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The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Ticket sales for Scottish theatre '200 per cent higher' than last year
Perth and Kinross councillors were given an update on the impact of the investment and other local Tay Cities Region Deal projects at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday, May 7. PKC's People, Partnerships and Funding manager Alison Seggie began the update by giving a presentation to councillors on Pitlochry Festival Theatre. She said: 'Work started on developing this project way back in 2013 and I have been involved all along. READ MORE: Alan Cumming says 'we don't cover the classics enough in Scottish theatres' Alan Cumming named as Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre I've never been so glad to see the curtain fall on any play in my life 'The total cost of the project is something like £21.3 million – £10 million of that from the Tay Cities Deal. Additional money came from the Dunard Fund, The Gannochy Trust and numerous individual donors. 'Pitlochry Festival Theatre is proud to share the completion of its ambitious project marking a significant milestone in the theatre's development and its role as a major cultural destination in the Highlands.' Councillors were told the theatre was 'reaping the rewards of the investment'. The £21 million revamp included a new-look entrance, a fully completed second performance space – The Studio, the newly expanded foyer, brand new toilets, a refurbished auditorium, as well as new glazing and a new roof to improve energy efficiency. Ms Seggie told elected members: 'In the 2024/25 financial year, the theatre welcomed 82,237 visitors. And – notably – in the current advanced ticket sales for this year, they're already 200 per cent ahead of the same point in the previous season – a clear endorsement of the investment in the building, the refreshed offer and the theatre's strategic direction. 'With the capital transformation now complete and a new chapter in the theatre's artistic leadership about to begin, Pitlochry Festival Theatre is confidently positioned to drive further cultural tourism and economic benefits for Perth and Kinross.' Alan Cumming took over as the theatre's artistic director in January 2025 (Image: Pitlochry Festival Theatre) Alan Cumming took over as the theatre's artistic director in January 2025. His first programmed season will begin in 2026. Other Perth and Kinross projects which have benefited from investment from the Tay Cities Region Deal include: £35 million on the International Barley Hub and £27m on the Advanced Plant Growth Centre at the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie; £10 million towards Perth Museum; £2 million on rural high-speed broadband in Angus and Perth and Kinross, and £790,000 for the first phase of creating a Low Carbon Travel Hub at Broxden, Perth. Moving the report for approval, SNP council leader Grant Laing said: 'This report provides an update on progress with the Tay Cities Region Deal. The Deal was approved in December 2020 and has now moved into its fifth year of implementation. 'The Deal, and the projects and programmes within the Deal, represent the most significant investment in the economic development of our area in recent times. 'Good progress is being made and key projects which will deliver significant economic benefits have already been delivered within Perth and Kinross and the wider Tay Cities region. 'However, a significant number of projects remain to be fully developed, and gain business case approval. Several challenges to the delivery of the Deal and its projects have arisen over the first five-year funding period; including the impact of the COVID Pandemic, and inflationary pressures on some projects; these have led to delays in progressing business cases. 'An approach to re-shaping the programme has been agreed by the Joint Committee recently, and officers will have to confirm whether projects are still deliverable in their original format, require some changes, or may have to be de-committed, and potentially new projects proposed and agreed. This will take place over a 12-month period with a new programme to be finalised by the summer of next year and agreed with partners, and both governments.' Two of the Tay Cities Region Deal projects still to be fully developed include £8.1 million earmarked for an Aviation Academy at UHI Perth and £15 million towards the long-awaited Perth Bus/Rail Interchange.
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
The hidden benefactor funding Edinburgh's new concert hall awarded Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... She is one of of Scotland's great arts philanthropists - a behind-the-scenes figure who has ploughed millions into realising the vision for a grand new concert hall and National Centre for Music in Edinburgh. Now the contributions of American benefactor and former concert pianist Dr Carol Colburn Grigor are being publicly recognised. She is to be honoured with the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy at a ceremony in Edinburgh on Wednesday night. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Carol Grigor at the Dunard Centre site in Edinburgh | Ian Georgeson Photography The biennial medal ceremony will highlight Dr Grigor's investment, and how it will benefit the city's economy by creating jobs and attracting new performers and audiences. Past winners of the medal include singer Dolly Parton (2022) and businessman Sir Tom Hunter (2013). Dr Grigor's Pitlochry-based Dunard Fund has contributed £35 million to help bring to life the mooted Dunard Centre, a 1,000-seat concert hall off St Andrew Square. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The venue will become the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and host Edinburgh International Festival performances. However, the opening was earlier this year delayed until 2029 amid a change in contractor. Once open, the venue will be the first purpose-built concert hall in Edinburgh for more than 100 years. The Dunard Centre will be a 1,000-seat concert hall complete with a multi-purpose space, café and bar connected to the a-listed Dundas House, in Edinburgh's New Town | David Chipperfield Architects, Reiach and Hall Architects The National Centre for Music, to be created on the site of the former Royal High School building, will meanwhile boast three indoor performance spaces, two with a capacity of up to 150 and the main auditorium, for audiences of around 300. Under plans released last year, the site would also feature Edinburgh's biggest new public gardens for more than 200 years. Plans were approved last year, following a £45m cash injection from the Dunard Foundation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jo Buckley, chief executive of the Dunard Centre, said: 'I am delighted to see Carol's transformative philanthropy being celebrated on the global stage, and it is especially fitting that this year's ceremony is taking place in Edinburgh, which was Carol's home for many years. 'It is no exaggeration to say that her long-standing support has helped to make Edinburgh the cultural capital that it is today, with its future assured by her powerful investment in two landmark capital projects, the Dunard Centre and the National Centre for Music. 'Cultural transformation relies on the dogged persistence and determination of visionary individuals, as Andrew Carnegie's legacy has shown us over the past century. 'As we look to create Edinburgh's first new concert hall in over a century, it is tantalising to think ahead to the exceptional performers it will attract, and the profound economic, social, educational and cultural impact that Carol's philanthropy will have on Scotland for generations to come." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Dunard Fund has also provided millions of pounds worth of grants to charities in the arts and heritage sectors, including the National Galleries of Scotland, National Library of Scotland and Britain's major opera companies.
