Lottery money has enabled the Scottish Arts Council to fund four outstanding cultural opportunities in Glasgow, Kirkintilloch, Dumfries and West Lothian. Each award, some in areas where little artistic provision currently exists, is aimed at providing first-class cultural centres for artists and local communities. The awards will allow applicants to develop their plans significantly, by meeting the costs of business planning, preliminary architectural work and producing building cost estimates An exciting new centre, housing eleven arts organisations, is planned for Glasgow’s King Street North Block. The project is being led by a partnership of Glasgow City Council (GCC) and The Wasps Trust. The venue currently houses many arts organisations and will see an improved and expanded range of spaces for artists to work in, combined with better public access. The organisations involved in the project are Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow Independent Studios, Sharmanka, Project Ability, Transmission Gallery, Journeymen, Street Level Photoworks, the Russian Cultural Centre and Glasgow Media Access Centre. The much-loved Briggait, on the city's Bridgegate, has been largely empty for years but will be redeveloped into world-class production and events facilities for Wasps Artists' Studios and Glasgow Sculpture Studios. The Wasps Trust has been awarded £105,000 and GCC £40,000 towards the development of these major regeneration projects in Glasgow's Merchant City. In Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, the regeneration of the Southbank canal side area will have a new arts and cultural centre at its heart. The Kirkintilloch Initiative is seeking support to provide a new community base and high-quality facilities to develop music, dance and drama activities within its 300-seat auditorium. Other proposed facilities include exhibition space, bar and kitchen, open space for events such as craft fairs, community spaces for workshops, classes and clubs, a recording studio, meeting rooms and dressing rooms. This community-led application has strong support from other partners within the Kirkintilloch waterside project and includes features such as a new bridge from the north side of the canal directly into the arts centre. The Kirkintilloch Initiative will use its £75,000 award towards development costs for the project. Improved provision for the performing arts lies at the heart of plans to redevelop the Theatre Royal Dumfries - Scotland's oldest working theatre and the home of The Guild of Players. Led by the dedicated team of community volunteers within the Dumfries Theatre Royal Trust, its plans include a major refurbishment of the building, which originally opened in 1792. The new space will include an improved auditorium, studio and rehearsal space, and a dedicated space for young people, including media and recording facilities. The Trust's £75,000 award will be used towards the project's development costs. Howden Park Centre, in Livingston, West Lothian will form the centrepiece of the local authority's cultural development plans. The area is already home to the excellent West Lothian Youth Theatre and improvements to Howden Park Centre will provide the Youth Theatre with a new dedicated space to call home and also improve the arts facilities available to the local community. West Lothian Council has received £58,000 to progress its plans for the centre. Each of the applicants will develop their plans over the coming months prior to a stage two application for the full development costs. The lottery has provided a windfall for the arts. Over the past nine years, capital lottery funding has supported 151 building projects to a value of nearly £104 million in Scotland. For more information, CLICK HERE