Scottish Government emergency funding for culture
Creative Scotland has announced details of how a £59m funding package will be distributed, including £15m fund open to commercial theatres.
Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund is a new £15m fund to support organisations that provide opportunities for cultural engagement and who have been unable to trade due to the impact of Covid-19. It includes both organisations who provide opportunities for audience engagement (such as galleries, performing arts spaces, commercial theatres, comedy clubs and nightclubs) as well as those that enable and deliver cultural activity (such as production facilities, music and dance companies).
Eligibility criteria and guidelines for applying are currently in development and will be published on Thursday 10 September. The fund will open for applications on Thursday 17 September and awards will be made by the first week in November.
This fund follows on from the previously announced £12.5 million Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund and £2.2 million support for Grassroots Music Venues.
Other funding streams include:
- £21.3m for Historic Environment Scotland
- £5.9m to support heritage organisations through committed grants
- £5m to address the immediate financial hardship faced by creative freelancers
- £5m to support artists to continue developing new creative work that will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s recovery from COVID-19, including £1.5 million for the Culture Collective programme to support organisations employing freelance artists to work in communities across Scotland
- £3.5m for independent cinemas
- £3m for youth arts