THE Festival Fringe recives new annual grant of £100,000
A deal has been agreed to more than double the festival’s annual grant. Its new funding of £100,000 is to be approved by councillors tomorrow, following years of lobbying by festival directors and promoters.
However, the council has come under fire from organisers of another festival for failing to lift its support above £10,000.
The Edinburgh Art Festival, which will receive £250,000 in direct support from the Scottish Government to commission new work over the next two years, is furious after a bid to secure £44,000 from the council was rebuffed.
The city council has already agreed a £125,000 loan for the Fringe in the wake of the event being plunged into turmoil by box-office failures last year.
The Fringe has also won an extra grant of £60,000 from the Scottish Arts Council to help it recover from its financial woes, while this summer will see the staging of the first productions paid for by a £200,000 grant from the Scottish Government’s new Expo fund.
Last year, the council gave a total of just £48,000 to the Fringe, which compared which the £2.5 million it put into the Edinburgh International Festival.
Steve Cardownie, the capital’s festivals and events champion, said: “The Fringe is shaping up for a positive 2009, and this proposed increase in funding will help them strengthen following a difficult last year.
“The investment, along with recent loan support from the council, demonstrates our faith in the Fringe as a business and recognises the value that the festival brings to the city.
“With a newly appointed chief executive, a new focus and with the continued support of the city, the Festival has a bright future.”
However, director Joanne Brown and gallery owner Richard Ingleby said they were disappointed that the art festival, which is now in its sixth year, had failed to win greater recognition from the council.
The art festival’s grant is dwarfed by those given to the likes of the book, film and jazz festivals, as well the Mela multicultural festival.
Ms Brown said: ” We can only hope the funding we’ve had from elsewhere will help us raise our profile for future years.”
Mr Ingleby added: “£10,000 is not exactly a sizeable amount of money for an event like this.”
Source: The Scotsman
Category: Event Industry News
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