Doctor Who actor David Tennant yesterday became the latest celebrity to express concern about the funding crisis at Scotland's leading performance arts academy.

Tennant spoke out after an announcement earlier this year by Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) that some staff will be made redundant while others will be moved from full-time to part-time contracts.

Action was taken after the implementation of a nationwide pay rise for lecturers, which officials at RSAMD have said they cannot afford. The institution is also concerned that they receive less funding for drama courses than institutions in England.

However, those opposed to the measures have accused RSAMD of using the financial concerns as a front to carry out restructuring plans.

Tennant said: "Nothing I have managed to achieve in my career would have happened without my training at the RSAMD. The drama training I received was world class and the idea that the opportunities I got there might be compromised for future generations is deeply upsetting.

"I am incredibly proud to be a graduate of RSAMD and Scotland is rightly proud to have such an important arts training ground at its heart. I have seen how Scotland's actors are valued and admired throughout the world. I would hate to see a lack of both immediate and long-term funding jeopardise the future of that hard-won reputation."

The comments came as students from RSAMD prepare to meet representatives from the Scottish Funding Council to discuss the academy's funding needs.