Day: March 20, 2026

First Awards from Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals Fund announced

The first recipients of the Scottish Government’s new Expanded Festivals Fund have been announced today, marking a major step in widening support for Scotland’s festivals, and strengthening opportunities for artists and audiences across the country. 

Creative Scotland has awarded £1,994,000 of funding to 28 festivals in the first tranche of support for the new Expanded Festivals Fund. 

Designed to enable innovation in programming and showcase Scottish and Scotland-based artists and practitioners, it supports festivals in expanding their international and domestic reach and profile and creating opportunities for skills or sector development. 

This initial round spans a wide range of artforms and locations, extending activity far beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow to communities from Orkney to the Borders, Argyll to Aberdeen, and Dumfries & Galloway to Highlands, reflecting the breadth and ambition of Scotland’s festival sector and the transformative potential of this new investment.  

Supported projects represent significant investment into opportunities for artists and creative professionals which will broaden cultural offerings for audiences, including new and innovative festival programming, international collaborations, touring opportunities and talent development programmes. 

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland has a wealth of outstanding festivals across the country which lie at the heart of our culture sector and national life.

“Our festivals’ ambitions and creativity provide focal points for activity and an invaluable platform for artists and performers to showcase their work. They also provide hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy and support a pipeline of jobs and businesses.   

“The Expanded Festivals Fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to provide an additional £100 million more annually for culture funding by 2028-29. I am heartened to see this fund support incredible projects across Scotland which will increase participation in creative pursuits and ensure festivals can commission and collaborate on new and exciting works.” 

Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts and Engagement at Creative Scotland said: “Scotland’s festivals are a vibrant celebration of our creativity and culture, recognised and enjoyed by local communities and people from around the world.  

“The Expanded Festivals Fund is a new opportunity to profile incredible creative work in every corner of the country and support other areas vital to our festivals’ ongoing success.

“The supported projects reflect the full range of our festivals’ work – including sector and talent development, international collaboration, and the development of new projects with specific groups and communities in their areas.” 

The list of awards up to £100,000, for programmes of activity taking place between 1 May 2026 and 30 April 2028, can be found on the Creative Scotland website (see below). 

In Edinburgh, there’s funding for the HIDDEN DOOR (£57,000) and PUSH THE BOAT OUT (£71,000) festivals.

Recipients of awards of up to £200,000 will be published in May 2026.

expanded-festivals-fund-march-2026Download

Bespoke community hub lands at Social Bite Granton Waterfront Village

Social Bite’s new Edinburgh Village on Granton Waterfront has received its modular built Hub as the project progresses towards an opening date this spring.

The new Hub, the first of seven bespoke-made installations which will populate the village, will act as a communal area for villagers, with six new and improved one-bedroom ‘Nest Houses’ which have been re-designed following resident feedback due in the coming weeks.

The move along the Granton Waterfront is a relocation of the original Edinburgh Village. The move has allowed Social Bite, residents and charity partner Cyrenians to work together to reassess the design and facilities available and create living spaces which support people living there everyday based on their needs and wants.

The supported accommodation model, first launched with the Edinburgh Village in 2018, has proven successful in helping people who’ve experienced homelessness rebuild their lives in a safe, supportive community.

Charity partner Cyrenians will continue providing 24/7 support, having played a key role in helping nearly 100 residents gain skills, confidence, and reintegrate into the community to date.

Josh Littlejohn, founder of Social Bite said: “It’s brilliant to see the milestone of the brand new hub landing as the new Edinburgh village takes shape.

“We can’t wait to welcome residents to their new home.”

Amy Hutton, Director of Services at Cyrenians, said: “Part of what has made the Social Bite Village so successful is the sense of community that is built between volunteers, residents and staff.

“The Hub is vital to that sense of community – a place where people can gather, cook, socialise and relax.

“Seeing the new Hub installed down at the new location is exciting – we are looking forward to starting a new chapter providing support to Social Bite Village residents in the new location, for years to come.”

Social Bite Village – Edinburgh – Hub Delivery – 18th March 2026

Raymond Davies Photography

The hub was manufactured by Invergordon-based Ecosystems Technologies and made the long commute from The Highlands to Granton. The remaining buildings are due to arrive in April.

The Social Bite Village has received generous support from M&G plc through their Empty Spaces coalition with Habitat for Humanity, as well as from Anderson Strathearn, itison, and many incredible contributions from individual supporters.

Bill to keep ‘the Promise’ passed

Right to lifelong advocacy and enhanced support for all care leavers

A lifelong entitlement to advocacy services for all care experienced people will ensure their voices are better heard after MSPs backed landmark legislation to accelerate delivery of ‘the Promise’. 

The Children (Care, Care Experience, and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill underpins delivery of the Scottish Government’s response to the independent care review, and commitment to keep the Promise. The Bill was passed in a final Stage 3 vote in the Scottish Parliament. 

The Bill will extend aftercare support currently available for 16-to-26 year olds who were in care on their 16th birthday to those who had left care before that point – including help with accommodation, education, employment and wellbeing.  

It includes provisions to drive reforms to the Children’s Hearing System, including remunerated Panel chairs to help reduce delays and increase capacity, to ensure the system better meet the needs of children and families. 

Residential childcare providers will have to provide financial information to Ministers, and a Residential Childcare Futures Reference Group will be established.

This group will draw together partners from national and local government, social work, and organisations representing care-experienced people to ensure the needs of children and young people are foremost in residential care.

It will consider definitions of profit and provide future advice to Ministers on further regulation to limit profit.  

Natalie Don-Innes, Minister for Children, Young People & The Promise said: “This legislation will deliver a very strong package of further change that will help improve the lives of people across Scotland with care experience and those who care for them. It represents a significant milestone and will accelerate progress towards keeping the Promise.  

“I am grateful to everyone across the care experienced community who helped to shape the Bill, and to MSPs across the Parliament whose engagement has resulted in a legislative package that will help greatly improve the support available.

“This legislation is an essential part of our wider on-going programme of work to keep the Promise, and will help to deliver the change which the 5,500 voices that informed the Independent Care Review told us must happen.” 

Discussions with MSPs from across the chamber led to Scottish Government amendments to the Bill, which will deliver enhanced support for kinship carers. These include strengthening the role of family group decision making, and making it easier for eligible kinship families to access financial, practical and advocacy support through a comprehensive needs-based assessment from their local authority.