New fund will boost the arts

Coinciding with the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, we are very grateful to cabinet secretary for culture, tourism and external affairs Fiona Hyslop for launching the new Culture and Business Fund Scotland to foster greater collaboration between Scotland’s business and cultural sectors.

Match-funding private sector sponsorship of cultural activities pound for pound, this new fund builds on more than a decade of success from the renowned New Arts Sponsorship Grant programme, which has invested over £7.5m to realise more than 500 individual cultural projects across Scotland.

Key innovations for the new fund include a dedicated heritage strand and the opportunity for projects to receive ongoing sponsorship during their second and third years.

As a new public opinion poll commissioned by Arts and Business Scotland shows a majority of Scots are more likely to buy goods and services from businesses that support local cultural projects, there has never been a better time for businesses of all sizes to collaborate with the arts and heritage sectors.

Combining financial support from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland, I look forward to the Culture and Business Fund Scotland delivering many more successful partnerships between business and culture in the years ahead.

David Watt, Chief executive, Arts and Business Scotland, Edinburgh