The Scottish Government has announced details of its Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund, to support cultural organisations that have been severely impacted by coronavirus.
The ÂŁ15million fund forms almost half of the ÂŁ31.5m funding for culture announced last month by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
According to an official release, the funding aims to protect jobs in the cultural sector, alongside organisations that are threatened with insolvency in the near future.
Ahead of applications opening on Thursday 17 September, the eligibility criteria and guidelines for applying to the fund have also been published.
Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund – guidance now available!
This fund aims to provide emergency support to organisations that provide opportunities for cultural engagement and have been unable to trade due to Covid-19.
Details: https://t.co/2t5RtCEkk2 pic.twitter.com/11S7ZPqPMU
— Creative Scotland (@CreativeScots) September 10, 2020
Official guidance on applying for the fund states: “We are looking for applications from organisations that are most critical to the cultural life of Scotland and whose existence is threatened by COVID-19 restrictions. It includes both organisations that provide opportunities for audiences (including, but not limited to: galleries, commercial theatres, performing arts spaces, festivals, comedy clubs and nightclubs) as well as those that enable and deliver cultural activity (including, but not limited to: production facilities, music and dance companies).
“Organisations need to have been working in Scotlandâs culture sector before April 2019, and who are at significant threat of insolvency as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.”
You can access all the relevant information on applying for the fund here.
Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Itâs been an extremely difficult time for the culture sector this year. Weâve done everything we can to alleviate some of the immediate challenges but we know many businesses will continue to struggle until they can fully reopen.
âThe Culture Organisations and Venue Recovery Fund will aid a range of cultural businesses and help them weather the most critical challenges they face. Iâm grateful to Creative Scotland for the pace theyâve worked at to develop the funding and its distribution.â
The move comes after the UK government announced the first 135 venues across England that will receive emergency grants from the ÂŁ1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund.
However, grassroots music venues from across the UK have since spoken out about the continued need for public support to ensure their survival â with many warning that itâs not certain that theyâll see any funding or ever reopen.
This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowed for indoor gigs in the UK to return with social distancing measures in place, but the Music Venue Trust revealed that over two thirds of venues would be unable to do so.
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