Creative Scotland’s Open Fund awards nearly £900k

Creative Scotland has awarded over £897k of National Lottery funding to Scottish cultural organisations and artists as part of the latest round of its Open Fund.

The public body, which distributes money from the Scottish government and the National Lottery, has announced it made 44 awards from its Open Fund in August. One of Creative Scotland’s key funding routes, the Open Fund has no deadlines, with grants going to support organisations, artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners.

Last month’s recipients include the Celtic band Tannahill Weavers, which received £15,587, and Gaelic Storyteller Kirsty MacDonald, awarded £15,025.

Earlier this month, the approval process for the Open Fund was called into question by the Lammermuir Festival after its funding was cut following 13 years of previous support.

In an open letter signed by 362 composers, education workers, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses, the festival’s leaders accused Creative Scotland of placing “Scotland’s cultural ecology on a downward trajectory”. 

Despite strong internal support, it claimed that the festival’s 2023 funding application was rejected. “According to the panels judging Open Fund applications at Creative Scotland, Lammermuir Festival does not sufficiently align to your priorities,” the letter said.

“This is despite having the full support of the Music Officers at Creative Scotland, who approved its application and strongly recommended funding without conditions.”

Speaking about August's successful recipients, Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland, said: “Creativity is woven into the fabric of Scotland’s physical and social landscape, whether it’s our agriculture, our heritage or our communities.

"These projects demonstrate the wide variety of activity constantly being supported by National Lottery players through our Open Fund, tied together through the threads of Scottish culture.”