New funding to improve Edinburgh arts and cultural facilities
Assembly Roxy, Stills, Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts, Drake Music Scotland, Take one Action Film Festival have received funding from Creative Scotland as part of a national programme which helps organisations carry out refurbishments and purchase equipment.
Assembly Roxy will use £30,000 funding to support building improvements and upgrading of equipment to create a permanent 200 seat theatre.
An award of £25,000 will enable Drake Music Scotland to purchase new music-making and IT equipment which will increase their capacity to deliver music-making opportunities for children and adults with disabilities across Scotland.
Take One Action Film Festival show films addressing issues of global and environmental concern through festivals and an outreach and rural touring programme. Funding of £13,375 will purchase new equipment to create a bespoke pop-up cinema tent.
Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts provides access to a high quality gallery space and workshop for new and established makers. Funding of £14,917 will enable them to offer improved facilities and equipment and expand their course programme.
An award of £10,833 will enable Stills centre for photography to purchase a range of equipment to offer enhanced facilities and resources for the development and creation of artists’ work and to increase public access.
William Burdett-Coutts, Artistic Director of Assembly Theatre, said:-“Assembly Festival is the longest running of the multi-venues at the Fringe – over 33 years of operation we have built a reputation for excellence. Year-round we are a Scottish charity keen on deepening our contribution to the arts ecosystem in Edinburgh beyond the festival, and we’re so pleased to have secured this funding to allow us to better support artistic charitable companies in Edinburgh and for those from further afield to present in Edinburgh”
Simon Bateson, Artistic Director at Take One Action – Scotland’s global and environmental change cinema project – said:-“Our pop-up solar cinema supported through Creative Scotland will bring incredible films about our shared planet to even more people across Scotland, creating wonderful opportunities for people of all ages to draw inspiration from cinema and those around them, and to go on and be the change they want to see in the world. We’re delighted to be taking this forward thanks to the Capital Fund.”
Ginnie Atkinson , Business Manager at Stills, said:-“We are delighted Creative Scotland is enabling us to continue to offer the latest level of technical support for the benefit of our resource users, course participants, creative practitioners and all our audiences,
Louise Smith, Founder and Director of Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts, said:-“I’m so pleased to be awarded Creative Scotland funding, as a new organisation it will make a massive difference and it’s very satisfying to feel that the huge amount of work it has taken to get to this stage and the generosity of our resident craftspeople and the general public, is being recognised. We will soon be supporting 25 resident makes, many more members and running 50 public courses a year- this funding will allow us to offer all the tools and equipment needed to work across: pottery, printmaking, textiles, upholstery, jewellery and metal. I’m really looking forward to seeing the exciting new work that will be developed as a result and can’t wait to open up our amazing new facilitates to the general public through our course program starting mid-September.”
Leonie Bell, Acting Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland, said:-“The improvement of buildings and the purchasing of equipment that these awards will support will enhance the diverse and valued range of work being carried out by these organisations from across Scotland, from Orkney to Glasgow and will help ensure audiences, participants, artists and creative practitioners have access to the best possible facilities.”
Assembly Roxy, Stills, Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts, Drake Music Scotland, Take one Action Film Festival represent five of twenty-two Scottish arts and cultural organisations who have received a total of over £700,000 today, Wednesday 28 August 2013, through Creative Scotland’s Small Capital Programme, to assist in the improvement of facilities across Scotland.
Funding has also been awarded to organisations across the country including Eden Court and Feis Rois in the Highlands, Gable End Theatre in Orkney, the old Dumfermline Fire Station and Kirkcaldy Old Kirk in Fife, Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts and Stills in Edinburgh, Tron Theatre and The Glue Factory in Glasgow and Horsecross Arts in Perth.
Projects across country range from new centre for creative activity at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary; new music making and ICT equipment for children and adults with learning disability across Scotland; development of a new retail area to house a selection of high quality photography; a new performance space for Scotland’s national youth dance organisation and new equipment for community choirs are among the initiatives that will take place as a result of funding support.
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