Over £1.3m for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross arts centres in ‘momentous’ funding package
Maree Todd has said she is thrilled to see more than £1.3 million being awarded to three arts centres in her constituency in a “landmark” funding announcement by Creative Scotland.
Lyth Arts Centre in Caithness, Timespan in Sutherland and An Talla Solais in Wester Ross are among 251 organisations in Scotland receiving more than £200m in support over the next three years.
Ms Todd said a record number of cultural bodies across the Highlands would benefit from multi-year funding after a significant budget commitment from the Scottish Government.
The funding awards for 2025-2028 include £465,000 for Lyth Arts Centre, £710,941 for Timespan (Helmsdale) and £150,000 for An Talla Solais (Ullapool).
The overall package represents the largest-ever funding commitment for Scotland’s cultural sector, the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross pointed out.
Ms Todd said the funding would not only reinforce Scotland’s cultural status but deliver economic benefits by supporting creative jobs.
Calling it a “landmark announcement”, she said: “This is a momentous moment for Scotland’s cultural sector. Thanks to the Scottish Government’s historic investment, more organisations than ever before will receive long-term, stable funding, ensuring that culture remains at the heart of our national identity.
“In the Highlands we value our culture sector, and this investment strengthens our commitment to supporting the artists, performers and organisations that enrich our lives and communities.
“I’m thrilled to see Lyth Arts Centre, Timespan and An Talla Solais in my constituency benefiting from this investment. This funding boost will not help sustain these existing institutions but it will also support new voices and emerging talent from all over the Highlands.”
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the country’s arts, screen and creative industries.
Thirteen more organisations will benefit from a £3.2 million development fund, allowing them to move into the multi-year funding portfolio in 2026/27.
Creative Scotland chairman Robert Wilson said: “This is an extremely positive moment for culture in Scotland, bringing with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector.
“Thanks to the vote of confidence in the culture sector, demonstrated by the recently announced budget from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland can offer stable, year-on-year funding to more organisations than ever before.
“I’m particularly pleased that this funding will increase further from next year, enabling even more fantastic artistic and creative work to be developed here in Scotland.
“Stable, long-term funding for as many organisations as possible is the underlying principle of the multi-year funding programme, and we are delighted to be able to bring it to fruition.
“This funding means that we are able to bring so many new, community-focused organisations into the portfolio, while also providing significant increases to those more established organisations which have been on standstill, regular funding for so many years.
“I’m also very pleased to be able to offer 13 further organisations significant amounts of development funding, to enable them to come into the portfolio in its second year.
“This signals a significant moment of positive change for Scotland’s cultural community. I hope that after the deeply challenging time of the pandemic, and the difficulties that have faced the sector in the subsequent years, now is the time that we can look forward with confidence and the Scottish culture sector can get on with what it does best – producing outstanding art and creativity for everyone to enjoy.”
Scotland’s culture secretary Angus Robertson said: “More organisations than ever, in more parts of the country, will benefit from the stability of multi-year funding with the number of funded organisations more than doubling, from 119 to 251.
“Funded as part of a record £34 million increase for culture in the draft 2025/26 Scottish budget, this significant increase in both the number of funded organisations and the level of grant funding they will receive has the potential to be truly transformational.”
