Media Release: £132,000 funding boosts cultural activity across Fife

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CREATIVE Scotland has awarded £132,000 through its Open Project Fund to support festivals and the creation of new work to individuals and organisations working across the arts, screen and creative industries based in the Fife area.

Stanza Scotland’s Poetry Festival have received £80,000 funding towards programming and digital development initiatives for StAnza: Scotland’s International Poetry Festival 2015 which takes place from 4-8 March, 2015 in St Andrews.

Culross-based writer, Maria Fusco, has, received £40,000 funding towards ‘Master Rock’ – a multi-art form project inspired by and partly set at Ben Cruachan Power Station, located inside a granite mountain in Argyll. Conceived and written by Maria Fusco.

Cupar-based Lapidus Scotland have received £12,000 funding towards ‘Words Work Well’ – a bibliotherapy toolkit containing ideas for therapeutic reading, writing and storytelling. Bibliotherapy promotes creative words for well-being and personal development.

Eleanor Livingstone, director of Stanza Scotland’s Poetry Festival, said:

“StAnza is very grateful to Creative Scotland for their continuing suport which is so vital to our success. We are particularly excited at  this chance to expand our already acclaimed  digital activities.”

The Fife-based awards are being made as part of Open Project Funding announcements across Scotland of nearly £2million for the period April and May 2015.

Janet Archer, chief executive of Creative Scotland, said:

“These awards will enable nearly 100 artists, creative companies and community groups to reach into theatres, galleries, arts centres, care homes, hospitals and schools.

“Collectively, these projects will have a major impact on the quality of people’s lives across Scotland in many different ways, stimulating people’s imagination and confidence through coming together to enjoy artistic and creative experiences.

“Open Project Funding supports organisations and individuals to explore, realise and develop their creative potential, widen access to their work, and enrich Scotland’s reputation as a distinctive creative nation.

“I am delighted that nearly half of the awards made in April and May were awarded to individual artists and artists collectives, a real testimony to the wide range of talented people that live and work here.”

A full list of awards is available here.

Over £1.8m of these awards have been allocated from National Lottery funds. Alongside funding from the Scottish Government, The National Lottery forms a vital part of funding support for the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland.

For interviews and photos please contact:

Sophie Bambrough
Media Relations & PR Officer
Creative Scotland
E: sophie.bambrough@creativescotland.com
T: +44 (0) 131 523 0015
M: +44 (0) 774 760 6146
Switch Board: +44 (0) 330 333 2000 

Notes to Editors:

For full details please visit: www.creativescotland.com/what-we-do/latest-news/archive/2015/02/1.3m-open-project-funding-awards-boost-cultural-activity-across-scotland

Open Project Funding is available to a wide range of organisations and individuals working across Scotland in the arts, screen and creative industries.

Open Project Funding replaces most of the project based funding programmes previously operated by Creative Scotland.

Open Project Funding supports a broad spectrum of activity including: creative and professional development; research and development, production; small capital requirements, touring and collaborations, festivals, arts programming, audience development, etc.

A full list of activities supported through this route is set out in the Open Project Funding application guidance.

Support is available for projects of different scale and duration with the maximum period of award being set at two years. Awards are made in the range £1,000 to £100,000 (or up to £150,000 by exception).

Open Project Funding is one strand of Creative Scotland’s funding model which was announced on 9 April 2014: (http://www.creativescotland.com/what-we-do/latest-news/archive/2014/04/new-10-year-plan-and-funding-approach-announced) and reflects Creative Scotland’s commitment to introduce a clear and simple funding approach that provides access to both long-term and project funding for individuals and organisations, as set out in our Action Plan for Change, published in March 2013 (http://www.creativescotland.com/resources/our-publications/board-papers/action-plan-for-change).

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland

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Creative Scotland contact details…

Contact: Sophie Bambrough
Phone: 0131 523 0015
Email: sophie.bambrough@creativescotland.com
Website: http://www.creativescotland.com