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The dispute over drama funding moves from the west to the east with an open letter signed by directors of Scotland's leading theatre companies.

Vicky Featherstone, director of the National Theatre of Scotland, James Brining, of Dundee Rep, Dominic Hill, of the Traverse, and Mary McCluskey, of the Scottish Youth Theatre, are among those calling on the government and the Scottish Funding Council to intervene in the crisis which has closed one of Scotland's two conservatoire-level acting courses.

The funding anomaly which means drama students in England and Wales are worth more than their counterparts in Scotland is once again at the root of the problem.

The National Council for Drama Training - which accredits such courses - has already withdrawn QMU's official status.

That means only one such course remains in Scotland - at the RSAMD in Glasgow.

To the various directors and the actors' union Equity, that's unacceptable.

In England, there's a conservatoire-level course for every three million people, leaving Scotland extremely under-resourced at a time when its profile in terms of Scottish contribution to the world of acting has never been higher.

Actor Brian Cox has already spoken out about his concern - tipped off in an e-mail by fellow actor James McAvoy, who of course lobbied the government on the RSAMD's problems.

Could this salvo begin a new war of words between Scottish actors and Alex Salmond?

Open letter

Dear Sir

We, the undersigned, write with deep concern following recent negative developments affecting the training of actors and stage managers in Scotland.

Queen Margaret University, one of the country's leaders in performance and production training, will no longer receive accreditation from industry regulator the National Council for Drama Training.

NCDT accreditation ensures that chosen courses and "conservatoires" meet the relevant professional needs and standards required by the theatre industry. Until recently QMU and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama were the only institutions in Scotland to hold this 'gold standard' accreditation.

Now provision for professional and vocational drama training has effectively been halved - threatening the long-term future of Scottish theatre, film and television production and performance.

Compared to England and Wales, where there is one NDCT-accredited conservatoire for every 3 million of the population, Scotland will suffer a substantial disparity in professional training provision. This is not only culturally damaging - it is a lost opportunity to the Scottish students who will now be forced to seek training south of the border.

This loss cannot be made up simply by doubling the intake to RSAMD, even if such an alternative were feasible. In a country of our size, the diversity of training represented by two leading drama institutions, each with its own strengths and priorities, is critically important.

In 1971 the Government chose to retain two drama conservatoires in Scotland when it saved the financially troubled Edinburgh School of Speech and Drama by merging it with QMU. The case for retaining a second accredited institution is even stronger today - not least due to the internationally recognised development of the dramatic arts in Scotland over the past few years.

We therefore ask that the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council provide adequate funding to maintain two Scottish conservatoires. This is the only way to ensure that the future of drama training in Scotland is maintained on an equitable international basis.

Yours faithfully,

Signed by the following:

Lorne Boswell- Scottish Secretary, Equity
James Brining- Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Dundee Rep
Ian Brown- Chair, Highlands and Islands Theatre Network
Eric Coulter- Head of Drama, STV Productions
John Durnin- Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Vicky Featherstone- Artistic Director and Chief Executive, National Theatre of Scotland
Alison Forsyth- Administrative Producer, Visible Fictions
Sarah Gray- Producer, Wee Stories
Ian Grieve- Creative Director, Perth Theatre
Mike Griffiths- Administrative Director, Traverse Theatre
Dominic Hill- Artistic Director, Traverse Theatre
Douglas Irvine- Artistic Producer, Visible Fictions
Charlotte Jones- Chief Executive, Independent Theatre Council
Mary McCluskey- Artistic Director, Scottish Youth Theatre
Colin McCredie- Actor
John McVay- Chief Executive, Producers' Alliance
Richard Pulford- Chief Executive, Theatrical Management Association
Gill Robertson- Artistic Director, Catherine Wheels
Donald Smith- Director, Scottish Storytelling Centre
John Stalker- Chair, Creative & Cultural Skills Scotland
Gerda Stevenson- Actor and Associate Director, Communicado
Jeremy Raison- Artistic Director, The Citizens Theatre
Mark Thomson- Artistic Director and Chief Executive, The Royal Lyceum Theatre