THE threat of closure to the Scottish Youth Theatre could not have come at a worse time. It highlights, too, some serious problems afflicting our cultural industries.

There have been more and more pieces appearing that highlight how working class and less wealthy actors are increasingly being held aside in favour of wealthier, upper-class actors.

For the budding young aspirant to screen or stage, work can be insecure, underpaid and difficult to come by. Compounding that problem is that this is increasingly true for our economy as a whole! The amount of young talent crushed by poverty pay, lack of opportunity and unsteady contracts should bring us to despair. The wealthier upper classes have the resources to search out opportunity constantly. Often enough they even have a head-start on networking in the industry. They don’t have to split their time and energy with work or worrying about meeting the rent.

I have no ill-will against the upper-class actors who increasingly dominate the stage and screen. They’re talented people. They didn’t cause this systemic failure. But that does not change the fact there is a worsening systemic failure. One which grinds countless talents down into the dust. Rather than enriching our shared culture, how many young talents are trapped in poverty pay, enriching only the big corporations?

What would we be saying if we let the youth theatre close? That we host some of the greatest arts festivals in the world, but we’ll close off opportunities for young working-class talent? In our cities like Edinburgh and Paisley we have cultural gems of international renown, yet we won’t support the less wealthy young talents that could make those gems shine brighter than ever? That we won’t fix a system which throws endless obstacles in the path of working-class and less wealthy talents? That we won’t protect the institutions that have encouraged the flourishing of some of the finest talents the world has today, and that could do the same for so many others?

The next Orson Welles could be in any town, city or scheme in Scotland right now. The next Katharine Hepburn could be trapped in a spiral of poverty pay and rising rents as we speak. We have more than the responsibility to help such talents flourish. We have the right to see our culture thus further enriched by the flourishing of all our cultural talents, whatever shape or form they may take.

This goes beyond one theatre. We need to turn this worsening situation around. We need to solve this on two fronts. We need to shore up the standard and security of living for all – measures like a proper living wage for all, better contract protection, fairer taxes and more low-rent quality public housing – to give artists the security and space to create. Secondly, we need much greater, and more democratised, investment in the arts at its most grassroots level to help create the outlets, spaces and opportunities to spread, share and cultivate that talent.

If we can afford nearly 2 per cent of GDP on military spending for ending lives, we can afford spending at least half that amount enriching lives.

The money exists to do all of this. We can do more than save the Scottish Youth Theatre. We could establish a national film studio to develop the outstanding acting, writing, and film-making talent in the country. And this isn’t just about big set-piece projects. This goes beyond the stage and screen even. Why not a nationwide project to transform the sometimes drab appearance of our cities and housing schemes? Sculptures? Murals? Public gardens? Public art!

Let’s let all Scotland flourish – not just a wealthy few.

Calum Martin,

National Co-chair Scottish Socialist Party,

Edinburgh