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Dateline:
15th February, 2005
EIF Funding Crisis The 2005 Edinburgh International Festival could be much reduced in size or even cancelled if a funding shortfall of £600,000 is not met. Festival Director Brian McMaster has appealed for help to Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Arts Council but neither have been able to guarantee to offer that amount. Council leader Donald Anderson said that the council is in negotiation with the Scottish Executive with a view to their sharing cost between them but it is understood that councillor are furious that the problem was brought to them too late for them to include any assistance in the budget for the year beginning April 2005. We’re hopeful the Executive will pick up a share of the shortfall and that we’ll be able to use ‘quality of life’ funding we’ve already been allocated by the Executive," Anderson told The Scotsman." It may mean money having to be diverted from other projects, but we weren’t going to adjust our budget at such a late stage. However, without financial support, it is possible the Festival may not go ahead." The Festival, which brings an estimated £19m in to Edinburgh's economy, currently receives £2.5m in subsidy from the City Council and the SAC, out of a total budget of £7.5m. According to marketing director Joanna Baker the Festival receives less "in real terms" than it did ten years ago. In contrast, the Edinburgh Fringe receives just £70,000 in public funding. There is also concern that Edinburgh's pre-eminence as the world's biggest Festival city is a risk from the growth in similar festivals in other towns and cities throughout the world. One of the possible scenarios, should the additional funding not be forthcoming, would be the cancelling of the programme for one of the participating theatres. This, McMaster told the BBC, would cause "serious damage" on the Festival's impact and reputation, which "could take years to repair". The EIF is due to announce its 2005 programme, which runs from 14th August to 4th September, on 17th March. Update (18th February)Yesterday the Scottish Execuitve and Edinburgh City Council each agreed to give the EIF an additional £300,000 to meet the shortfall. The money from the Executive will come from the EventsScotland Agency, culture minister Patricia Ferguson said, and she added that as many Scots as possible should be able to experience the Festival. Excellence and access should be central, she insisted. Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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