Funding to support events and festivals for 2021/2022 across ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute has today been agreed at the Policy and Resources Committee.
A total of eight events scheduled to be held between the end of July and December 2021 will receive funding of £56,850 from the Council’s Strategic Events and Festivals Fund. A further round of funding will open in October for Strategic Events and Festivals in 2022/23. A full list of events can be found in the report.
In addition, the Committee will recommend to Council that any underspend from the Fund in 2021/22 will be allocated for 2023/24. This is in addition to the underspend in 2020/21 being allocated to 2022/23 which was agreed by Council at the budget meeting in February 2021.
Councillor Alastair Redman, Policy Lead, Business, Regeneration and Commercial Development:
“Events and Festivals provide substantial economic benefits by attracting visitors to ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute. We understand these are extraordinary and challenging times for event organisers and we share the disappointment of having to cancel much anticipated events due to the pandemic. The Strategic Events and Festival Fund aims to help support the industry by awarding grants to those events that still have a chance of going ahead this year.
Whilst there is still uncertainty and unpredictability just now, we hope that the event season can return in full next year.â€
Events Scotland in conjunction with the Scottish Government are supporting events through (SERF). The Fund aims to help deliver events through to the end of 2021 and provide support as the industry responds and adapts to the effects of COVID-19. Funding will help with the delivery of virtual and more localised events.