Cultural organisations from across Argyll and Bute are being invited to attend the latest in a series of interactive workshops hosted by independent Scottish charity Arts & Business Scotland. Taking place on Thursday the 28th September at the Rockfield Centre in Oban, the afternoon workshop will provide local arts and heritage organisations with more information about the recently launched Culture & Business Fund Scotland.
Funded by the Scottish Government via Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland, the Fund is designed to promote collaboration between the cultural and business sectors by matching business sponsorship of cultural activities pound for pound.
The workshop will give local cultural organisations the opportunity to learn more about the Fund and how to make the most out of business sponsorship of cultural projects. It will be followed by an evening reception which local businesses will also be invited to attend, providing an opportunity for the local business and cultural communities to meet, network and exchange ideas.
With public budgets under continued pressure, business sponsorship is becoming an increasingly important source of funding for cultural organisations. A recent survey carried out by Arts & Business Scotland found that, while most cultural organisations recognise the growing importance of partnering with businesses, most still find it challenging to forge such partnerships.
The Oban workshop will showcase previous successful partnerships between culture and business which benefited from the Culture & Business Fund’s predecessor, the New Arts Sponsorship Programme.
Between 2006 and 2017, this Programme successfully generated more than £7.5 million in public and private investment to help realise more than 500 individual cultural projects throughout Scotland – including over 40 projects with a cumulative value of almost £1 million across the Highlands and Islands. Building on this success, the Culture & Business Fund Scotland has been expanded to include a dedicated heritage strand while also offering projects that have already received match funding in a previous year the opportunity to benefit from second and third year support.
The Oban Culture & Business Fund Scotland workshop takes place at the Rockfield Centre, Stevenson Street, Oban, PA34 5NA on Thursday 28th September from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. Free tickets for the event can be booked via Eventbrite. The Reception takes place at the same venue from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and is open to local businesses as well as local cultural organisations to attend. Free tickets for the reception are also available via Eventbrite.
David Watt, chief executive of Arts & Business Scotland, commented:
“Packed with practical information about the newly launched Culture & Business Fund Scotland and a variety of success stories of projects that received funding from its predecessor, our Oban workshop offers a fantastic opportunity to witness first-hand the benefits of positive collaboration between business and culture. That can be both in terms of boosting the profile and bottom line of a business and helping cultural organisations to make arts and heritage projects happen. Hopefully, many of those attending will be inspired to take advantage of the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, helping Argyll and Bute to retain and enhance its reputation as a region able to combine a successful business community with a vibrant cultural scene.
