Culture Secretary praises 'incredible success' of New Arts Sponsorship Grants scheme

A scheme to encourage business sponsorship of the arts is being extended, the Scottish Culture Secretary has announced.

An additional £150,000 has been allocated to the New Arts Sponsorship Grants scheme by Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, bringing the total level of government support this financial year to £450,000.

The programme, which is administered by Arts & Business Scotland, provides arts organisations with £1 of funding for each £1 of sponsorship obtained. Since 2006 it has generated an impressive £4.5 million extra investment in Scotland's cultural sector.

Speaking on the final day of the Edinburgh International Festival, Ms Hyslop said: "The New Arts Sponsorship Grants scheme is an incredible success. It has attracted a remarkable £300,000 of additional investment from forty-five new businesses across Scotland and beyond since the start of this financial year alone.

"This exceptional demand is why I am allocating additional funds to extend the scheme in our Year of Creative Scotland and attract even more business support for arts organisations in Scotland".

Barclay Price, Chief Executive of Arts & Business Scotland, said: "Scotland's arts are internationally successful and underline the creativity that exists in our nation. Our match funding scheme offers businesses that have not engaged with the arts before or recently the opportunity to double the impact they can obtain from engaging with that creativity to meet their business objectives, and I am delighted we have more funds to continue the scheme this year".

The New Arts Sponsorship Grants scheme was launched in 2006, funded by the Scottish Government, run by Arts & Business Scotland and administered in partnership with Creative Scotland. The scheme aims to increase the number of businesses sponsoring the arts in Scotland and support cultural organisations in their business development. Under the scheme an arts organisation receiving an eligible business sponsorship can apply for an additional amount on a £1 for £1 for basis.