The Scottish Government yesterday announced a £6 million fund over three years to promote Scottish-based work from Edinburgh's Festivals.
The "Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund" will support new productions, events or exhibitions involving Scottish-based participants that premiere at any of the Edinburgh Festivals. The fund can also be used to support touring of events or performances after their premiere at the festival and allow successful work to reach new audiences.
"The Expo Fund is designed to help maintain the global competitive edge of the Festivals which make a significant contribution to our economy and attract visitors from around the world. This new support demonstrates the importance that this Government places on our creative industries," said Culture Minister Linda Fabiani.
"Eleven of the Festivals have bid for the Expo Fund and I look forward to announcing successful bids in the run up to the summer programme," added Fabiani.
The Scottish Arts
Council will assess and process projects for the Expo Fund cash for all of Edinburgh's 12 Festivals. The main role of co-ordinating and delivering the fund over three years goes to Festivals Edinburgh.
Director of Festivals Edinburgh Faith Liddell "profoundly" welcomed the funding
saying it created "unique, high quality and high profile showcase
opportunities for Scottish companies and individual artists across all
art forms."
"The first year-long Edinburgh Festivals Expo programme is the
single largest showcase of Scottish artists and work ever mounted,
presented on the unrivalled international platform of Scotland's
world-renowned Edinburgh Festivals."
Resources of £1.308 million are available for allocation in 2008-09. A
panel comprising members of the Thundering Hooves steering group and
Festivals Forum has recommended the projects for funding in 2008-09.
Successful projects will be announced shortly.