Edinburgh Deaf Festival ‘facing funding crisis’

The future of a Scottish festival that showcases deaf performers is in doubt due to a lack of funding, the charity behind it has warned.

The Edinburgh Deaf Festival, run by the charity Deaf Action, has been run for the last two years during the Edinburgh Fringe. But Deaf Action says it may not go ahead next year following the rejection of two successive funding bids by Creative Scotland.

The charity says the situation throws into doubt the ability of the government to achieve the aims set out in its newly published 2023-2029 British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan, which promises that BSL users will have full access to the cultural life of Scotland, and equal opportunities to enjoy and contribute to culture and the arts.

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In July this year, a bid for funding of just under £110,000 to support the festival's running was rejected by Creative Scotland just weeks before the festival was due to start.

Deaf Action said that having received a positive assessment of the bid and been encouraged to reapply in the future, it decided to use its own resources and worked with corporate sponsors to deliver a scaled-down version of the festival.

A subsequent £216,000 bid to secure the festival's future in 2024 and 2025 was also turned down, with Deaf Action saying it cannot make up the shortfall. It has written to Creative Scotland, and the Scottish government calling on them to review the decision.

'Fewer opportunities'

Philip Gerrard, CEO of Deaf Action, described Creative Scotland’s decision not to award funding to the festival as "devastating".

"Losing the festival would mean fewer opportunities for deaf artists to fulfil their potential and for young people to see deaf role models on stage – inspiring the next generation of deaf talent," he said.

“And this is happening at the very moment the Scottish government is pledging that it will work with Creative Scotland to ensure the power of the arts are used as a key means to make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn."

Gerrard said that in the space of two years, the festival has established itself as an "integral part of the Edinburgh Festival family".

"It has created a cultural space where deaf communities can celebrate their identity, culture, language, and heritage," he said.

“Given that the festival is unique in Scotland and so completely meets the aspirations of the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, we are at a loss to understand how the needs of the deaf community will be met if not by us.

“Is it now considered enough to provide access to the arts through the use of interpreters? Access without representation cannot meet the aims of the National Plan. No other cultural and linguistic minority is expected to settle for access alone.”