Edinburgh's historic role as the birthplace of the pre-eminent modern arts festival is being marked with a multi-million pound investment from the Scottish Government.
The Festivals Expo Fund this year will see £2.3m given to the Edinburgh festival, money which include funding projects including work by four major theatre companies at the Edinburgh International Festival, which was founded in 1947.
The 70th anniversary of the festival's founding is being celebrated by every major Edinburgh festival this year.
The EIF, which releases its 2017 programme later this month, receives £200,000 towards "European Odysseys", where four as yet unnamed Scottish theatre companies will "present works which consider the origins of European drama from a contemporary perspective."
The International Film Festival, which takes places in June, receives £110,000 towards its talent lab, while the city's Jazz and Blues Festival receives £140,000.
The Edinburgh Art Festival receives £140,000 towards a programme of newly commissioned art projects including a showcase of emerging talent.
A project called Outriders at the Edinburgh International Book Festival benefits from £100,000, and will explore how the role of the writer, and will commission new work from five writers.
Fiona Hyslop, the culture secretary, said: "This funding for Edinburgh’s Festivals will see investment in the skills and talent of both emerging and established artists here in Scotland, which supports the development of new international opportunities, networks and partnerships among festivals.
“As Edinburgh Festivals celebrate their 70th anniversary, it is a time for our artists to dream, reflect, invent and celebrate by bringing Scotland to the world and the world to Scotland through arts and culture.
"I look forward to seeing the cultural excellence of our world renowned festivals over the coming months.
“The Scottish Government EXPO funding cycle kicks off with the Edinburgh International Film Festival which will receive £110,000 and today I had the opportunity to meet with some of our up and coming film talent in Edinburgh."
Other recipients include the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival and Edinburgh Hogmanay, which receives £200,000.
The Festival Fringe receives more than £500,000, towards its Made in Scotland 2018 programme while the Festivals 70th Anniversary programme gets £300,000.
Festivals Edinburgh, the festivals umbrella body, receives £200,000.
The £2.3 million allocated through the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund in 2017/18 takes the amount awarded to more than £19 million since 2008.
Ken Hay, chair of Festivals Edinburgh said: "The Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund drives programme innovation and ensures Scottish artists have a pre-eminent place on the most global of Scotland’s cultural platforms to showcase our creative, outward looking nation.
"We are delighted that in this special 70th anniversary year the Expo Fund will again help us to define that national reputation, while we also renew our founding purpose and reassert our role as an international cultural capital.”
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