Bectu responds to report into future of Scotland’s producing theatre sector

Bectu has noted the publication of a new report, ‘The Disappearing Act?’, commissioned by Scotland’s six producing theatres. You can read more about the report and download it here.

The study analyses the current theatre landscape in Scotland, including declining audiences, funding cuts and an industry recruitment crisis, and calls for immediate and sustained action to protect the sector.

Among several recommendations put forward to address the sector’s challenges, the report recommends that the producing theatres unite behind a ‘federal’ approach to working, whereby they share resources and create a new company focusing on producing popular shows that can be commercially exploited in other parts of the UK and internationally.

Bectu will be seeking guarantees of no redundancies amongst these employers and making clear that the proposed venture must operate on the basis of properly paid, permanent employment.

Bectu Negotiations Officer Paul McManus said:

“Bectu has supported Scottish producing theatres for many years and has long advocated for Scottish-produced shows as fundamental to sustaining and growing the Scottish theatre industry.   However, as we have seen recently across the UK, no matter how good a show is, if you don’t have the skilled workforce to build and present it then you have no show.

“Over the past two years and more Bectu has been clear that many theatre workers are at breaking point. We have emphasised to the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland and most importantly the employers, that the Covid-19 lockdowns were the final straw in driving skilled workers away from theatre in huge numbers due to historically low wages and poor job security.

“We continue to stress that the priority for any future funding must be to significantly improve the wage levels across all Scottish theatres and to address job insecurity.

“The announcement of a proposed new producing company has created a great deal of concern for Bectu members, as it appears to suggest that greater casualisation and driving down costs is the way to deliver a successful venture.  In our view that is the type of discredited thinking that only delivered a year on year erosion of the industry before lockdown, and will not deliver any bright new future for producing theatre in Scotland.

“We will be meeting the employers behind this proposal in the coming weeks to seek cast iron guarantees of no redundancies, and reassurances that if this venture goes ahead then it will operate on the basis of properly paid, permanent employment.

“In further meetings with Creative Scotland and the Culture Minister we will be impressing on them that the future survival of the industry is entirely dependant on funding decisions they make over the next eighteen months. Proper wage levels and job security must be at the heart of any and all future funding decisions.”