A council opposition leader has urged the local authority to do “whatever possible” to save the threatened Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYF).
Last week councillors on the education committee unanimously voted in a private session to cut the council’s £150,000 contribution to the annual event – thereby putting its future in doubt.
The authority has instead pledged to invest £100,000 for events to mark Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018.
As a cultural phenomenon, which has run for the past 46 years, AIYF attracts hundreds of performers from around the world to the Granite City.
Renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire principal Julian Lloyd Webber have also called on the council to reverse its decision.
But it is understood that the festival’s audiences have been declining steeply over the years and the number of performers participating has plunged.
The finance committee will meet next week to decide on the funding for the cultural programme for the year – including AIYF.
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill has said the festival should be retained, despite party colleague Martin Greig voting with the education committee.
Mr Yuill said: “I haven’t yet read the papers but I expect that we would support the investment in the year of young people.
“But this is separate from withdrawing funds from the youth festival.
“I think the festival has made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the city for over 40 years and I think it is important that we do whatever possible to retain it.”
But finance convener Douglas Lumsden said: “From my point of view the decision has been made and it was unanimous and across the parties. As far as I can see nothing has changed to change that decision.
“This is typical Lib Dems- even in a group of three they can’t agree with each other.”
But Mr Greig said that this was the party’s position and he had voted with the education committee as he knew it wasn’t “a concrete decision”.
He added: “By that reckoning the seven parents, church and staff reps on the finance committee are tied in to supporting the committee decision.”
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn said: “We reluctantly made this decision at the education committee to send it to the finance committee.
“Obviously the finance committee has the final say and we will consider our position over the weekend.”
Lesley Dunbar, vice convener of children’s services, said: “The administration believes that introducing the Young People Cultural Award Programme will create an exciting opportunity to empower our young people in leading the way by shaping the cultural and creative activities that they want to participate in.
“A positive decision at the finance committee will allow us to put in place a process which will ensure the funding goes directly into delivering positive outcomes for young people, and not be diverted for other administrative purposes.
“We will also be liaising with key representative groups as part of this.”
