Creative Scotland – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Stories that connect us

National Lottery Open Fund Awards celebrate Scotland’s heritage, creativity and communities

Stories of Scotland’s past, present and future- from Gaelic song to inclusive storytelling, animation and contemporary theatre- are among the projects receiving the latest National Lottery Open Funding through Creative Scotland.

A total of 59 projects are receiving £1,455,888 in funding via the latest round of Open Fund recipients, supporting artists and organisations to create new work, reach audiences and develop opportunities across Scotland and beyond.

From stories rooted in family and place to new work created for children and young people, the projects reflect the power of culture to connect people with their communities, heritage and each other.

Taking place at the National Mining Museum Scotland, Jason & the Coal Mining Adventure presents the work of acclaimed disabled artist Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE, exploring disability, family. community and Britain’s coal-mining heritage.

Running from 21 August to 24 October 2026, the exhibition brings together large-scale inflatable sculptures, film, sketchbooks and digital work, drawing on Jason’s experiences of disability, childhood memories and his father’s life as a coal miner.

At its heart is Wish You Were Here, a three-metre-tall tapestry created with Flanders Tapestries in Belgium, inspired by Jason’s memories of his parents and childhood holidays, and his family’s connection to the mining industry.

Dr Ray Lafferty, Curator at National Mining Museum Scotland said: “Creative Scotland’s Open Fund has allowed us to be much more ambitious in presenting Jason Wilsher-Mills’ work in Scotland.

“Without that support, we would have had the tapestry and film, but we simply could not have shown the range of work that visitors will now see. The inflatables completely transform the exhibition.

“They are funny, colourful, strange, and enormously engaging, but, as Jason says, they are also a form of ‘Trojan Horse art’: their humour and colour draw you in before you realise that they are addressing much more serious subjects.”

My Kind of Book is creating Stories that Stretch and Bounce, a collection of sensory stories for children on the autism spectrum with severe or profound learning disabilities.

Using narrative alongside tactile and sensory props – from stretchy socks and boxes within boxes to objects to squish and bounce – the project aims to make storytelling joyful, engaging and accessible.

The stories will be developed with teachers and families, piloted in ASN schools and shared more widely, with some scripts made available as free downloads for use at home and in classrooms.

Ailie Finlay, Director of My Kind of Book said: “It’s fantastic to get this funding. These stories are so badly needed – we have been wanting to work on this for a long time now.

“It will take time, thought and experimentation to create the right kind of sensory stories- it would be impossible to do this without this funding from Creative Scotland.”

Acclaimed Gaelic singer and songwriterGillebrìde MacMillan will record a new album of original Gaelic songs and tour the work at venues across Scotland.

Gillebrìde has played a leading role in the resurgence of Gaelic song composition, with two critically acclaimed albums and the ÒranÙrproject, which has showcased new Gaelic songwriting through concerts, workshops and podcasts. He will work with a stellar band of musicians and producer Pablo Lafuente on the new recording.

Gillebrìde, who is also known internationally for his work as Gwyllyn the Bard on Outlander, said: “I am honoured and delighted to get this support from Creative Scotland for something that I am so passionate about.

“It is vitally important that Gaelic song composition is encouraged and developed. Original song recordings, and the performance of those songs, shows the vibrancy of the language and the community and ensures that the Gaelic song tradition is constantly renewing and developing.”

Aberdeen Animates will build on its successful inaugural event to create a more ambitious annual programme for emerging and early-career animation creatives in the North East.

The 2027 programme will feature screenings, industry talks, awards and networking at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on 27 March 2027, alongside year-round links with schools, colleges, universities and creative networks.

The programme aims to build confidence, industry knowledge and connections, while strengthening Aberdeen’s animation and digital creative community.

Aberdeen Animates’ project team said: “Creative Scotland’s support has allowed us to take something that started as a small local event and give it the space and resources to grow into something much more ambitious.

“For our audience, particularly emerging animators and early-career creatives, that means more opportunities to see their work celebrated, meet people working in the industry, build connections and feel part of a creative community.”

Leith-based Jaggy Edina Productions will bring The Rhinestone Cowboy to audiences in Scotland and Iceland.

Created by mother and son duo Heidi and Harry Docherty, the multimedia theatre production tells the true story of a young man’s journey from Scotland to Iceland, exploring identity, belonging, migration and mental health through theatre, original music, sound and projected visuals.

With Open Fund support, the production will grow from an intimate work into a more ambitious presentation, with performances at Tjarnarbíó in Reykjavik on 29 September and 1 October 2026, followed by Summerhall Arts in Edinburgh on 23 and 24 October.

Heidi and Harry Docherty said: “We are delighted to say that the Open Fund will enable us to evolve the play from its earlier, more intimate format into a more fully realised and ambitious presentation suitable for larger audiences and international contexts, reflecting the narrative journey at the centre of the production while supporting cultural exchange and international engagement with contemporary Scottish theatre.”

Paul Burns, Director of Arts at Creative Scotland said: “These awards showcase the extraordinary range of stories being created and shared across Scotland, and the many ways in which artists and organisations are connecting people with culture.

“From emerging talent to the continuing evolution of Gaelic song, to inclusive storytelling and contemporary theatre connecting Scotland with the rest of the world, these projects celebrate where we have come from whilst looking towards the future.”

“Thanks to National Lottery funding, the Open Fund is helping artists and organisations create work that can be enjoyed, experienced and shared by people of all ages and backgrounds, strengthening connections between people, communities and the places they call home.”

The full list of awardees in this round of Open Funding can be found on Creative Scotland’s website.

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Audiences up at this year’s Tradfest

A CELEBRATION OF THE PAST, THE PRESENT & THE FUTURE OF TRAD IN EDINBURGH

Multi-award winning Scottish folk band Session A9 closed this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest with a standout live performance, and multiple encores at the Traverse Theatre on Monday 11 May.

The festival ran from (1-11 May) and included 11 days of live music, talks, workshops, folk film screenings and storytelling, thanks to continued support from Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.

This year’s programme of over 60 events, was a tremendous success, with organisers enjoying:

● A 9% increase in ticket sales to music events at the Traverse Theatre.

● Multiple sell-outs including award-winning Connemara singing sensations Séamus and Caoimhe, Kim Carnie, Eilidh Shaw and Ian Carr, The Onlies, Deiseil: Dancing in Time, Nexus Project, Dick Gaughan in conversation and Session A9.

● Standing ovations for multiple performers including: Rajasthani folk trio SAZ; and Ukrainian folk musician and live-looping artist GANNA.

● Free pop up performances from Astro Bloc at Edinburgh Airport, SAZ at the Aroma Restaurant and Bar in Broxburn, and Dauntless at Nobles Bar in Leith.

● An increase in audiences aged under 26 thanks to the festival’s £9 ticket offer for younger audiences. Under 35s up from 21% to 25%

● A more international audience than ever before with 21% of the audience from outside the UK, whilst still being popular in the local area – 73% from Scotland (55% from Edinburgh).

This year’s music commission A’Chiad Litir, (The First Letter) also received 5-star reviews.The piece, inspired by the life of sixteenth-century lesbian love poet Marie Maitland, touched on questions of language, identity and the notion of queerness and was created and performed by renowned singer songwriter and composer Josie Duncan.

Joining Josie was a stellar line-up of musicians including; Charlotte Printer (bass and vocals), Chloë Bryce (fiddle), Eilidh Rogers (percussion), Jenny Clifford (guitar) and Ashley Douglas (spoken word) who read one of Marie Maitland’s poems addressed to another woman she loved.

Other stand-out highlights from this year included trad powerhouse RURA and newcomers Astro Bloc who played to a lively crowd on opening night at Potterrow; The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter – a live vaudeville act, featuring old-time music performed on fiddles, banjos and sousaphone; Isla Ratcliff’s Scottish trad reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons; and award-winning folk singer Fiona Hunter taming toddlers with her interactive music session for under 5s and above.

Further afield, the hugely successful Folk Film Gathering supported by Screen Scotland, drew in the crowds with its popular programme of Scottish and international films, many accompanied by live scores or introductory talks.

In particular, the launch of Faodail | Found Outer Hebrides Film Archive website which featured live music from acclaimed accordionist and composer Pàdruig Morrison with fiddler and Gaelic singer Claire Frances MacNeil; the world premiere of a new documentary exploring the life and work of tradition bearer Jimmy Hutchison; Celtic Utopia which celebrates Ireland’s current folk renaissance and features many bold, funny, and politically outspoken young Irish folk musicians including Lankum and The Mary Wallopers; the UK premiere of Italian documentary Canone Effimero which showcases the raw energy and some of the vibrant folk traditions of Italy; and a curated selection of early, rarely-seen silent films by Scottish legendary film maker Bill Douglas.

Over at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, crowds gathered on Living Heritage Discovery Day to hear Ireland’s folklore aficionado Michael Fortune talk about Intangible Cultural Heritage and tradition-bearing.

Plus, throughout the festival, the Centre’s popular ‘What is…’ series of talks explaining what makes traditional dance, music,crafts, Gaelic, and Scots, truly traditional, drew audiences from all over, keen to hear from the experts about what makes each artform unique.

Lauren Paterson, Head of Programming at the Scottish Storytelling Centre said: “During the year of the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s 20th birthday, it’s been a joy to welcome audiences, performers and tradition-bearers alike to celebrate the richness, liveliness and variety of Scotland’s living heritage as part of Edinburgh Tradfest.

“From hands-on Come and Try sessions and workshops to explorations of traditional culture and identity through conversation and performance, it’s been inspiring to see so many people engaging with traditions and making connections with their own experience.”

Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “We are delighted and encouraged with how Edinburgh Tradfest went this year. To have audiences up by 9% is a real achievement especially in tough economic times.

“We are also extremely happy to see the numbers rising amongst the younger age groups. One of the many highlights for 2026 was the move into other areas of the city with some entertaining (and free) pop up performances.

“We hit Broxburn, Turnhouse and Leith this year, and are already planning to pop up in some other unusual locations for 2027.”

Edinburgh Tradfest will return from 30 April to 10 May 2027.

www.edinburghtradfest.com

100+ new creative initiatives boosted by £1.6 million Open Fund support

Funding includes collectives tackling gender inequality

Projects aiming to reduce gender inequality will benefit from the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund. 109 projects have received support in this latest round of National Lottery funding, including inclusive literature workshops and enlightening theatre work for young people.

Feminist Exchange Network (FEN) is a Glasgow-based collective of women and marginalised genders who use art and creative practice to explore how feminist economics relate to people’s everyday lived experiences.

At the heart of the FEN programme is a mobile library – a physical structure built in 2021 by artist Hannah Brackston.

Housing a growing collection of books and materials on feminist issues including economics, climate justice, health, labour and community care, the library was designed not only as a collection of resources, but as an artistic and social tool, a catalyst for conversation, collective thinking and creative response, across the communities it visits.

Over the coming months FEN will deliver a series of workshops and events for women and other marginalised genders in the local community, inviting them to explore and respond to the ideas in the library’s collection.

They will be running workshops at Romano Lav, Milk, Amina and with groups of New Scots, as well as a performance and film event as part of the Govanhill Carnival in August.

Ailie Rutherford, Artistic Director of Feminist Exchange Network said: “The funding we have received from Creative Scotland will allow us to deliver a programme of mobile library workshops, feminist exchanges and public events to bring artist-led, participatory activity to community venues across South Glasgow – creating accessible spaces to explore intersecting feminist issues relevant to local concerns such as care, health, labour, climate justice and alternative economic futures.”

I Am Not My Hair is a new dance-theatre work created for black and mixed-race girls aged 8-12 years old. The piece celebrates the history, cultural significance and creativity of black hair, highlighting both the pressures young people face to fit in and the power of embracing who they are.

Drawing on lived experience, the work responds to the lack of representation for young Black audiences in the performing arts. Through vibrant movement, music and storytelling, the piece will create a space where identity is honoured and individuality is celebrated.

The project aims to give young audiences the chance to see themselves reflected on stage, while inviting wider audiences to engage with the richness and meaning of Black hair culture, it aims to foster pride, understanding and a more inclusive artistic landscape.

Developed by Edinburgh-based French-Cameroonian musician, composer and singer-songwriter Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda, Creative Scotland funding will be used to support the development of a preview of the show, to be presented this autumn.

Multi-disciplinary artist Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda. Photo -Hen Hoose Collective.

Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda, Developer of I Am Not My Hair said: “The Open Fund will allow me to develop work that affirms Black identity and culture, and that offers joy, complexity and visibility.

“To me, this is the right moment to bring this work to the stage and that speaks directly to the experiences of Black communities, empowers young people and challenges the limited narratives traditionally seen in theatre. I want young Black and Mixed-Race girls to feel seen, valued, and understood by a wider audience.”

Matrescence is a three-month creative project from Glasgow Library of Synthesised Sound (GLOSS) co-founder and musician, Suzi Cook, exploring the profound physical and psychological shifts known as matrescence – the transition into motherhood. Drawing on her own and others’ experiences, Cook will weave their voices into layered compositions, in part inspired by communal voice traditions including Gaelic psalm singing. “I’m creating music that grows and transforms in real time,” Cook explains, “embracing chaos, paradox and tenderness – much like motherhood itself.”

Cook’s recordings will be processed through granular instruments and effects using their unpredictable textures as a metaphor for growth, surrender, and renewal. Developed over a residency of three months at GLOSS, the resulting body of work will form Cook’s first solo record to be released on her label, Full Ashram, with accompanying parallel artwork.

Part meditation on identity and interdependence and part sonic exploration of creativity within change, Matrescence marks a distinctive new contribution to Scotland’s experimental music landscape.

Musician and Gloss co-founder Suzi Cook. Photo by Lewis Cook.

Suzie Cook, Matrescence Project Lead and musician said: “The Open Fund has allowed me to create a flexible residency for myself: dedicated time to explore the themes of motherhood and matrescence, engage with the stories of other mothers and reconnect with a creative practice that necessarily quietened when I became a parent myself.

“Creativity looks and feels vastly different on the other side of becoming a mother. This residency is how I’ve finally been able to shape the time to respond to it.”

These Open Fund awards are among 109 individual grants made to artists and creative practitioners across Scotland in April 2026.

Other awards spanning artform and location in this round, include:

They Sent A Woman – recording artist Ella Munro will produce an album of Scots, folk and traditional song that centres on the stories and voices of women, both historical and contemporary with original songs included. The project will showcase lesser-known traditional music and highlight work by female songwriters, drawing attention to narratives that are often overlooked in the folk canon.

She Says No – a bold, stylistic monologue play where theatre, spoken word and electronic sound collide. The piece walks the line between liberty and sacrifice, celebrates female rage and asks whether women can ever find freedom in a patriarchal world. She Says No will be developed by SG Theatre Productions, with pilot performances at the Tron and Traverse theatres.

Feed Free – a pop-up exhibition by Hayley Hadden, organised in collaboration with the charity LLL Collective, portraying the realities, diversity, triumphs and challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers in Scotland.

Commenting on April’s Open Fund awards, Paul Burns, Director of Arts at Creative Scotland said: “The latest wave of awards expertly illustrates how creatives use Open Funding to champion important themes and rights like gender equality, creating access and representation right across Scotland.

“Thanks to support from The National Lottery, these forward-thinking initiatives will connect audiences to literature, devise original dance and theatre works, and produce boundary pushing experimental music.”

You can find the full list of awards in April on our website.

Creative Scotland: Crowdmatch Fund opens with £250,000 to support creative projects across Scotland

Applications have opened for Scotland-based artists, creators and cultural innovators to secure Crowdmatch backing from Creative Scotland in partnership with Crowdfunder.

Now in its seventh year, the programme offers eligible Crowdfunder campaigns the chancechance to receive up to 50% of their total funding target to a maximum of £10,000 per project.

The fund offers an invaluable route to a wide range of creative projects, from theatre and visual arts to film, music and community-driven initiatives to access funding in a more adaptable way than other funding routes available.

Jackie Stewart, Creative Industries Officer at Creative Scotland said: “The Crowdmatch Fund has grown beyond our initial expectations and has proven to be a real asset to the funding landscape for creators.

“Not only can they access funding more quickly and flexibly, but they’re building their community and audience while doing so. With a substantial budget available, we’ll be able to deliver a greater impact to Scotland’s creative community and explore how far Crowdmatch can go.”

The accessibility and track record of Crowdfunder UK, the UK’s leading crowdfunding platform, offers a streamlined pathway to National Lottery funds through Creative Scotland.

Simon Deverell, Founder & Co-CEO of Crowdfunder UK said: “We’ve loved working with Creative Scotland on Crowdmatch over the years, and it’s been incredible to see so many bold, brilliant ideas come to life through the programme.

“From music and film to grassroots community projects, the creativity we’ve seen has been nothing short of inspiring. Together, we’ve helped projects raise over £1.7 million to date, showing just how powerful community-backed funding can be.

“We can’t wait to see the next wave of talent, ideas and imagination land on the platform this year.”

Examples of successful projects through Crowdmatch include:

Julie Fowlis’ Live in Scotland album – raised £22,497 from 310 supporters (including £10,000 from Creative Scotland) to record live performances across a 2026 Scotland tour to produce a live album
Thrawn: A Scots Story – raised £12,755 from 140 supporters (including £5,000 from Creative Scotland) to create a documentary on changing attitudes toward the Scots as language
Dundee Radio Club – raised £6,532 from 96 supporters (including £2,950 from Creative Scotland) to grow its 2026 Listening Festival celebrating sound, creativity and connection over 72 hours

Individual artists, organisations and creative business in the arts, screen and creative industries can apply if they are:

An individual artist or creative practitioner based in Scotland
A freelance or self-employed creative aged 18 or over
A constituted creative, cultural or artistic organisation based in Scotland
A collective or creative business delivering creative activity

Full details and how to apply can be found on the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch Funding page.

Creative projects awarded £265,000 in immersive technology funding

17 projects spanning Stornoway, Forres, Fort William, Dundee, Lochgilphead, Greenock, Glasgow and Edinburgh have received £265,000 in the second round of Immersive Arts funding to support artists from all backgrounds to utilise immersive technologies.

With three distinct grant amounts available – £5,000, £20,000 and £50,000 – the funding supports artists at different stages of their creative development: to explore, experiment or expand how they make work that uses technology to actively involve an audience.

The Game by Biome Collective (Malath Abbas and Andy Truscott) received a £50,000 Expand grant to create an immersive sound-walk artwork through Dundee. Using a mobile app and headphones, audiences will walk through the city to explore football as a lived culture; their route, pace and pauses triggering different audio elements and composition.

Inspired by Andy Truscott’s father, a lifelong Dundee United supporter living with dementia, it preserves everyday journeys as a public artwork. The current prototype will be expanded through co-design with Alzheimer Scotland and local partners including Dundee United Community Trust, UNESCO City of Design Dundee and V&A Dundee, with the aim of a public release and city-wide launch event rooted in Dundee’s football heritage.

Malath Abbas said: “We’re proud to have secured Expand funding from Immersive Arts for The Game. For Biome Collective, this support recognises our ongoing work to push the boundaries of immersive arts and create experiences that extend beyond traditional screens into shared public space.

“It enables us to develop ambitious ideas with our partners and deliver innovative, accessible work for real audiences.”

Andy Truscott added: “Being a part of the Immersive Arts programme is a huge step forward for our project. Fundamentally, The Game is about the rituals that define us. By weaving together personal memories of Dundee’s football culture with the physical act of walking through the city, we’re creating a living archive.

“This support allows us to honour stories, like those of my father, and transform everyday matchday routines into a shared, immersive experience for the whole community.”

Benefitting from a £20,000 Experiment grant, Wild Wings of Hope in Edinburgh are developing an Augmented Reality (AR) experience for hospice patients and families bringing art, nature and technology together to create moments of beauty and connection in times of loss.

A £5,000 Explore grant for Lana Enix in Greenock will support development of responsive environments using large-scale projections of 3D simulations that metamorphosise in real-time in response to audience presence and behaviour.

Funding for Immersive Arts is provided through a collaboration between the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England (ACE), the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI). Funding from Creative Scotland, ACW and ACNI is provided by The National Lottery.

Morgan Petrie, Creative Industries Manager at Creative Scotland, said: “Our congratulations to this round of funded artists whose innovation and creativity are truly inspiring.

“The power of Immersive Art’s focus on technical and artistic innovation, balanced by a deep commitment to inclusion at all stages, means that we are developing a strong grassroots network of tomorrow’s global leaders in the emerging fields of creative technology.

“Today’s recipients will be key participants in the interdisciplinary networks of production and distribution needed for this ecology to thrive.

“Our support for this programme reflects our commitment to driving innovation across the creative economy. By investing together with partners from all four UK nations, we are helping to build a stronger network of people and organisations working in creative innovation.

“The new ideas and approaches supported through these awards will open up fresh ways for audiences to connect with culture, helping to shape how the arts continue to enrich people’s lives throughout the 21st century.”

Verity McIntosh, Director of Immersive Arts and Professor of Immersive Arts and Culture at University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), said: “We are delighted to be able to support so many extraordinary UK artists and projects through this latest funding announcement.

“Our thanks to the incredible partners and funders who continue to make it possible for artists to develop their practice and make bold new works with powerful cultural impact, connecting UK creativity with audiences around the world.”

The Scotland-based projects will be supported by cultural organisation Cryptic, and can be found below:

Organisation/Individual	Activity	Amount	Location
Dæmon Clelland	Charged Encounter	£50,000	Glasgow
Biome Collective	The Game	£50,000	Dundee
Adrian Hon	Strandfall	£20,000	Edinburgh
Wild Wings of Hope	Wild Wings of Hope in VR	£20,000	Edinburgh
Company Hame	The Shape of Grief -VR	£20,000	Forres
NOCTURN	Good Enough: Multisensory Queer Storytelling in Scotland	£20,000	Glasgow
Robbie Thomson	Synapse	£20,000	Stornoway
Yulia Kovanova & Louis McHugh	Hall of Hushes	£20,000	Edinburgh
Andrew Lawson Maclean	Learning Skills. Exploring Potential.	£5,000	Fort William
Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland	By Leaves We Live. When Morris Met Geddes.	£5,000	Edinburgh
OPECC	‘Reactive Determinism’	£5,000	Glasgow
Lana Enix	Responsive Simulations	£5,000	Greenock
Bootleg Parlour Magic	Exploring spatial audio for games	£5,000	Glasgow
Nils Aksnes	Sonic Obscura	£5,000	Lochgilphead
Sophie Bancroft	Exploring Immersive Storytelling Pathways	£5,000	Edinburgh
Stuart Brown	Audiovisual Percussion in Immersive Performance	£5,000	Glasgow
Vida Boudin	Otherworldly Fashion	£5,000	Glasgow

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.

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£990,000 National Lottery Funding brings Arts to the heart of Scots Communities

Community projects across Scotland have secured £990,000 funding in the latest round of Open Fund awards from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

Broadening access to culture and creativity lies at the heart of the Open Fund. November’s awards showcase this commitment with projects such as a solar-powered mobile theatre space bringing puppetry to Scotland’s most remote communities, Scots folktale workshops welcoming the nation’s new residents, a theatre residency in the Highlands offering transformative skills development and initiatives tackling gender barriers in the music industry.

Vision Mechanics is setting the stage for a new era of theatre with The Solar Stage – a travelling, solar-powered and carbon neutral performance space, designed to tour bespoke marionette puppets across the country. This self-sufficient mobile venue will bring live theatre to communities where cultural access may otherwise be limited-bringing creativity to peoples’ doorsteps.

With over 40 years dedicated to the art of marionette puppetry Vision Mechanics will use The Solar Stage to showcase their latest project, The Circus of Dreams, inspired by the magic of Edwardian and Victorian travelling circuses. Audiences can expect a fully immersive space, exploring the intricate craftsmanship behind each puppet and stepping into a world where puppetry meets sustainability.

Symon Macintyre, Artistic Director at Vision Mechanics said: “Creative Scotlland’s Open Fund has enabled us to create The Solar Stage, not simply a theatre, but a sculptural, solar-powered artwork that becomes home to the last touring marionette show in Scotland.

“This support allows us to bring a rare and fragile art form to communities that seldom experience it, while touring in a truly sustainable way. The fund is helping us preserve marionette heritage, nurture new artists, and share something magical with audiences across the country.” country.”

Folktales for New Scots is a vibrant community arts initiative designed to share Scotland’s rich storytelling tradition with those making Scotland their home.

Led by Beetroots Collective CIC, the project will deliver 24 interactive storytelling and art workshops across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayr and Peebles. Each session pairs a local storyteller with an arts workshop inspired by the chosen folktale, creating space for cultural exchange and artistic expression.

Marta Adamowicz and Robert Motyka, Directors and leading artists at Beetroots Collective CIC said: “The Open Fund will provide us with the opportunity to foster new collaborations, explore artistic experimentation, and engage socially across diverse Scottish locations.

“Through these initiatives, we will welcome new participants and reach new audiences, thereby contributing to Scotland’s rich cultural landscape.

“Migrant communities will gain deeper insight into Scottish culture while sharing their own traditions, creating a meaningful exchange.”

Vivid Roots Collective is launching its Pilot Residency Project to empower Highland-based theatre makers with the skills and support to create original work.

Taking place across three venues in the north of Scotland, the residencies will offer local theatre makers the chance to develop new projects while participating in workshops and scratch nights, building regional connections and strengthening local theatre communities.

Vivid Roots will offer 11 public events, create paid opportunities for seven openly recruited artists, and casual work for mentors and workshop facilitators. In total, 29 artists will be involved with audiences across online and in-person events – bringing fresh creative energy to the Highlands

Laura Walker, CEO and Creative Producer at Vivid Roots Collective, said:“This funding has allowed us to make a huge transition as an organisation.

“We announced in the autumn that we would be moving away from a festival model so that we can support more artists across a year-long programme of events, and a wider area of delivery.

“This programme is all about supporting artists to invest in their own creative and professional development, with a big focus on delivery across multiple locations in the Highlands, which we have been working on since the beginning.”

Hen Hoose Collective is tackling gender-based barriers in the music industry with a 16-month programme of free, practical skills development initiatives for women and non-binary creatives.

The programme will offer writing camps, production workshops and career development sessions, while partnering with organisation such as Music Broth, We Are Here Scotland and One Groove to produce a collaborative project.

Participants will also have the opportunity to up-skill at a songwriting residency in Fife, working alongside acclaimed producer Dan Gautreau at First Cut Studios.

Tamara Schlesinger, founder and CEO of Hen Hoose said: “The funding from Creative Scotland Open Fund has been absolutely transformative.

“It has allowed us to uplift and support nearly 700 women and non-binary artists across Scotland through panels, workshops, mentoring, and collaborative songwriting projects … for so many, this fund has been genuinely life-changing, and we are incredibly grateful to be able to continue this work.”

These awards are among 50 individual grants made to artists and creative practitioners across Scotland in November 2025. Other awards spanning artform and location include:

Overcoming The “Invisible Women” Syndrome – a social and educational group based in Edinburgh providing older female writers with a safe, inclusive space to hone their craft, led by author Anne Hamilton.
Outer SpacesScotland Residency – collaborating with artists and the public in Aberdeen to explore our shared connection with nature. Insights gathered will shape an immersive exhibition designed to travel sustainably – using public transport – to underserved Scottish island communities.
The2026 Lammermuir Festival – taking place in East Lothian and Midlothian throughout September 2026, with a 12-day classical music programme.

Commenting on November’s Open Fund awards, Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland said: “This group of awards demonstrates the ingenious ways organisations are ensuring all parts of society and all areas of Scotland have access to culture.

“Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, communities across the country will be able to enjoy award-winning musical performances, experience innovative new theatrical environments and learn new skills, as well as developing their own creativity.”

november-2025—open-fund-awards Download

Funding secures theatre’s future

Cumbernauld Theatre Trust receives £150,000

The Cumbernauld Theatre Trust, in North Lanarkshire, has been awarded £150,000 transition funding from the Scottish Government to help secure its future.

The funding will ensure the future of the Theatre as a going concern, so that it can continue its cultural programme and community work, while taking steps to enhance its financial sustainability and operations.

Cumbernauld Theatre Trust was the only was the only organisation to lose regular funding when Creative Scotland announced successful bidders for Multi-Year Funding in January, as a result of its application which was unsuccessful.

A record number of cultural organisations were successful in applying for Multi-Year Funding, following a £34 million increase for culture in the arts in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget. Over half of these organisations were awarded multi-year funding for the first time, and all successful applicants who previously received regular funding got a significant uplift.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Cumbernauld Theatre is an important cultural asset for North Lanarkshire and the wider culture sector in Scotland.

“As a result of its failure to secure Multi-Year Funding, the Trust faced a critical funding gap for 2026-27, which would have required the Trust to consult on redundancies.

“Given the Theatre’s significance to the community and in order to protect the sector-specific skills it provides employment opportunities for, the Scottish Government has agreed to support the Trust with £150,000 in grant funding over 2026-27, and a potential further £150,000 in 2027-28 – subject to the Trust demonstrating its sustainability issues are being resolved.

“This funding should enable the Trust to move beyond a challenging period and take the necessary steps to secure Cumbernauld Theatre’s future.”

Alan Caldwell, Chair of Cumbernauld Theatre Trust said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson and the Scottish Government for our constructive conversations over the last few months and today’s announcement of its strategic investment in the future of this important cultural organisation.

“Their grant of £150,000 in 2026/27 and a potential further award in 2027/28 allows the Trust time to plan for a long-term sustainable future, while continuing to deliver its valuable work for residents in an area of Scotland which is under-served in terms of cultural and community opportunities.”

Creative Scotland has also agreed to give Cumbernauld Theatre Trust £99,557 in support of a programme of community engagement and work celebrating the town’s anniversary over the course of 2026.

BACKGROUND:

Multi-Year Funding Outcome Announcement | Creative Scotland

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Scottish Government welcomes Independent Culture Fair Work Taskforce recommendations

16 recommendations to improve working conditions in the creative industries

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has welcomed recommendations from an independent Taskforce set up to advise on current employment conditions in Scotland’s culture and creative industries.

Following extensive engagement with the sectors, the Culture Fair Work Taskforce has published a total of 16 recommendations for how Fair Work conditions in the sector could be improved, in response to concerns raised around precarious freelance work, unpaid internships and fair pay and conditions.

The recommendations include:

the creation of a disputes and adjudication mechanism to handle disputes between employers and staff
safeguarding of creatives’ work against theft from AI misappropriation, and
an increased role for Creative Scotland in ensuring Fair Work.

The Culture Secretary said: “I am very grateful to members of the independent Taskforce for their work on this report, which identifies a number of areas for improvement when it comes to how Fair Work is embedded in Scotland’s creative industries.

“I will take time to carefully consider the detail of the recommendations for Scottish Government and will update Parliament in due course on the actions we will take in response. Given that some would intersect with reserved legislation, I will also be writing urgently to ask my UK Government counterparts to consider what actions they can take.”

Briana Pegado, Chair of the independent Taskforce said: “It has been a pleasure chairing the Independent Culture Fair Work Taskforce with colleagues from across the creative industries and culture sector.

“Union representation, arts organisations, industry membership bodies, enterprise agencies, local authorities, creative networks, historic bodies, museums and freelancers have all been represented. Creative Scotland has also been represented on this task force. I am so grateful to the Taskforce members that have contributed their time, energy and expertise to this work.

“There has been a real commitment to crafting a set of recommendations that speak to areas as broad as fair pay and remuneration to the impact of AI on the cultural sector workforce. Considerations of equity and inclusion as well as how fair work may be enforced are all part of our recommendations.

“I am confident that many of our recommendations signal radical, innovative solutions to fair work that will help Scotland reach its ambitions to be a Fair Work Nation by 2030.

“Models across the continent have been considered and approaches across different industries have been reviewed. I am confident that our recommendations and draft charter prove to be a roadmap for the future of Fair Work that demonstrates a real appetite for systemic change can exist alongside practical solutions grounded in deeply embedded partnership working.

“I hope the Cabinet Secretary and other Ministers take our recommendations into consideration and I thank them for trusting us with this piece of work. I look forward to their response.”

Independent Culture Fair Work Task Force – Recommendations and Key Issues for a Fair Work Charter – gov.scot

Hidden Door 2026 dates confirmed after vital funding boost

Edinburgh’s pop-up arts festival confirms 2026 return following major funding boost, with immediate call for artists to get involved

Hidden Door has announced its highly anticipated return to Edinburgh next year, with the multi-arts event taking place from Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 7th June 2026.

The announcement follows confirmation of vital support from Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year Fund, a major funding commitment that secures the future of the festival through to 2027 and enables the volunteer-run charity to embark on ambitious planning for 2026.

Following the success of transforming The Paper Factory earlier this year, Hidden Door is ready to begin the search for the next wave of talent to join the 2026 programme. The festival, known for showcasing and supporting new and emerging artists, is immediately opening its doors for applications from visual artists keen to present work as part of the 2026 programme.

Further open calls will follow in the new year inviting poets, dancers, theatre-makers and other creatives to get involved. The festival provides a unique, highly visible platform for artists to reach large audiences and test new ideas within an immersive and dynamic environment.

Hazel Johnson, Hidden Door’s Director, said: “This support from the Creative Scotland Multi-Year Fund is truly transformative for Hidden Door.

“As a volunteer-run organisation, securing funding for 2026 and 2027 gives us the stability and freedom to be more ambitious than ever, allowing us to focus entirely on finding and championing incredible emerging Scottish talent.

“We are so excited to immediately open our visual art open call and to welcome the innovative ideas that will define our next chapter. We look forward to working with artists to turn another forgotten space into a vibrant cultural hub.”

Hidden Door is committed to ensuring fair pay for all artists. The funding from Creative Scotland, alongside ticket revenue, donations and sponsorship, means the festival has created paid opportunities for thousands of artists and performers since 2010.

In keeping with its tradition of transforming disused or abandoned spaces into temporary venues, the location for the 2026 festival remains a closely guarded secret for now. Hidden Door will announce the venue in the New Year, ahead of the full programme reveal.