Edinburgh’s culture sector will be supported by funding of around £4.7 million in the coming year if Councillors approve the cultural grants recommendations next week.
The Culture and Communities Committee will consider a report on Third Party Cultural Grants Funding 2022/2023 at their meeting on Tuesday, 1 February including the proposal to include the Multi-cultural Festival to the city’s current Strategic Partnership programme.
The report seeks approval for the continued Strategic Partnership, flexible and project funding recommendations for 2022/23.If approved, this will be the third year of Strategic Partnerships, originally agreed in June 2019.
Given the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on planning, stability and programming, the report also seeks approval to extend the original duration of three years for Strategic Partnership funding for a further year. The extension would provide a degree of important continued funding stability for the existing programme Partners.
Next week’s report recommends councillors also approve, in principle, the commitment of revenue funding to the Multi-cultural Festival, establishing the event in the city’s festivals calendar.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said:
The city and events sector has responded to the ongoing pandemic with determination and innovation with hybrid models of delivery such as the creation of outdoor/online programmes. It was fantastic to see some of the buzz return to the city when possible in 2021 but recovery continues and through this funding we are reaffirming our commitment to supporting and sustaining the sector.
Our grants programme has always supported the city’s year-round cultural offering and by approving the funding for 2022/23 we’ll be playing our part in boosting the sector following such a hard time.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said:
I’m particularly excited by the proposal to add the Multi-cultural festival as a Strategic Partner. This would put the festival, originated by the Council, onto a more established and stable footing and enable fundraising opportunities and further artist and programme development. It would support the growth of longer-term benefits to the festival’s diverse communities and audiences.
We know this continues to be a 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. The Council has a vital role to play in Edinburgh’s festivals and events sector and this investment reflects our direct and continued strategic support for the sector, contributing to the retention of jobs, creative practices and development.
This strategy reflects our vital partnership role with stakeholders, Strategic Partners, communities and creative practitioners to achieve this.