Creative Scotland has announced details of the support, which aims to prevent insolvency or significant job losses due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
The beleaguered cultural sector has received a funding boost, with £25m set to be allocated to help keep organisations alive.
Today (Thursday 10 June), Creative Scotland has announced details of £25m additional emergency funds to help cultural organisations and venues prevent insolvency or significant job losses due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding was confirmed by the Scottish Government on 2 June.
A total of £13m will be made available through a further round of Creative Scotland’s Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund and £12m through a further round of the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund.
Both funds will be open to previous recipients of funding from the first round who are in need of further emergency support and new applicants that were eligible for the first round who are now in need of emergency support.
Both funds will also include an option for urgent payment of a proportion of the emergency funding being applied for, to support any organisations who are at immediate risk of insolvency.
Full guidance is published today, the funds will open for applications on 17 June and close for applications on 24 June. Any urgent emergency payments to mitigate risk of immediate insolvency will be made from 01 July, with further payments being made from the end of July, following full assessment.
Iain Munro, Creative Scotland chief executive, said: “We very much welcome this much needed additional emergency funding to support Scotland’s cultural organisations and performing arts venues, who continue to deal with the challenge of closure or partial closure due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
“Following confirmation from the Scottish Government on 02 June, everyone at Creative Scotland is working as quickly as possible to deliver this funding. As reflects the seriousness of the situation, this includes early payment of a proportion of funds to any organisation at immediate risk of insolvency.”
Jenny Gilruth MSP, culture minister, said: “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the culture sector has been profound, and the Scottish Government is determined to support the sector and performing arts venues as they continue to deal with its consequences.
“Which is why I am pleased that this further £25 million of additional emergency funds will now be available to support cultural organisations and venues address their urgent and critical needs.”
Full guidance on the funds can be found online.
