AN award-winning Scottish street orchestra has been forced to close due to “severe funding challenges”.
The Glasgow-based Nevis Ensemble, which has performed nearly 700 shows across the country over the past five years.
The group specialised in pop-up performances and has appeared in schools, supermarkets, museums, children’s parks, train stations and homeless centres.
However, the company’s board of trustees, who announced the sudden closure, said the ensemble was “no longer able to deliver its activities” due to the current financial climate.
READ MORE: Diana Gabaldon claims SNP stopped use of term 'Scotch' in Scotland
It has previously received funding from Creative Scotland, the city council and the Scottish Government.
A statement posted on the group’s website read: “Sadly, this is where the Nevis Ensemble story ends.
“Following severe funding challenges, Nevis Ensemble is no longer able to deliver its activities.
“The Board of Trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank the musicians and staff from over the years who have embraced the vision of Nevis Ensemble, and especially thank the many trusts, foundations, partners and individual donors who have made this journey possible.”
The orchestra, with its mantra of “music for everyone, everywhere”, is the second Scottish arts organisation to close in just three months.
It follows the collapse of the Centre for the Moving Images, which ran the Edinburgh International Film Festival as well as Filmhouse cinemas in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
Creative Scotland has already warned that up to a third of Scotland’s arts companies could collapse within months due to a “perfect storm” of factors which include the cost of living, inflation and Brexit.
The statement added: “In five short years, the ensemble has changed the narrative of what orchestras and classical music in general should be doing, in terms of inclusion, promoting new music, and sustainability.
“As a small organisation with a big heart, we’re proud to have had an audience of almost 200,000 people across Scotland, as well as more than one million online during lockdown, and changed the perceptions with musicians themselves on what they can do for our communities.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here