SEVERAL small theatres and music groups have received a boost in financial support from Scotland's national arts funding body, but some larger, well-known organisations have seen their grants reduced.
Creative Scotland yesterday announced its first allocation of funds since artists forced a rethink in the new quango's strategy and the resignation of its founding chief executive, Andrew Dixon.
The announcement of awards totalling £100 million to 119 organisations is the largest grants portfolio in the history of arts funding in Scotland.
Janet Archer, who replaced Mr Dixon as CEO, said the division of 41 per cent of Creative Scotland's budget, made up money from central government and some of its share of National Lottery receipts, had been shaped by an open letter from artists published in The Herald in October 2012.
She said: "There was a call to stabilise funding over a longer period of time and I came in with a mandate to ensure that we achieved a way of tackling that conundrum.
"I'm pleased 20 new organisations are part of the Regular Funding portfolio and 57 organisations are moving from one or two-year funding to three-year funding.
"While we haven't been able to fund all the organisations that were assessed as being fundable, because of budget constraints, we are delighted to have been able to stretch the budget to accommodate more than we originally planned."
The funding awards range from £150,000 to The Stove Network visual arts organisation in Dumfries and Galloway to almost £7m to the Edinburgh International Festival - more than double the next nearest grant.
Twenty-seven organisations receive in excess of £1m, including Scotland's major theatres, but many of those, including Glasgow Citizens and Dundee Rep, receive a standstill award - effectively a cut when increased costs are taken into account - while Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum and Traverse Theatres both have their support reduced.
Glasgow-based Scottish Youth Theatre is a notable omission from the award list.
Ms Archer said that each application was assessed individually before any balance of support for different art forms, or geographical spread of awards, was taken into account.
Cumbernauld Theatre, by contrast, sees its award increased by 30 per cent, while Ayr Gaiety and Greenock's new Beacon venue are new additions to the list, adding South Lanarkshire and Inverclyde to the local authorities in Creative Scotland's Regular Funding portfolio. Hospitalfield Arts brings Angus to the table, while Wigtown Book Festival joins The Stove Network in representing Dumfries and Galloway.
Ms Archer said all organisations that applied for funding would be given full access to the reasons for the decision-making, and offered the opportunity to meet with Creative Scotland staff.
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