Open Letter Regarding Closure of Open Fund for Individuals

The closure of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals will have an immediate and serious impact on makers and the craft sector. Craft contributes significantly to the Scottish economy each year and internationally continues to be one of the most recognised aspects of Scottish culture. With over 2,000 small craft businesses and many more individual freelancers, the sector contributes to individual and community wellbeing and to the health of local economies across Scotland.  

This month alone, published research papers in the UK have evidenced the connection between culture and citizens’ wellbeing and happiness with the impact of participation in craft being bigger than the impact of being in employment, and the measurable impact of proximity to culture and heritage in driving higher life satisfaction. 

There are very few other funding opportunities for makers beyond the Creative Scotland Open Fund and the cost-of-living crisis is impacting on craft businesses and makers as consumers spend less. Added to this, organisations in the sector have seen their income reduce in a competitive funding climate and after years of standstill funding, which means fewer opportunities for employing freelancers or supporting makers’ projects and research. 

Craft Scotland, the national development agency for craft, calls on the Scottish Government to enable Creative Scotland to re-open this fund immediately allowing makers to continue to develop their craft businesses and creative practice – and keep playing a key role in Scotland’s civic life.  

This will be essential to rebuild trust in the Scottish Government’s Culture Strategy, evidencing the commitment to “the importance of culture to Scotland’s prosperity and recognition of the intrinsic value of culture and the power of culture to inspire, enrich and transform people’s lives, our communities and the places where we live [and] work”.   

Craft Scotland will continue to keep the sector informed as this situation develops. The Craft Scotland team are here to listen, and sign-post, for those affected by this announcement. Please email hello@craftscotland.org.   

Sandra Gunn, Chair  

Irene Kernan, Director