Extra £9m for creative freelancers
Creative Scotland’s emergency fund topped up
Creative Scotland is to share £9 million of new funding with Screen Scotland, for their Covid-19 hardship funds for creative freelancers.
The new money, announced on Thursday 11 February 2021, is a top-up to the existing emergency funds. The two agencies say they will make it available “as soon as possible over the coming weeks”.
This support is in addition to the more than £125 million of additional funding the Scottish Government has so far allocated to culture, historic environment and events since the start of the pandemic.
Announcing the extra funds, together with £8.5 million for the events sector, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The impact of COVID-19 has been particularly devastating for creative freelancers and those involved in events.
“We are determined to support them through this challenging time and I will continue to listen to and respond swiftly to the needs of people and organisations affected.”
second top-up
This is the second top-up to the Hardship Fund. An initial £5 million tranche was made available in October 2020 (Freelance hardship fund details published).
A further £3 million was added in December, when all applications went through Creative Scotland, having previously been managed by sector partners. The fund closed for new applications on Monday 1 February 2021.
While details have yet to be announced, grants have previously been for between £500 and £2000 to help support “immediate needs”, and freelancers have applied themselves, indicating the level of funding they needed.
Fiona Hyslop
The Hardship Fund is available to freelancers working right across the creative sectors. Performers, writers, promoters and producers all eligible as well as backstage creatives and administrators. A full list is here (pdf opens in new tab).
Hyslop also emphasised the importance of the new funding in supporting culture across Scotland, and the importance of culture to wellbeing and the economy.
She said: “This significant increase in funding will help to protect jobs and support individuals and organisations affected by the pandemic whilst ensuring people across Scotland continue to have access to cultural experiences.
invaluable contributions
“Culture, events and creativity generate invaluable contributions to our society – both in terms of our economy and our wellbeing – and I would like to pay tribute to everyone within these sectors for showing incredible resilience and determination during these difficult times.”
Further details of the Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers are available through Creative Scotland’s website here.
ENDS
