£3m grant helps art centre take shape

A GARDEN cafe and events space proposal for Newhaven has scooped a £3 million prize to create a new arts venue in the Capital.

The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop's bid to create two new artists' studios, outdoor exhibition space and a 90-foot "gateway" tower beat off competition from the Scottish Book Trust and Edinburgh College of Art.

The anonymous donor who funded the prize gave the Scottish Community Foundation - a charity that specialises in supporting philanthropic causes - the green light to award the 3m to the ESW this morning.

The prize was due to be presented to ESW director Irene Kernan at the existing Hawthornvale workshop in the presence of city council leader Jenny Dawe, Bob Benson, chair of the judging panel and Giles Ruck, chief executive of the Scottish Community Foundation, which administered the prize.

Ms Kernan said: "This is an amazing opportunity for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, which will enable us to fulfil our ambitions to create a world-class sculpture centre in the city."

ESW is now likely to proceed with the demolition of its existing workshop to replace it with the walled garden incorporating two artists' studios, a community cafe and external area for events and exhibitions.

The proposals also include a 90-foot-high tower which would act as a gateway.

The announcement of the award will come as a relief to ESW bosses and their planning consultants Sutherland Hussey, who earlier this month admitted that their ambitious plans would be unlikely to see the light of day without the cash.

It was unclear at the time of going to press whether the similarly ambitious bids by the Scottish Book Trust and the ECA will proceed.

All three bids were required to secure planning permission as a condition of their submission, and as a result have already been given the go-ahead by council planners.

The Scottish Book Trust's proposal involved improvements to its premises at Sandeman House, off the Royal Mile, which were intended to boost plans for the creation of a Scottish Literary Quarter.

The ECA hoped to create new underground gallery space with a protruding glass doorway at its Lauriston Place entrance to display works of art from its own collections.

However, both organisations now face a decision on whether to abandon their projects, proceed with scaled-down versions or try to plug the now sizeable gap in funding through other channels.