Published: 16 Feb 2021
Helping to shape future cultural life of Scotland’s local communities
£6 million of Scottish Government emergency COVID-19 funds will support creative practitioners, organisations and communities to work together across Scotland to help shape the future of local cultural life.
With grants of between £100,000 and £300,000 awarded through Creative Scotland’s Culture Collective programme, new opportunities for creative practitioners and communities will develop as 26 lead organisations work collaboratively to develop ways of responding to the impacts of the ongoing pandemic.
SEALL, working with Atlas Arts, Fèisean nan Gàidheal and 50 local businesses and organisations across Skye and Lochalsh, will take forward a rurally-focused COVID-19 cultural recovery plan with a lasting local impact. Interweaving their work in performance, visual arts and Gaelic culture, they will build an 18-month-long programme of residencies, events and learning led by six creative practitioners. Lindsay Dunbar, FRSA, Chair, SEALL said: "This is such positive news for arts and creativity in rural communities. As we work together to understand how the last 12 months have impacted on our wellbeing and economy, we need to strengthen our relationships and connections in a meaningful way. Culture should always be at the forefront of recovery in rural areas and this support from Creative Scotland is a wonderful way to acknowledge the exceptional achievements of SEALL and its partners in their work in making a long-lasting, positive impact towards a better future for their communities and for Scotland’s wider cultural sector."
The Ayr Gaiety Partnership, working with South Ayrshire Council, and other local partners, will build on established work to take a step forward in cultural and creative engagement with communities across the local area. Commenting, Ayr Gaiety Partnership Chief Executive, Jeremy Wyatt said: “We’re looking forward to commissioning creative practitioners to work with communities in Ayr, Girvan and Maybole. We are also pleased to be able build further on our existing professional development support for emerging artists and those at the early stages of their career.”
Independent Arts Projects are collaborating with disabled people and their communities to co-design a programme of sensory arts projects for those who experience multiple barriers to access to mainstream arts activities. Mhari Robinson, Executive Producer, Independent Arts Projects, continues, "We will create and adapt performance-based projects made specifically for and with Autistic individuals, those labelled as having complex disabilities, and those living with dementia. We'll be employing a diverse group of six artists part time for a year to work with local disabled participants and their families and building new partnerships with organisations, local authorities and individuals across Scotland to bring creative opportunities and activities to Fife, Glasgow, Perth & Kinross, Highland, Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh.”
The full list of Culture Collective recipients is available below.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “I am pleased to see this funding is helping to shape the future of local cultural life and support creative practitioners, organisations and communities during the pandemic.
“Culture is more important than ever to Scotland’s collective wellbeing and prosperity, and the last year has shown us how integral communities are to our sense of identity and purpose. The Culture Collective will help to create a positive difference in communities across Scotland, supporting them to respond creatively to the challenges posed by COVID-19.”
In addition to the Scottish Government funds, up to £300,000 of National Lottery funding will support the development of a national Culture Collective network for sharing progress and working towards programme research and evaluation.
Gary Cameron, Interim Director, Strategy, Creative Scotland said: “Thanks to Scottish Government and National Lottery funds, the pilot Culture Collective programme is bringing new thinking and promoting collaboration to create a positive difference locally and nationally in response to the pandemic.
“The Culture Collective provides an opportunity for organisations to explore and test new models of engagement and participation and to learn from each other, whether this is how it provides opportunities and support to creative practitioners or how it actively engages communities in its work. Over 250 employment opportunities are being created through the programme, with further opportunities anticipated as each individual programme progresses.”
Recruitment for a Culture Collective Programme Lead – to drive forward and co-ordinate this work - will go live on Tuesday 16 February. For more information and details on the Tender Process, please visit the Creative Scotland Opportunities website.
| Organisation | Awarded | Place | Local Authority |
| Alchemy Film & Arts | £145,000 | Hawick, Scottish Borders | Scottish Borders |
| Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians | £149,107 | Lothians | City of Edinburgh, Midlothian, West Lothian |
| Ayr Gaiety Partnership | £196,763 | Ayr, Girvan, Maybole | South Ayrshire |
| Creative Dundee | £300,000 | Tay Region - Dundee City, Perth & Kinross, Angus, and North Fife | Dundee City, Perth & Kinross, Angus, Fife |
| Dance North Scotland, M:ADE, Wildbird, Moray Way Association | £294,049 | Keith/Buckie, Speyside | Moray |
| Deveron Projects | £272,523 | Huntly | Aberdeenshire |
| Fèis Rois, Highland Third Sector Interface, Eden Court, Highland Print Studio, Lyth Arts Centre, North Lands Creative | £300,000 | Caithness, Sutherland, East Ross, Mid Ross, West Ross & Skye, Badenoch & Strathspey, Lochaber, Inverness and Nairn | Highland |
| Findhorn Bay Arts Ltd | £300,000 | Communities across Moray | Moray |
| Firefly Arts Ltd | £122,420 | West Lothian | West Lothian |
| Govanhill Baths Community Trust | £227,225 | Glasgow South - Govanhill, Queens Park, Crosshill, Pollokshields East, Kinning Park | Glasgow City |
| Independent Arts Projects Ltd | £180,000 | Fife, Glasgow, Perth & Kinross, Highland, Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh | Fife, Glasgow, Perth & Kinross, Highland, Aberdeenshire, City of Edinburgh |
| Intercultural Youth Scotland | £240,000 | Edinburgh | City of Edinburgh |
| Inverclyde Council, RIG Arts, The Beacon, Kayos Youth Theatre | £275,000 | Inverclyde | Inverclyde |
| Open Road | £118,847 | Footdee, Aberdeen | Aberdeen City |
| Reeltime Music | £138,777 | North Lanarkshire | North Lanarkshire |
| RIG Arts | £214,678 | Seedhill, Paisley | Renfrewshire |
| SEALL | £267,000 | Skye and Lochalsh | Highland |
| Shetland Arts Development Agency, An Lanntair, Pier Arts Centre, Taigh Chearsabhagh Trust | £269,325 | Shetland, Orkney, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Na h-Eileanan Siar |
| Southside Community Centre Association | £300,000 | South of Edinburgh | City of Edinburgh |
| Station House Media Unit on behalf of Culture Aberdeen | £300,000 | Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire | Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire |
| Stellar Quines Theatre Company | £136,510 | Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Levenmouth | Fife |
| Street Level Photoworks | £177,110 | Govanhill, Gorbals | Glasgow City |
| The Stove Network | £296,476 | Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Annan and Eskdale, Nithsdale, North West Dumfries | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Toonspeak Young People's Theatre | £169,993 | Balornock, Barmulloch, Springburn/Robroyston | Glasgow City |
| Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland | £200,750 | Blacklands, Kilwinning; Dunterlie, Barrhead; Castlehill, Dumbarton; Langlees/Bainsford, Falkirk; Lochend/Restalrig, Edinburgh; Cabrach, Moray; Newtongrange/Newbattle; Cumbernauld; Kinross | North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, City of Edinburgh, Moray, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross |
| WHALE Arts, North Edinburgh Arts | £300,000 | Muirhouse and West Pilton, Wester Hailes | City of Edinburgh |
| Total | £5,891,553 |
The National Lottery has raised more than £41billion for more than 565,000 good causes across the UK since 1994. Thanks to National Lottery players, up to £600 million has been made available to support people, projects and communities throughout the UK during the Coronavirus crisis. www.national-lottery.co.uk
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com . Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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