Edinburgh’s culture sector will be boosted by funding of around £4.7 million in the coming year if Councillors approve the cultural grants scheme next week.
The Culture and Communities Committee will consider a report on Third Party Cultural Grants Funding 2021/2022 at their meeting on Tuesday, 16 March.
The report seeks approval for the continued Strategic Partnership, flexible and project funding recommendations for 2021/22, the second year of the programme, originally agreed in 18 June 2019.
Last year, following the COVID-19 outbreak, the Council’s Leadership Advisory Panel agreed the funding recommendations for 2020/21 and pledged support for Edinburgh’s cultural sector with resources to be repurposed to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Regular and ongoing reporting from funding recipients has allowed the Council to directly monitor and work with strategic partners on their progress throughout the year.
Next week’s report recommends councillors approve the commitment of £4,689,279 to continue to support culture sector partners during the ongoing pandemic. This funding would contribute to retaining jobs, creative practices and development, and responsive programming and delivery of activity throughout the city supporting freelancers, artists and companies towards sector recovery.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said:
It would be an understatement to say 2020 was extremely tough for our culture sector but we’ve been hugely impressed by the resourcefulness and resilience they’ve demonstrated throughout the crisis. We are committed to doing what we can to support the sector and its recovery as safely and as quickly as possible. Our grants programme has always supported the city’s year-round cultural offering and by approving the funding for 2021/22 we’ll be playing our part in boosting the sector following such a hard year. We’re in regular contact with all of our event and cultural partners in the city and look forward to their return to activity when that comes.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said:
We know this is an extremely difficult time for so many in the culture sector and I’m very glad we’ll be able to maintain our commitment through the £4m+ culture sector funding programme, subject to the report being agreed next week. We’ll continue to do what we can to support the sector to make sure they’re in the best possible place to recover. This support will in turn play its part in the whole city recovering from the effects of the pandemic as we look forward to enjoying the positivity and dynamism that Edinburgh’s cultural offer will bring.