By Scott Wright
A SCOTTISH arts charity has vowed to help artists who have seen their incomes badly hit by the pandemic after securing funding of nearly £1 million.
Edinburgh Printmakers offers one of the largest printmaking facilities for artists in Europe, having created the first open access studio in the UK when it was founded in 1967. It offers heavily subsidised access to facilities, including a print studio, learning space and artist accommodation, alongside galleries, a café, shop and print archive.
Now the charity is planning to widen its services, both locally and across Scotland, and bidding to deepen its impact following a £1m loan from Social Investment Scotland, the not-for-profit social enterprise and charity.
The funding boost comes after Edinburgh Printmakers moved to a new £11m home at Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, in 2019, during which it welcomed 46,000 visitors between May and December. The charity is expecting further growth in visitor numbers this year after lockdown restrictions ease.
Shân Edwards, chief executive of Edinburgh Printmakers, said: “After a hugely uncertain year we are delighted to have secured this investment from SIS to help us reopen, rebuild and reimagine our programmes.
“As we look to the future, we’re focused on how we can support artists, who have seen their income and opportunities limited by the pandemic, along with the communities and audiences that have also been badly impacted. An expansion of our education programmes along with subsidised facilities and new residencies for artists are just some of the projects that we will be embarking upon over the next 18-months and we are grateful for SIS support to help us achieve these ambitions.”
Chris Jamieson, head of investments at SIS, said: “Edinburgh Printmakers has achieved a huge amount in its history and the recent move to Castle Mills creates an opportunity to significantly increase its cultural impact. I’m pleased that SIS has been able to support these ambitious growth plans, delivered by a team who are clearly passionate about increasing their positive impact on the surrounding community and arts sector in Scotland. At SIS, we believe that organisations such as Edinburgh Printmakers have a crucial role to play in rebuilding a more inclusive economy, where positive impacts for people and planet come first.”
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