Creative Scotland reveal Multi-Year Funding awards
The recipients of nearly £200 million of Creative Scotland funding have been announced, as the long-delayed Multi-Year Funding process concludes
After multiple delays, a few false starts and a huge amount of uncertainty, Creative Scotland have revealed the details of their new Multi-Year Funding. The system – which replaces the previous Regular Funding strand – gives money to organisations on a three-year basis, with the goal of providing "stable, long-term financial support" to some of Scotland's key organisations and venues.
More organisations, more funding
It's been a long and fraught process, but, to put it incredibly simply, the numbers look like an improvement at first glance. 251 organisations will share just over £200 million over the next three years, with more than half of those being organisations that haven't received this kind of funding before.
There are more small organisations receiving regular funding than before – 87 organisations are set to receive between £50,000 and £120,000 this year – while those organisations who have been funded before will, according to Creative Scotland, receive an average uplift of 34% in 2025/26, rising to 54% from 2026/27.
Some organisations are getting a touch more than that. Glasgow Film, the organisation behind both the GFT and Glasgow Film Festival, will see its Creative Scotland funding nearly double over the next three years (£1.9 million to £3.6 million), while Dundee Contemporary Arts will also see its funding go from £2 million in the last Regular Funding round to nearly £4 million in the three years to come.
All of this has to be tempered with the fact that the combined rate of inflation since Regular Funding was last awarded is in the 25-30% range, and remembered in the context of last year's temporary closure of Creative Scotland's Open Fund which shone light on the divide between institutions and freelancers, but there's no denying that Scotland's arts organisations have a brighter financial outlook than they did at the start of the week. The full list of organisations and their Multi-Year Funding awards can be found on the Creative Scotland website.
"Renewed energy"
The biggest recipient of Multi-Year Funding is the Edinburgh International Festival, which has been awarded nearly £12 million over the next three years. EIF Chief Executive Francesca Hegyi said in a press release: "We welcome this increased investment in the Scottish cultural sector, which will help to showcase the enormous talent of this country. We are grateful for the International Festival’s uplift in funding, which recognises the unique role we play in connecting Scotland to the world, and gives us a firm foundation from which to build. The return of multi-year funding allows us all to plan ahead with greater confidence."
The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow was forced into a temporary closure over the winter, but announced on Instagram that they will fully reopen on 1 April. "We want to thank Creative Scotland for believing in us," the CCA said, "and for the significant uplift in our funding across the next three years. The past year has been incredibly tough. We have fought incredibly hard to keep CCA alive and to make sure we would be here for the long term.
"This funding is a recognition of that fight, and a testament to the resilience, creativity and determination of our team, the artists we work with, and the community that has stood by us. To everyone who has championed us and believed in what we do – thank you. Because of you, we've been able to navigate this challenging time, and now, we can look ahead with renewed energy."
Development Fund
A further wrinkle to today's announcement is the Development Fund – £3.2 million given to 13 additional organisations aimed at helping those organisations "join the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026/27". Recipients include some previously funded organisations including the Scottish Poetry Library and Traverse Theatre, as well as a host of new organisations.
A spokesperson for Creative Scotland told The Skinny: "The 13 organisations who have a funding commitment through the £3.2m development stream did not fully meet the criteria for Multi-Year Funding in their applications. However, because of the critical nature of their work to Scotland’s cultural sector, Creative Scotland will support these organisations, and work with them to address any issues highlighted through their application, with a view to them joining the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in April 2026.
"This support is possible due to the significant uplift in funding received from the Scottish Government, which has enabled Creative Scotland to fund the largest portfolio on a multi-year basis ever.”