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Findhorn Bay Arts awarded £50,000 by Scottish Government to help the recovery of youth arts provision in Moray


By Garry McCartney

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Young people taking part in drama and music programme, In the Mix, last January.
Young people taking part in drama and music programme, In the Mix, last January.

A LOCAL events company has been awarded £50,000 to help youth arts in Moray.

Findhorn Bay Arts (FBA) will use the funding from the Scottish Government to help the recovery of youth arts provision, ensuring employment for youth arts practitioners and creative opportunities for children and young people continue despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minster for children and young people, Maree Todd, confirmed the £50,000, plus another £48,000 for Fèis Rois in Dingwall, will be used to distribute grants of between £500 and £5000 directly to freelance artists/creative practitioners, across all art forms, for artist-led youth arts activities.

She said: “Youth music and youth arts organisations are playing an important role in the lives of young people during these difficult times.

“This funding will widen access to high-quality opportunities for young people, allowing them to participate and engage with music and other art forms.

“It will also provide welcome employment opportunities to more than 200 youth arts practitioners, including freelance musicians, across Scotland.”

FBA director Kresanna Aigner believes the funding will provide a fantastic opportunity for artists and young people.

She said: “Findhorn Bay Arts aim to make creative things happen across a region where the cultural budget has been reduced.

“This award will enable us to connect with artists and creative practitioners to develop programmes of youth arts activity that will engage with a wide range of local organisations and young people.

“Moray has incredible creative assets which can be utilised to ignite the community as a whole to engage with a programme of excellence.

“With this funding we will deliver a programme of small grants that will support freelance practitioners to identify gaps and opportunities in local youth arts provision.

“Grants will be awarded through an open application process, assessed by an independent advisory panel made up of professionals working in third sector, youth services and arts and culture.”

Applications will open in early January (date to be confirmed) and FBA advise potential applicants to get in touch with them in the new year.

FBA and Fèis Rois are two of 18 organisations across Scotland to have received a share of share in over £690,000 funding, which is part of a series of emergency funds from the Scottish Government being delivered by Creative Scotland.



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