Events win festival funding
Ten events throughout Argyll and Bute are in line to receive grant support worth over £48,000 from council chiefs.
The Mull Rally is recommended to be the biggest beneficiary of the council’s strategic events and festivals (SEF) fund, with a £15,000 award earmarked.
Music festivals in Tarbert and Tiree, winter festivals in Helensburgh and Oban, Tarbert Seafood Festival and Islay Book Festival are also set to receive up to £5,000.
Completing the line-up are Doon The Watter, ButeFest and the Oban Games.
A report detailing the recommended grants will go before the authority’s policy and resources committee at its meeting on Thursday May 11.
Council executive director Kirsty Flanagan said: “There is no doubt that Covid, and other contributing factors, have had an unprecedented negative impact on the events and festivals sector. The council has continued to provide SEF funding support to events over the past three years and while some events did have to cancel in 2020/21 there was a resurgence in 2022/23 and the successful applicants from 2022-2023 went ahead.
“The council received a total of 18 applications across the two SEF four rounds and all of these events have either gone ahead or have confirmed they are scheduled to take place.
“In the first call for funding of round five the council received a total of 11 applications and allocated funding of £82,575.
“Therefore, these, together with the 10 eligible applications which have applied to round 5.2, are indicative of a slow recovery which continues to face challenges such as the cost of living crisis.”
Ms Flanagan also said: “The events and festivals sector contributes significantly to our local economy and communities’ quality of life and is a key part of the economic recovery plan for the area.
“However, like other key sectors, it has faced significant challenges as a consequence of the pandemic, skill shortages and the cost of living crisis.
“The council’s annual SEF funding plays a key role in the recovery of the sector with strong links to the hospitality and tourism industries.”