With our third Edinburgh Deaf Festival well underway, it’s clear that urgent action from the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland is needed to secure the future of deaf arts in Scotland.

In a recent open letter, Scottish Culture Secretary, Angus Robertson, recently pledged more funding for Scotland’s festivals and a strategic partnership with Creative Scotland and Event Scotland. He described our arts festivals as “a jewel in the cultural sector and national life”. Since then, however, there have been warnings of widespread cuts to arts funding.

These promises must translate into immediate action.

Our festival, which was launched in 2022, has come to establish itself as an integral part of the Edinburgh Festival family. Our work in creating a cultural space where deaf communities can celebrate their identity, culture, language, and heritage has been critical to deaf artists and audiences in Scotland.

Creative Scotland has repeatedly rejected our funding bids, despite recommendations from its own staff.

Philip Gerrard, CEO of Deaf Action stated:

“We welcome the latest warm words from the Scottish Government, but what we need is prompt action. This festival has been a huge success but we only just managed to survive this year due to the funding challenges, and 2025 looks bleak. Festivals take a long time to organise, and that cannot be done without financial security.

“We previously took the Scottish Government at its word when its British Sign Language National Plan pledged to work with Creative Scotland to support and encourage deaf arts. The results have been failure, disappointment, bundles of red tape.

“This is a unique festival which has been built and developed by the deaf community for deaf and hearing audiences. It is lively, vibrant and fun – providing a showcase for deaf talent, providing access to deaf culture and supporting and encouraging deaf young people. All we want is a fair deal so we can ensure that this festival has a sustainable future and can make its contribution to Scotland as a nation of fabulous festivals.”

As set out in the BSL National plan, the Scottish Government wants to make the country the ‘best in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn’. The commitment to support and encourage deaf arts has previously fallen short.

Despite these challenges, our commitment to promoting deaf arts in Scotland is unwavering. This year’s festival was slimmed down due to the shortage of funds, yet we presented its first-ever specially commissioned play.

‘The Ghost of Alexander Blackwood’, which celebrates the lives of Edinburgh’s early deaf rights pioneers, is the work of an all-deaf team and has been popular with audiences. Developing this play has helped deliver one of our key goals; to provide opportunities for Scotland’s highly talented deaf creatives.

We are appealing to the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland to consider ring-fencing a portion of this replenished budget for support for BSL-led projects, including Edinburgh Deaf Festival. This call for a dedicated allocation is not just about numbers; it’s about recognising the importance of deaf representation, ensuring that the arts are truly inclusive.