Catherine Wheels gets its funding back

Feb 6 2018 | By Thom Dibdin More

Leading children’s theatre company reinstated into RFO Network

Catherine Wheels and Lung Ha’s have been reinstated as a Regularly Funded Organisation following last Friday’s emergency meeting of the Creative Scotland Board.

Stellar Quines will also get its regular funding grant put back up to standstill levels.

Creative Scotland says that £2.6m of additional funds will now be allocated to Regular Funding 2018-21, in order to enhance the network.

Ben Thomson. Pic Creative Scotland

These funds will be transferred from Creative Scotland’s targeted budget and from a saving in transition funding made through adding organisations to the Regular Funding network.

Creative Scotland says: “Following our review of all applications, in line with the published application criteria and decision-making process, the additional funds are focused on excellence and experimentation; theatre for children and young people; and companies led by and working with disabled people.”

Also reinstated into the RFO network are Birds of Paradise, the Dunedin Consort and Visible Fictions. There will be no change to the decisions regarding the 116 organisations already announced as part of the network, or the transition arrangements, announced in January.

The statement adds: “The Board has also renewed its commitment to the roll-out of a Touring Fund, details of which will be developed in collaboration with the touring sector. We aim to open the fund for applications later this year, and to set a budget to support this fund from April 2019 onwards.

“Creative Scotland will undertake a review of current funding models and processes, in collaboration with the sectors we support, to gather further feedback and ideas that will help improve the way that we fund in the future. This work will be taken forward openly and transparently by the leadership and staff of Creative Scotland.”

extremely challenging

Ben Thomson, Interim Chair of Creative Scotland said: “Funding decisions of the scale and importance of Regular Funding are always extremely challenging.

“We have listened to the extensive and constructive feedback we received from many individuals and organisations working across the arts and culture in Scotland.

“We have reviewed our budget for Regular Funding and, within the limits of the alternative funds available to us, we have been able to re-allocate £2.6m over three years, allowing us to include five further arts producing organisations in the network. We have also reaffirmed our commitment to other funding, which will include touring; equalities, diversity and inclusion; and new support for artist led work.

“I would like to acknowledge the dedication of Creative Scotland staff throughout this process. I would also like to thank the Scottish Government for replacing funding lost to Regular Funding through falling National Lottery income enabling us to support more organisations through Regular Funding than ever before.

“However, I also appreciate that, even now, these decisions do not address all of the issues currently being raised by individual applicants. I am sorry that, in this process, some will be disappointed by our decisions.

“Everyone at Creative Scotland is committed to working positively and collaboratively with those involved in arts and culture in Scotland, whether in the Regular Funding network or not, providing support to build on the success of a thriving sector.”