More funding for Edinburgh – but some high profile capital projects lose out
CREATIVE Scotland has announced the network of organisations that will receive Regular Funding for the three-year period, April 2018 to March 2021. Among the new recipients is Tinderbox, based at North Edinburgh Arts, who will receive three year funding of £300,000.
And while the champagne corks may be popping for some, inevitably there is disappointment for others and there are some high profile casualties in the funding round. UNESCO City of Literature Trust, Festival City Theatres Trust, Lung Ha’s Theatre Company and the Fringe applications were unsuccessful and these Edinburgh-based organisations must all now pursue other sources of funding.
The network consists of 116 organisations, of which 19 are new and 97 continue with three-year funding, supported by £99m Grant in Aid funding through a three-year commitment from the Scottish Government, as set out in the recent draft budget statement.
The network demonstrates creative excellence, potential and ambition, with significant reach throughout Scotland, and internationally, and across many areas of creative practice including craft, dance, literature, music, screen, theatre and visual art.
The Regular Funding network consists of organisations that produce, present and distribute work; as well as development organisations which support the arts and creative sectors in Scotland to strengthen their future health and resilience.
In response to recent strategic reviews of both Theatre and Touring; Creative Scotland also announce plans to create a new £2m Touring Fund in 2019/20, with support from the National Lottery, to support performing arts organisations in reaching more audiences in more parts of Scotland.
Organisations in the 2018-21 network, in turn, also support artists and creative practitioners across the country, in terms of employment and generating opportunities for public participation.
Support for creative learning and young people; Gaelic and Scots language; and traditional arts are also embedded into the network of 2018-21 Regularly Funded organisations, with a spread of activity across Scotland’s places and communities.
Janet Archer, chief executive of Creative Scotland, said: “I am pleased to announce the network of Regularly Funded organisations for 2018-21. This follows a welcome settlement from the Scottish Government in the recent draft budget enabling us to maintain the existing budget for Regular Funding.
“Regular funding provides three-year funding to a wide range of organisations which create, present and support excellence across craft, dance, literature, music, screen, theatre and visual arts, reaching out to all parts of Scotland and internationally.
“The network has been arrived at through a careful and thorough decision-making process involving staff across Creative Scotland and our Board. Regular Funding is a highly competitive application process where demand has once again, far outstripped available funding. While we can’t support everyone, we seek to provide a range of different opportunities to access support across all of our funding routes, including Open Project and Targeted Funding.
“With this in mind, we are developing a new £2m Touring Fund for 2019/20, with support from the National Lottery, as part of our Targeted Funds. This will support touring companies to work with venues to grow audiences, offering a further alternative route to funding for performing arts organisations not included in the Regular Funding network.”
Some key facts about the network include:
- Overall budget of just over £99m
- 116 organisations, 19 of which are new to Regular Funding and 97 continue on three-year funding
- Representation across craft, dance, literature, music, screen, theatre, and visual art
- A range of development organisations that will help strengthen future health and resilience of the arts and creative sectors
- Support for young people and creative learning in this Year of Young People, 2018
- Strong representation for Gaelic, Scots and Trad arts
- Geographical coverage across all parts of Scotland.
Regular Funding is one of three routes to funding through Creative Scotland, alongside Open Project Funding for individuals and organisations, and Targeted Funding.
All organisations who have previously benefitted from Regular Funding, but who are not part of the 2018-21 network, will be offered transition funding for 6 months to the end of September 2018.
Five touring Theatre companies who are not recommended for the Network 2018-21, will receive 12 months’ transition funding to take current funding levels to the end of March 2019. These organisations are Mischief La Bas, Catherine Wheels, Fire Exit, Rapture Theatre and Visible Fictions.
The city council has welcomed an overall increase in funding for Capital-based arts groups, following yesterday’s announcement by Creative Scotland which will see the majority of regularly funded organisations (RFOs) in Edinburgh continue to receive support.
Responding to the decisions made by the national arts body, Edinburgh’s Culture Convener Councillor Donald Wilson acknowledged confirmation of £40,319,901 towards Edinburgh-based organisations as good news for the city, but expressed disappointment and concern for those who were unsuccessful.
Cllr Wilson said: “Against a backdrop of reduced public-sector budgets and National Lottery support, Creative Scotland’s commitment to maintain funding levels is good news for the sector. As the beating heart of Scotland’s cultural and creative scene, Edinburgh is home to more than a third of the organisations set to receive funding. Together, I am glad to see them receive over £40.3m – or 40% of the RFO budget, an increase in excess of £1m for the city – which is positive news.
“Spanning theatre, dance, music, visual arts and screen projects, the funding will support 39 Capital-based organisations over the next three years including the Stills Gallery and Creative Edinburgh, which will receive regular funding for the first time. While their news is to be welcomed, there is of course disappointment for those who were unsuccessful.
“I am of course concerned to see that, having previously received support, UNESCO City of Literature Trust, Festival City Theatres Trust, Lung Ha’s Theatre Company and the Fringe applications were not successful. These are Council-supported organisations, so we are in touch with them directly in order to understand the impact of the decisions, and their next steps including potentially applying for Creative Scotland Open Funding or the newly announced £2m Touring Theatre Fund, should they be eligible.”
The network of Regularly Funded Organisations
Organisations awarded Regular Funding for the three-year period, April 2018 – March 2021
* = new to Regular Funding for 2018-21
Organisation | Regular Funding 2018-21 – three years (£) |
21CC (21 Common)* | 245,972 |
A Play, A Pie and A Pint (Glasgow Lunchtime Theatres) | 450,000 |
Aberdeen Performing Arts | 1,000,000 |
Alchemy Film and Arts* | 348,462 |
An Lanntair | 1,210,000 |
Arika | 600,000 |
Arts and Business Scotland* | 600,000 |
ATLAS Arts | 450,000 |
Barrowland Ballet | 604,845 |
Beacon Arts Centre | 600,000 |
Bodysurf Scotland* | 586,277 |
CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts | 1,920,000 |
Celtic Connections Festival | 550,000 |
Centre for the Moving Image | 3,200,000 |
Citizens Theatre | 3,333,000 |
Citymoves Dance Agency | 300,000 |
Collective | 850,000 |
Comar | 1,250,000 |
Common Guild | 540,000 |
Conflux Scotland | 450,000 |
Cove Park | 399,000 |
Craft Scotland | 1,000,000 |
Creative Carbon Scotland* | 450,000 |
Creative Dundee* | 332,031 |
Creative Edinburgh* | 284,000 |
Cryptic | 850,000 |
Cumbernauld Theatre Trust | 800,000 |
Curious Seed | 396,955 |
Dance Base | 1,225,000 |
Deveron Projects | 330,000 |
Drake Music Scotland | 380,000 |
Dundee Contemporary Arts | 2,000,000 |
Dundee Repertory Theatre | 5,945,010 |
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema | 1,500,000 |
Edinburgh Art Festival | 300,000 |
Edinburgh International Book Festival | 919,500 |
Edinburgh International Festival Society | 6,952,000 |
Edinburgh Printmakers | 480,000 |
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop | 700,000 |
Enterprise Music Scotland | 675,000 |
Federation of Scottish Theatre* | 795,000 |
Fèis Rois | 690,000 |
Fèisean nan Gàidheal | 1,400,000 |
Fife Contemporary | 315,000 |
Fruitmarket Gallery | 2,000,000 |
Gaelic Books Council | 620,000 |
Glasgow Film | 1,900,000 |
Glasgow International | 300,000 |
Glasgow Print Studios | 480,000 |
Glasgow Sculpture Studios | 530,000 |
Glasgow Women’s Library | 359,968 |
Grid Iron Theatre Company | 673,200 |
Hands Up for Trad | 400,000 |
Highland Print Studio | 300,000 |
Horsecross Arts | 1,600,000 |
Hospitalfield Trust | 300,000 |
Imaginate | 1,095,000 |
Indepen-dance | 346,000 |
Luminate | 300,000 |
Lyra* | 300,000 |
Macrobert Arts Centre | 950,000 |
Magnetic North Theatre Productions* | 300,000 |
Moniack Mhor Writers’ Centre | 405,000 |
National Piping Centre | 450,000 |
National Youth Choir of Scotland | 600,000 |
National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (NYOS) | 650,000 |
NEoN (North East of North)* | 271,000 |
North East Arts Touring | 250,000 |
North Lands Creative Glass | 650,000 |
Panel* | 270,584 |
Paragon Ensemble | 315,000 |
Peacock Visual Arts | 770,000 |
Pier Arts Centre | 800,000 |
Pitlochry Festival Theatre | 1,275,000 |
Platform (Glasgow East Arts Co) | 381,000 |
Playwrights Studio, Scotland | 575,806 |
Project Ability | 430,000 |
Publishing Scotland | 923,500 |
Puppet Animation Scotland | 551,000 |
Red Note Ensemble | 645,000 |
Regional Screen Scotland | 620,350 |
Royal Lyceum Theatre Company | 3,630,000 |
Scottish Book Trust | 2,579,792 |
Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN)* | 387,000 |
Scottish Ensemble | 1,000,000 |
Scottish Music Centre | 570,000 |
Scottish Music Industry Association* | 500,000 |
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra | 650,000 |
Scottish Poetry Library | 902,500 |
Scottish Sculpture Workshop | 585,000 |
Shetland Arts Development Agency | 750,000 |
Solar Bear | 600,000 |
St Magnus International Festival | 500,000 |
Starcatchers Production* | 300,000 |
Stellar Quines Theatre Company | 409,333 |
Stills: Centre for Photography* | 441,000 |
Stove Network Limited | 300,000 |
Street Level Photoworks (Glasgow Photography Group) | 441,000 |
Taigh Chearsabhagh Trust | 305,000 |
The Barn | 400,000 |
Theatre Gu Leòr* | 420,000 |
Timespan | 285,000 |
Tinderbox Collective* | 300,000 |
Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre* | 180,000 |
Touring Network (Highlands & Islands) | 360,000 |
Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland | 940,000 |
Tramway | 1,050,000 |
Travelling Gallery | 380,000 |
Traverse Theatre | 2,600,000 |
Tron Theatre | 2,540,050 |
Vanishing Point Theatre Company | 850,000 |
Voluntary Arts Scotland | 390,000 |
Wigtown Festival Company | 258,000 |
Work Room | 465,000 |
Y Dance (Scottish Youth Dance) | 550,000 |
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland | 400,000 |
Details of the network of Regularly Funded Organisations and other routes to funding can be found at http://www.creativescotland.com/