Fife’s creative sector merits more than three quid and some shrapnel

The average cultural spend per head in Stellar Quines current base, the City of Edinburgh was £50.85 in 2022-23. In Fife the average spend was only £3.15.

Three quid and some shrapnel - that’s it?

There have always been big differences between the capital and the Kingdom, but the gap should not be quite as wide given the network of theatres, live venues and galleries we have here.

The disproportionate spend between the two was one of the reasons why Stellar Quines - one of Scotland’s leading theatre groups - is relocating to Kirkcaldy. It wants to make a difference. A real difference.

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone in the industry that Creative Scotland forked out much more money on projects in Edinburgh and Glasgow than anywhere else - that £50 versus £3.15 says more than any detailed report.

Fife’s creative sector deserves better - much better. It too accounts for countless jobs and its venues are crucial to giving groups and individuals a stage to showcase their talents - but those stark numbers underline that we also need that injection of new thinking, exciting creativity and enthusiasm that Stellar Quines will bring.

I hope the group’s arrival changes perceptions - but we must also play our part. I was at a meeting recently where the talk among creatives was about how generating audiences post lockdown is harder than ever. The sold out signs are still being used, but guessing which shows will hit and which will miss is almost a lottery. Some touring shows which sell out across Scotland are coming to Fife and tanking, which raises some tricky questions; do we care, what exactly do we want to see, and what are we not giving audiences?

I know of one theatre show that simply opted not to go ahead because ticket sales were so poor, and it won’t be the last either.

The Kings needs just 100 people from Kirkcaldy - population 50,000 - to have a full house. Is that an unreasonable ask on any night its doors are open? You’ll pay more for an Uber to Edinburgh than you will for a night out at the Esplanade venue.

I don’t buy for a moment the argument that people in Fife are not interested. This region is home to a huge array of creatives -from am dram groups to musicians, artists and performers - and their work has reached across the globe.

But are we prioritising going out of Fife for live shows and events instead of looking at what is on our doorsteps? There will always be gigs and major shows in Edinburgh we have to travel to see - nothing new there - but that means we have to shout much louder about what’s on here.

We need a collective voice, not just one Facebook page because its reach can be nowhere near as effective as many think. From good old fashioned posters to nifty TikTok videos, and a cohesive “support your theatre/live venue” clarion call - but that is an all-consuming full-time role for a sector that relies heavily on the passion and commitment of volunteers.

We also seem to be utterly indifferent to going to the movies, despite yelling for a cinema for years - we’ve got two venues here showing movies, and both have seats to spare. Fingers crossed, Stellar Quines’ arrival shakes the tree …