by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Youth Theatre. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact the Scottish Youth Theatre at enquiries@scottishyouththeatre.org who may be able to help you.

About FOI

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