IT HAS to be said that the immediate prognosis for arts funding is not great, and with the London Olympics and Glasgow Commonwealth Games likely to swallow huge chunks of any available money for the next few years, the longer term scenario is not exactly rosy either.

The current doom and gloom over the world economic situation and likelihood of recession will doubtless lead to much belt-tightening in both government and business sectors, while Highland Council has its own well-publicised financial problems, with difficult decisions on funding priorities looming. The arts will inevitably feel the pinch.

Highland theatre has already suffered this year. The withdrawal of the Scottish Arts Council’s contribution to the Highlands and Islands Producers Fund has all but ensured that the fund – currently being maintained on a reduced basis for 2008-9 by HI~Arts through the funding contribution of HIE – is unlikely to continue beyond the current year.

The Producer’s Fund has supported both new and established companies in the area over the past nine years, and has made it possible for many companies to develop and mount new productions, and as a result have their work seen and assessed at a national level. Its likely loss is a blow.

In a more recent development, HIE has stopped the Touring Arts Fund as part of wider budgetary changes which has also impacted on a cultural support project for Inverness and Nairn. The Touring Arts Fund has helped local promoters by funding the specific costs of visiting companies working in the area for more than 20 years.

This benefited both incoming and area-based companies, and HI~Arts acknowledge that in the current climate they cannot rule out the possibility that there will be further losses of funding support when they come to negotiate their contract with HIE for 2009/10.

The loss of two key areas of long-term funding – at a time when Highlands and Islands companies have just scored notable successes at the Edinburgh Fringe – is a major concern, and the wider fear must be that it is a harbinger of things to come.

The Scottish Government, meanwhile, have confirmed their intention to proceed with setting up Creative Scotland, the new agency combining the functions of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. The initial bill to set up the new organisation fell when it was presented to the Scottish Parliament in June.

The proposed timetable envisages the appointment of a Board of Directors and Chief Executive by April 2009, with full statutory powers in place by 2010. Meanwhile, the Arts Council have recently published a new edition of Care, Diligence and Skill, their manual for Arts Boards. See Robert Livingston’s thoughts on the new edition.

On a cheerier note, the Inverness Gaelic Choir will get to go the ball, or at least, to have a ball in distant Cape Breton. The Choir lost their previous air travel to the Celtic Colours festival with the collapse of Zoom, but managed to find a sponsor, Barchester Healthcare, to cover the cost of new flights.

They hope to repay the money through their fund-raising effort, and have been assisted by donations from Highland Council and the Inverness Common Good Fund. We wish them a grand time at the festival.

Closer to home, Loopallu marked the end of the outdoor festival season, but Eden Court has both its Book Festival this month (see our interview with outgoing director Jason Rose) and Film Festival in November, while the well-established Blazin’ in Beauly event actually kicks off with a concert at Bogbain (12 October) which will double as an album launch for the new MacGregor, Brechin and O’hEadhra CD.

With this year’s National Mod imminent in Falkirk (10-18 October), we have chosen Donnie Munro’s article on Gaelic Culture from October 2003 as our From the Archive feature this month. Our Venue Profile features Findhorn’s Universal Hall, which has a new artistic director since our original profile ran in September 2003.

As usual, look out for more features and reviews in the course of the coming month.

Kenny Mathieson
Commissioning Editor, Northings

Kenny Mathieson lives and works in Boat of Garten, Strathspey. He studied American and English Literature at the University of East Anglia, graduating with a BA (First Class) in 1978, and a PhD in 1983. He has been a freelance writer on various arts-related subjects since 1982, and contributes to the Inverness Courier, The Scotsman, The Herald, The List, and other publications. He has contributed to numerous reference books, and has written books on jazz and Celtic music.