The Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) is the membership and sector support body for professional dance, opera, and theatre in Scotland. We advocate, connect across, and lead necessary change within the performing arts, enabling a thriving sector that that is integral to a vibrant, diverse, and equitable Scotland.
This response was submitted to the AMA consultation around the proposed change of use to Summerhall in Edinburgh. We would like to highlight that planning permission has not yet been submitted.
Summerhall Arts, the registered charity in-situ at Summerhall, are a valued member of FST, with a phenomenal track record in investing in artist development and cultural provision. They also offer programming for various under-served communities, such as their current Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival which is free to attend. Their Ceilidh Club, drawing club, and one-off art classes all offer accessible ways for people in Edinburgh to engage with the arts – which we know are essential for physical and mental wellbeing. As a Fringe venue, they draw in audiences and artists from all over the world to pack their spaces full of a celebration of creativity.
We understand the proposals by AMA are to significantly reduce the size of the arts centre and turn part of the building into commercial accommodation either as housing, hotel, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), or serviced apartments. Summerhall Arts have already made their economic and cultural contributions to Edinburgh clear, so we would like to offer a view informed by our role as a national cultural body involved in influencing public policy at all levels.
This proposal is part of a pattern which has been seen throughout Scotland, whereby cultural spaces are undermined in support of private profits.
In Glasgow, Theatre 118 was evicted from Granite House, where developers sought to turn it into PBSA. The PBSA has been opposed by the local community council, does not align with the Local Place Plan (validated by the Council) and, thus far, has not been approved for development. With regards to Summerhall, the Southside Community Council in Edinburgh has committed its support to Summerhall Arts and thus would similarly oppose AMA’s development plans.
While there is a recognised need for more housing in Edinburgh, it is crucial to not harm other parts of Edinburgh’s cultural and community life to create that housing stock. At a time when our sector have been calling for more investment in venues and spaces, to reduce an already-vibrant venue would be extremely detrimental.
The National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) includes culture as a national outcome, explicitly stating “development proposals that would result in the loss of an arts or cultural venue” will only be supported where there is no longer a demand for the venue or there is an equal or better alternative.
The Scottish Government’s 2020 Strategy for Culture includes an aim to “develop the conditions for culture to thrive”, and to “place culture as a central consideration across all policy areas”.
Edinburgh City Council’s Citywide Culture Strategy includes the aim that by 2030, Edinburgh is a city that “has a range of accessible spaces where creative practitioners can experiment, develop, rehearse and produce their work”.
Culture is also a human right. Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right freely to participate in cultural life and to enjoy the arts”. This is Scots Law through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires Scotland to “respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity”. All decision-making in Scotland, including planning, must ensure it promotes these rights.
Summerhall Arts receives investment through Creative Scotland’s multi-year funding, on the basis of its ongoing ability to deliver on these important commitments to Scotland. Reducing the arts capacity at Summerhall would run directly contradictory to all of these policies. The costs involved in creating a new venue with the same facilities as Summerhall in a similarly accessible location are far beyond the public purse at the moment and no alternative capacity is being proposed by AMA, therefore this would inherently be a net loss of cultural access.
We believe that the reduction of Summerhall Arts’ space and capacity is fundamentally incompatible with an Edinburgh and a Scotland where culture is supported to thrive.
For further comment, please contact press@scottishtheatre.org.