The UK’s National Lottery Fund has awarded grants worth more than GB£6 million to various community projects, the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) announced recently. The list of recipients included: An Lanntair, which received £3.06 million for a new arts centre in Stornoway; City of Glasgow Council, £2.2 million for a new arts centre in Easterhouse, and to Dundee City Council, which gets £752,000 for major upgrading of the Caird Hall. Each grant is intended to make a considerable difference to their respective communities, providing an increased range of arts activities and wider access to the arts. The new multi-purpose centre on the Louise Carnegie site in Stornoway will provide An Lanntair with a much needed purpose-built facility. It will include: a gallery; a fully flexible 250 seat auditorium for theatre, music, dance and cinema; an educational workshop space; a community room; offices; shop; bar and café/restaurant. Dundee’s Caird Hall complex is the city’s largest multi-use arts building, and will use its grant to help with the costs of upgrading technical equipment, the renewal of seating and flooring, refurbishment of the dressing rooms, café areas and kitchens and a range of other improvements. Once completed, the work will ensure that the Caird Hall is among the county’s key venues for large-scale performances and a vital link for arts provision in Dundee. The £2.2 million grant to the City of Glasgow Council will help create the Easterhouse Arts Factory. The grant is made jointly to Glasgow City Council and Greater Easterhouse Arts Company, which will ultimately run the new centre. Easterhouse already has an active range of local arts organisations and was one of SAC’s first recipients of funds under its Social Inclusion Partnership Scheme in 2000. The Arts Factory is the product of the subsequent arts strategy developed by Glasgow City Council for the area. Also, last month, SAC’s drama department witnessed an increase in funding of £3.5 million. The additional money will see the implementation of a three year plan to create a stronger infrastructure for Scottish theatre, as well as ensuring greater access for the entire Scottish community to quality drama, according to the SAC Chairman, James Boyle. Other priorities include the establishment of a Scottish National Theatre, in order to harness the potential to develop professional skills and careers, and a positive international reputation. [email protected]