The ISM is extremely concerned about the possible cuts to the Cultural Grant by Aberdeen City Council including the removal of the city’s music service funding. The creative and cultural sector in Aberdeen employs nearly 5% of the city’s workforce and the proposed cuts would be disastrous for the city and for its cultural offering.

ISM Chief Executive Deborah Annetts, ISM Chair Elect Pauline Black, Senior Lecturer and Head of Music Engagement at the University of Aberdeen and ISM Chair 2020-1 Professor Chris Collins, Chair in Music and Head of School, School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen have written to each of the 45 Aberdeen City Councillors expressing their concerns and asking the Councillors to vote against the proposals at the budget meeting on Wednesday 1 March 2023.

Aberdeen City Council’s proposals come shortly after similar announcements in Dundee and Midlothian. If you have any concerns about your Local Authority, please do get in touch with us.

UPDATE

Following the council budget meeting on 1 March, the ISM is pleased to see that funding for the music service will remain in place. While the overall culture grant cuts were reduced from a potential £815,000 to £163,000, Big Noise Torry which supports over 750 young people through music has lost its entire council funding, representing 75% of its running costs.

Full details of the budget decisions can be found here.