Creative Scotland, the development agency for the arts, screen and creative industries, today announced the outcome of its review of foundation organisations.
Creative Scotland invests in a wide range of cultural producers and promoters and the £18 Million Foundation programme is one of its flagship programmes supporting organisations including the Edinburgh International Festival and Glasgow’s Tron Theatre to the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney and City Moves Aberdeen.
Creative Scotland will maintain support for 41 foundation organisations that are delivering strong cultural programmes. These include organisations such as the Fruitmarket Gallery, Glasgow Print Studio, Artlink and Fèis Rois. Other important organisations such as North Lands Glass, An Tobar and the Association of Scottish Literary Studies will continue to receive investment through Creative Scotland’s other programmes.
A small number of increases will be awarded to organisations that consistently achieve good practice in meeting Creative Scotland’s objectives.
Highlights of the review include:
•Continued investment in more 40 Foundation organisations
•Increased revenue investment in youth arts activity
•Additional support to high-performing organisations in the Highlands
•Support for the growth of Edinburgh International Book Festival
•Expansion plans for Dundee Rep
•Additional support for Perth’s Horsecross,
•A major boost for the Scottish Ensemble orchestra
•Continuing investment in a range of Gaelic agencies including an increase for Feisean Nan Gaidheal
The review has been carried out to provide a basis for the future investment of the £18.2 Million which sits at the heart of Creative Scotland’s investment programmes and represents over 50% of our core funding from the Scottish Government.
The review has been thorough, with over 150 hours of face-to-face conversations, and our evaluation shows that the process has been welcomed by the vast majority of organisations.
Venu Dhupa, Director of Creative Development, Creative Scotland, announcing the review outcomes said:
‘These organisations are the foundation of Scotland’s cultural sector and have delivered significant benefits to Scotland’s creative development, its economy and in growing audiences.
‘It’s been great to see so many good ideas put forward in the effort to deliver for a creative Scotland. The review has been an opportunity for celebration and congratulation, as much as a ‘health check’.
‘Creative Scotland’s responsibility is to ensure that that the country’s strong cultural foundations can continue to be ambitious, to act as beacons for the development of talent, increase the diversity of those participating in the our creative life, as well as developing businesses which are sustainable into the longer term.
‘Organisations are finding ways to operate more efficiently. Each of the foundation organisations shares with us a responsibility to use their public investment wisely, as well as sharing opportunities to celebrate their achievements.’
Increases in investment will go to:
•Feisean Nan Gaidheal, the Gaelic Youth Music agency, has been awarded a 40% increase or £100,000, to continue its excellent work with young people and community participation, to a total award of £352,500;
•Scottish Poetry Library, will now receive £279,000, a rise of 36%, to reward good practice, for example their stewardship of he National Poet for Scotland and National Poetry Day;
•Glasgow Sculpture Studios will receive £166,250, a rise of 32%, or £40,000, to support their work with artists;
•Glasgow Film Theatre’s award will increase by 26% to £240,000 per year, an increase of £50,000, to consolidate their work in talent development and touring through support for Great Scots and the Margaret Tait Award and to enable them to continue to build international contacts and networks on behalf of Scotland;
•Edinburgh International Book Festival’s annual award will rise by £50,000 to £252,000, an increase of 25%, rewarding good practice and to allow them to explore new ideas for innovations and expansion of the Festival;
•Scottish Ensemble’s £50,000 annual increase, a 21% rise, giving the organisation £292,000, to reward innovation in their practice and business model and develop their international presence;
•Puppet Animation Scotland’s rise of 21% will take its annual funding to £183,500, to reward good practice and increasing participation, particularly through Manipulate;
•National Youth Choir of Scotland’s annual award will rise by 20%, to £91,760; to celebrate their ongoing high quality contribution to the youth arts sector and innovation within their business model;
•Horsecross Arts Limited Perth has received a 17% uplift of £70,000 to £474,000; Horsecross Arts Limited – to recognise and reward their high quality music programme and work with international artists;
•Y-dance (Scottish Youth Dance) is receiving a £20,000 increase, taking their annual award to £141,200, a 17% increase, for their achievements in increasing access to dance participation through Project Y;
•Dance Base: will receive £328,000, an 8% uplift, to consolidate its work in talent development, particularly the Catalyst initiative;
•Eden Court Theatre, will receive an 8% increase, to a total of £600,000 per year, to reward good practice in their general operation and particularly in the area of creative learning. This will allow them to explore more opportunities in the area of small scale touring and talent development;
•Scottish Dance Theatre’s award will rise to £868,000, including a £60,000, or 7%, increase, to reward their general good practice and pioneering artistic leadership in the area of art and disability. We hope this will also allow them to build their international connections, raising the profile of Scotland abroad;
•Dundee Rep, which will receive a further £60,000 per year, a 6% increase, bringing its annual award up to £1,085,150, for their expansion plans.
Creative Scotland will shortly begin a review of Scotland’s cultural ecology of the performing arts (theatre, dance, music), visual arts and crafts. These will conclude by April 2012 and will inform future investment.