Dundee arts centre facing closure

A contemporary art venue in Scotland has warned politicians that it is facing “unimaginable financial precarity” and will soon face closure without changes to its public funding, according to a report in The Scotsman.

In a new report to the Scottish Parliament, MEPs have been told that Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) is facing a £300,000 deficit for 2024 and an uncertain future.

Founded 25 years ago, DCA houses two large-scale galleries, two cinema screens, a print studio and a cafe bar in its £9m city centre facility.

The centre's director, Beth Bate, told The Scotsman that rising costs, stagnant funding and reduced audiences had left the registered charity “wrung dry,” and it would be forced to tap into its £450,000 reserves to "keep our doors open and staff employed”.

She said, “We’re so prudent. We’ve made efficiencies everywhere, including restructuring teams, losing hours and posts, restricting hours, delivering work with external partners, investing in fundraising, and setting high and hard income-generating targets.

“But we’re now at the point where we’re stripped back enough. Any more cuts will fundamentally change the organisation and the impact we have in Dundee, Scotland and internationally. We simply don’t have enough money.

“It’s hard to describe the exhaustion and frustration these working conditions induce. Staff retention, health and wellbeing, confidence and resilience are all affected, particularly as we start to see other organisations struggle and fold, and talented staff leave the sector.”

Bate said the only way to meet the deficit would be to cancel their exhibitions programme, children's film festival, and all learning and engagement projects. She added, "This would take us so far from our charitable aims and the function for which we’re funded, that we couldn’t operate.

“It is short-termism and stunting in the extreme, to have to work not knowing whether your successful, popular, efficiently-run organisation might not have a future.”