Blueprint for arts promises £20m boost, pre-Olympics

Scotland's new national arts agency is to set aside £20 million to fund major infrastructure projects over the next four years.

New venues, refurbishments of historic buildings, major public works of art and extensions of existing facilities all stand to benefit from the lottery-funded cash pot.

Grants of between 10,000 and 5 million will be available in the first scheme to fund major cultural infrastructure projects in Scotland for four years.

Funding for other schemes was put on hold while Creative Scotland was formed, from a merger of the Scottish Arts Council with Scottish Screen.

Details of the new scheme and funding arrangements were unveiled yesterday in Creative Scotland's first strategic plan.

It also reveals that 12m is being set aside to help Scotland capitalise on the staging of the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games in London and Glasgow, in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

Some 3m a year will be set aside for film, television and broadcasting partnerships over the next four years.

A 2020 blueprint envisages Scotland as a year-round festival nation, recognised as one of the top ten places in the world to visit for culture.

The agency is aiming for Scotland to have the highest level of participation in the arts in the UK over the next nine years.

Creative Scotland chief executive Andrew Dixon said: "We are building on strong foundations in so many areas of the arts, screen and creative industries.

"Our plan seeks a wide range of partners to collaborate with and realise the cultural, social and economic potential of the sector.

"Our work will bring Scotland's creative talent to local and international audiences and invite the world to our nation of festivals.

"We need to build on past successes to put Scotland's cultural sector firmly on a higher rung of the international ladder."