CEEAC pre-budget scrutiny: Funding for Culture 2026-27
Culture Counts have submitted evidence to the Scottish Parliament Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s culture budget for 2026-27.
The submission has been prepared in response to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s call for written evidence to inform the Committee’s vital work scrutinising spending plans for Scottish culture in the financial year 2026/27. We have sought to provide informed recommendations in relation to key areas of the Committe’s inquiry, as well as appending further evidence and analysis as appropriate.
A summary of our response and recommendations can be found below, followed by a link to download our full submission. Our evidence and recommendations for the 2025-26 inquiry can be found here.
Key highlights:
Delivering on the £20mil commitment in the upcoming 26/27 budget will be an essential step in realising SG’s stated goal of delivering a £100mil uplift to the culture budget by 28/29, and in aiding the stabilisation and growth of many parts of the sector, following the turbulence of recent years.
New opportunities and approaches to resourcing culture can only be built on a stable foundation of public investment. Alternative funding models cannot become a byword for deferring responsibility for appropriate state investment in culture.
Culture Counts’ view is that the Committee, and Scottish Government should consider the provision of indicative multi-year outlooks for its cultural spending.
A clear, transparent and publicly available strategy or decision-making rationale in terms of the respective roles of Grant Aided Expenditure and National Lottery funds in supporting each funding stream delivered by Creative Scotland would provide clarity and confidence to Scotland’s cultural sector by creating a clearer link between strategic ambitions for culture, and the role of different investment streams in delivering that ambition.
If our collective ambition for a thriving cultural sector extends to individual artists and grassroots organisations and collectives, greater GAE resource needs to be allocated to the open funds, in order to avoid a growing gap in opportunity across the sector.
Realisation of the cultural benefits and ambition planned by MYF recipients is therefore entirely contingent on SG GAE continuing the trajectory to £100mil by 28/29, including a £20mil uplift in 26/27.
Culture Counts ask that the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee scrutinise the equalities impact of any recommendations of the Creative Scotland Review, with particular consideration to the likely impact of any recommendations on the experience of artists, participants and audiences who are already underrepresented in Scotland’s creative provision, and in the allocation of creative funding and opportunities.
Culture Counts’ view is that clarity is urgently required regarding the next steps in delivering upon SG’s commitment to the Culture Collective programme.
To enable the transformation envisaged by the Museum Futures programme, it is essential that the initial investment of the programme is maintained and expanded into the 2026/27 budget and beyond.
Although Local Authority budget allocations fall outwith the Committee’s remit, Culture Counts would highlight the urgent need to review the policy and legislative framework that underpins Local Authority cultural provision.
In the longer term, Culture Counts recommends that the Committee consider the merits of recognising and enshrining the public value of culture in law, and defining clear duties and expectations for public bodies in its development, support, and delivery.