The future of the Edinburgh Festivals are at risk if the UK continues down the path of cuts to arts education, Fringe bosses have warned.

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes to a close again, the society’s chief executive Shona McCarthy has penned an open letter addressing concerns, organisers have about the arts sector.

In the letter, she wrote that a number of issues including the rising cost of living, accommodation, funding cuts, and more is having a detrimental impact on artist’s ability to produce work and perform.

While the festival has been labelled a success this year, with 2.6 million tickets issued and thousands of shows across multiple venues in the city, Ms McCarthy said it cannot be used to “mask the struggle for artists to emerge let alone thrive in the UK right now.”

Her overall message was “there is no Fringe without art. There is no art without artists”.

The Fringe boss described the current situation for artists in the UK as of ‘great concern’ and said the importance of funding to keep up the annual celebration of artists, venues, producers and promotors - all of which took a huge financial risk to entertain – can’t be understated.

It comes after arts body Creative Scotland announced it was closing its Open Fund for Individuals to new applications as the Scottish Government has been unable to confirm if £6.6 million of funding would be released to the arts organisation.

In Shona McCarthy’s open letter, she takes aim at policymakers and warned that they should not become complacent over the festival’s success.

She wrote: “The cumulative effect of the relentless rise in the cost of everything, and an unhelpful policy environment facing the arts sector has resulted in widespread concern that is keenly felt by artists. 

“From the availability of affordable accommodation, blunt policy changes which have consequences for major events, to continuous public sector cuts; we need to ensure that the hard-won and fragile success isn’t met with complacency by those who can influence change. 

“It is not enough to have old stories of how important Edinburgh’s festivals were in providing healing and connection after the Second World War. They are important now, contributing hugely to health, well-being, joy and job creation.”

Ms McCarthy continued: “Here at the Fringe and across the UK, the pipeline of creative potential is under threat. Artistic risk and ambition is hamstrung by an operating context that squeezes out emerging artists that have made the Fringe globally renowned, unique and joyful.  How can the Edinburgh Fringe remain exemplary, exciting, experimental; the only place in the world to be every August?

“There is no future for the Fringe without art. There is no art without artists.  Artists and the venues who host them are at the heart of this event, and there would be no Fringe without them. 

READ MORE: 

“They take the risk of bringing work to the festival every year, and while the arts landscape is at a crossroads, we need to ensure that the Fringe, one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture in the world, is protected for the future.  As we celebrate the hundreds of thousands of people who have been moved, delighted, awed, shocked and entertained by the stories artists present across Fringe stages, it feels that now, more than ever, we must not take artists for granted; we would do so at our peril.”

This year 3746 shows were registered at the Fringe, with 60 countries represented on stage, and 900 accredited media outlets from 27 countries reviewed shows and interviewed artists.

Over 1800 arts industry accredited with the Fringe Society and went to Edinburgh to seek new work for onward touring and broadcast, while 510 artists attended an annual Meet the Media event which is designed to help them boost their PR support.

More than 300 sensory resources were used by autistic children and adults, to help make their experience of The Fringe more enjoyable, while 60% of all shows this year were accessible for wheelchair users

34 local schools, charities, and community groups took part in the Fringe Days Out scheme, which offers free Fringe vouchers and Lothian Bus tickets to people who wouldn’t normally get to experience the Fringe.

Managing director Dani Rae said they are “shaken” by the Scottish funding announcements in recent days, “the impact of which affects our entire sector”.

She said: “We call on the Scottish and UK Governments to remember, there is no art without artists, there are no Edinburgh Festivals without artists.”

The Edinburgh Arts Festival closed on Sunday also reported a successful year with a record number of attendees and participating artists, but highlighted the funding concerns going forward

More than 200 artists showcased work in more than 30 venues, with over 130,000 visitors attending.

Kim McAleese, EAF Festival Director, said: “We wanted to create a festival that felt rooted here in Edinburgh and connected to people local to the city but which was also balanced with a critical and nuanced global dialogue.

“We are delighted that audiences, collaborators and artists were so generous with their engagement, criticality and time for EAF24. At the core of our programme this year was over 200 artists who brought work to the city.

“Without them we would not be able to do what we do and we must continue to support those artists who share their ideas and knowledge with us year on year, especially in the face of devastating, life changing cuts to public funding such as those announced this week here in Scotland.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Following the UK Chancellor’s July statement, the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution. As such, difficult choices are having to be made to deliver sustainable finances.

“The Scottish Government already provides significant funding to Creative Scotland each year and will continue to do so.

“The Culture Secretary is in regular contact with the sector to discuss the issues it currently faces and how to address those challenges. We will continue to do everything within our powers and resources to protect our world-class arts and culture sector.

“We have increased arts culture funding this year, as the first step to achieving our commitment to invest at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by 2028/29.”