Any form of Brexit could cause “severe difficulties” for Scottish festivals, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop has suggested.
Speaking at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, Ms Hyslop told MSPs the UK’s immigration policy after Brexit could be a “disaster” for EU artists.
READ MORE: Scots music festival warns over Brexit
Last year, Edinburgh International Festival director Fergus Linehan raised concerns the 2019 event would have to be scaled back if the Brexit scenario turned out to be a “catastrophic” one.
Ms Hyslop said: “It’s absolutely vital that we recognise the threat of Brexit to our cultural life in Scotland.
“Not just a no-deal Brexit but an any-deal Brexit will cause severe difficulties.
“We know in terms of immigration that currently, non-EU artists really struggle in terms of getting access to our festivals and quite often in terms of cancellations at last minute, even when we can try to appeal some of those issues.
READ MORE: Analysis: Brexit presents a bleak picture for an outward-looking festival
“If you then apply that to all EU artists, the disaster that awaits in terms of the Brexit immigration policy for the UK will severely damage our festivals and that is why it has to be resisted.”
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