Festivals given £3m in Government funding
The events will receive a share of the £2.8 million Festivals Expo Fund, and Festivals Edinburgh will get £200,000 from Creative Scotland for branding and marketing support for the events in the capital.
The Expo Fund spending has increased from £1.7 million last year.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will receive £670,000, while the Edinburgh International Book Festival will be given £200,000, the same amount as for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'Scotland's festivals are our cultural shopfront to the rest of the world.
'As well as offering performers and creatives an unrivalled international platform, they also deliver an annual economic uplift to businesses, jobs and livelihoods right across the country.
'This year's funding increase for the existing Expo festivals cohort represents an increase of £1 million across the 14 festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the first in 10 years.
'It recognises the success of festivals in shaping and supporting hundreds of commissions, enhancing the ambitions of thousands of Scottish artists and attracting audiences in the millions for Expo-supported work since the fund's creation in 2007.
'From this foundation we will expand the reach of the Expo fund across the whole of Scotland, and I am working with festivals across the country through the strategic festivals partnership to realise this commitment.'
Dana MacLeod, executive director of arts, communities and inclusion at Creative Scotland, welcomed the funding, saying it will enable festivals to 'commission bold ideas, develop creative collaborations and present high-quality programmes for audiences in Scotland and internationally'.
Lori Anderson, director of Festivals Edinburgh, said: 'Today's announcement is welcome news for our festivals and for Scotland's cultural sector, ensuring that the guiding principle of the Scottish Government's Festivals Expo Fund – to showcase Scottish talent to the world on the country's premier festival platforms – continues to successfully support creative careers.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Reporter
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Royal visitor attends the Highland Show
HRH The Princess Royal visited the Royal Highland Show on Friday and was accompanied by RHASS Chairman, James Logan, and Chief Executive, Alex Paterson on a tour of the Show ground. This included a visit to the RHET Discovery Centre, where she met local primary school children taking part in the educational activities. She also enjoyed watching the showjumping competition and toured the Cattle Hall. Fittingly, the Queen's Cup was awarded on Friday at the Royal Highland Show – a prestigious trophy awarded annually to the champion of the livestock entry. This year it was presented to Messrs Webster + Smith with dairy goat, Guilden Elma. David Tennant, Head of Show, said: 'Friday at the Show has been a true sun-soaked spectacle and we are thrilled to see our visitors and families enjoy all that the show has to offer. From sheep shearing to competitions, sheepdog skills to cookery demonstrations, there's something for everyone to enjoy. 'We were very honoured to have welcomed HRH The Princess Royal today and shared with her all of the great achievements from the Scottish agricultural industry.' Royal Highland Show, HRH The Princess Royal visits the show Royal Highland Show, HRH Princes Anne visits the show Royal Highland Show, HRH Princes Anne visits the show Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Penthouses selling fast in East Lothian
Penthouses now released in Musselburgh. New home buyers looking for a premium penthouse living experience in Musselburgh have a rare opportunity to secure one of the region's only available top floor properties. Positioned on the banks of the River Esk, The Wireworks, a development by the Scottish property developer, Dundas, has had exceptional demand with half of the first released penthouses sold before they are even built. Representing the only opportunity for penthouse living currently available in East Lothian, The Wireworks is elevated living on a truly impressive scale. Buyers can enjoy panoramic views stretching across to Edinburgh, out towards the iconic Bass Rock in North Berwick, and deep into East Lothian's picturesque countryside – all from the comfort of their own private penthouse. Craig Fairfoull, Sales and Marketing Director at Dundas said: 'The Wireworks has proven to be hugely popular, particularly our penthouse collection which represents the only opportunity for penthouse living in East Lothian. 'With 50% of our first released penthouses already sold, this latest release presents an exclusive chance to secure a remarkable home, while further penthouses will arrive later this year in Block Four.' Offering a mix of immediate and future availability, buyers can choose between move-in ready residences or homes that will be completed within the next 10-12 weeks. All feature contemporary design, premium finishes, and spacious layouts. The Wireworks is a £35 million regeneration of Musselburgh's former Brunton Wireworks site, delivering a collection of high-spec one to three-bedroom apartments. Each home features high-spec fittings throughout, from SMEG kitchen appliances and Porcelanosa tiling to Hive-controlled heating – combining style with energy efficiency. Designed by Michael Laird Architects, The Wireworks draws inspiration from the site's industrial heritage while prioritising light, space and practical design. To learn more about The Wireworks, visit: Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fringe 2025 – festival reviews and how to get them
August is fast approaching, and with it the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, International, Book and Art festivals. Performers and promoters need reviews – but just how (especially when there are far fewer reviewers than there are requests for their services) can they get them? I've reviewed in all of these festivals for some years now, and here I have gathered together some tips that might help. Tiny Little Town Photo – David Monteith-Hodge Here goes: 1. Press releases Make sure yours is well written, not cobbled together at the last minute. Reviewers are inundated with these things – and what they need from them is information, not gimmicks, so take care to include full details of your cast, writer, manager, lighting manager, the name and contact details of someone who can provide more information. If I have to scrabble around looking for these things I'm already losing patience before I start. UPLOAD YOUR PRESS RELEASE TO THE FRINGE MEDIA SITE. I can't emphasise this enough. It makes reviewers' lives so much easier if they can find everything they need in one place. Contact reviewers well in advance. I sort my schedule in early July, and it has very little slack. Panicking about a lack of reviews during the festival is unlikely to prove fruitful – nor will it reduce your stress levels. My emails are always open, but please, if you contact me to request review, tell me about the themes of your show, not just how many stars somebody else gave it. Please address me properly – 'Dear BLANK' will not impress – but don't bother will all the 'how are you doing?', 'Hope you're enjoying the Fringe' stuff. Cut to the chase and tell me why I, particularly, should see your show. 3. Respond! If a reviewer emails you with a request for information, please, please reply quickly. They are probably halfway through a review – a review which can't be published until you respond. We know you're tired – believe me, so are we. 4. Be polite! Never criticise reviewers in public. I have sat behind people on a bus who spent their entire journey talking about the writer of a less than glowing review. Of course everyone wants five stars, but reviews are written to assist readers, not to stroke egos or cosset eggshell personalities. If you are putting yourself out there, you need not only to be able to cope with criticism but also to learn from it. 5. Be flexible If a reviewer asks for a ticket at the start of your run, don't refuse – they may well not be able to come when it suits you. Reviewers do understand that previews may lack the polish of later shows, and they can make allowances for that. If they don't see the show at all, they can't review it. Similarly, please don't make us sit in the middle of a row or at the front – we know you want to 'fill up from the front', but it's really difficult to make notes if you're jammed in. And would you not find it off-putting to see me scribbling away two inches from the stage? Let us hide away at the back if we ask to. We're a lot safer there. 6. Does it make sense? I have heard performers complaining (publicly – see 3!) that a reviewer 'missed the point' of a play. Reviewers are experienced. If they don't get it, how likely is it that your audience will? You have only 60 minutes, sometimes less, to make an impression – be clear, be audible – and do practice getting on and off your stage, it really does make a difference. 7. Appreciate your reviewers! Believe it or not, most reviewers (apart from the few from the national press) are often doing this unpaid, often fitting it around their own jobs. They rush from one venue to another, usually writing reviews in their lunch breaks and late at night. They do it not only because they want to let the paying public know what's worth seeing, but also because they want to help you. Be nice. Our main email address for contacting Rosemary is [email protected] (please put FAO Rosemary in the subject line). And you can read all the articles she has written on The Edinburgh Reporter by clicking here. Heartbreak Hotel Photo – David Monteith-Hodge Like this: Like Related
