What is Creative Scotland?
Creative Scotland invests public money into the arts and creative industries for the benefit of everyone in Scotland.
It is a ‘non-departmental public body’, which means it has a role in the process of national government but is not part of a government department. The other UK nations have their own, separate ‘Arts Councils’.
How is it funded?
In this year’s Creative Scotland budget1:
- About two-thirds of income comes from the Scottish Government
- About one-third of income comes from the National Lottery.
How much does the Scottish Government spend on Creative Scotland?
In 2023-4, the Scottish Government’s spending on Creative Scotland was £10.15 per person for the year, or 20p per week.2 That was equivalent to 0.07% of total public spending per person in Scotland.3
In December 2024 – following months of campaigning and a petition backed by thousands of supporters of the Campaign for the Arts – the Scottish Government announced that it would increase funding for Creative Scotland from £66.5m in 2024-5 to £89m in 2025-6, and that £20m of the increase would go towards the Multi-Year Funding programme for cultural organisations4.
How much is Creative Scotland now going to invest in cultural organisations?
251 organisations have been successful in their applications to the Multi-Year Funding programme. They will receive a share of £60m in 2025-6, rising to £74m in 2026-7 and 2027-8.
A further 13 organisations will receive a share of £3.2m to enable them to develop in 2025-6, with a view to them joining the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026-7.
In total, over £200m will be invested over the next three years.
Is this a good result?
The last time Creative Scotland made new multi-year funding commitments was in 2018. Then, 184 organisations applied with a combined request of £154m. 121 organisations (66%) were successful and collectively they were awarded £101.6m (66% of the total requested).5 The median average grant was £550,000.
This time, 361 organisations applied with a combined request of £288m.6 251 organisations (70%) have been successful and collectively they will receive at least £200.2m (70% of the total requested).7 The median average grant is £508,918 – 7% smaller, but the number of organisations receiving grants is 107% bigger.
The 70% success rate is higher than in the last comparable funding rounds by the Arts Councils of England and Wales. In England, 57% of applicants were funded with 66% of the total financial ask.8 In Wales, 68% of applicants were funded with 55% of the total financial ask.9
Who will receive Creative Scotland's multi-year funding?
44% of organisations are already receiving multi-year funding from Creative Scotland now. They will receive an average uplift of 34% in 2025-6, increasing to an average of 54% from 2026-7.
The majority of organisations (56%) are new to multi-year funding.
Here is the full list of organisations. Search by your local authority to see organisations in your area.
What will this funding enable?
Every organisation will have applied to Creative Scotland to do different things, but generally speaking, regular public investment will make a big difference to:
- Viability. The costs of putting on events and maintaining companies of people often far exceeds the income obtainable from ticket sales. This has been especially true since the pandemic, and in the wake of rising inflation. Creative Scotland's investment helps to close the gap, and makes things happen.
- Accessibility. Ticket prices are generally lower than they would be without public investment. Organisations can use their funding to subsidise and widen access to more and new people.
- Quality. By creating space at one remove from commercial pressures, public funding can allow artists to take risks and make the leaps that challenge us to think differently – one of the great benefits of the arts to society.
- Sustainability. Public funding is important where longer term investment is required – anything from the initial cost of a new venue to the infrastructure of trained staff that keep visitors safe and happy.
Does Creative Scotland only invest in organisations? What about individual artists?
Creative Scotland’s regular funding of organisations is only one strand of their funding, but a significant strand. In 2025-6, 67% of Creative Scotland's funding from the Scottish Government will be invested in organisations through the Multi-Year Funding programme.
Individual artists are often supported through Creative Scotland-funded organisations, and they can also apply for direct funding through the 'Open Fund for Individuals’. These funds are awarded on a rolling basis, rather than every three years.
What do you think?
We'd love to hear your thoughts on Creative Scotland's decisions and the impacts they may have in your local area. Please click here to send us your thoughts.
- Creative Scotland Annual Plan, pg 16[↩]
- Creative Scotland Annual Accounts and ONS mid-year population estimates[↩]
- Public spending by country and region[↩]
- Budget update statement, Creative Scotland[↩]
- Regular Funding 2018-21 FAQs, Creative Scotland[↩]
- Creative Scotland Annual Plan, pg 11[↩]
- Total of ‘Multi-Year Funding Award 25-28 (£)’ in MYF – 251 Portfolio Organisations[↩]
- 2023-26 Investment Programme: Budget confirmation and application figures, Arts Council England[↩]
- Investment Review 2023, Arts Council of Wales[↩]