Scottish Government Announce Cash Boost for the National Piping Centre

The National Piping Centre has been granted £450,000 in the latest round of grants from Creative Scotland, the Government’s arts funding body. ‘Regular Funding 2018-21’, will deliver three-year funding to 116  ‘cultural and creative organisations across Scotland’, CS say.
Their blurb reads: ‘The network demonstrates creative excellence, potential and ambition, with significant reach across Scotland, and internationally, and across many areas of practice. The network consists of organisations that produce, present and distribute work as well as development organisations which will support the arts and creative sectors in Scotland to strengthen their future health and resilience.
‘Following the welcome Scottish Government draft budget settlement, which enables the existing budget to be maintained, the network is supported entirely through Scottish Government Grant in Aid funding of £99m in total, over three years, underpinned by an exceptional three-year budget commitment.’
Some of the beneficiaries:
A Play, A Pie and A Pint (Glasgow Lunchtime Theatres) £450,000
Aberdeen Performing Arts £1,000,000
An Lanntair £1,210,000
Centre for Contemporary Arts £1,920,000
Celtic Connections Festival £550,000
Citizens Theatre £3,333,000
Citymoves Dance Agency £300,000
Craft Scotland £1,000,000
Creative Carbon Scotland* £450,000
Creative Dundee* £332,031
Cumbernauld Theatre Trust £800,000
Drake Music Scotland £380,000
Dundee Contemporary Arts £2,000,000
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema £1,500,000
Edinburgh Art Festival £300,000
Edinburgh International Book Festival £919,500
Edinburgh International Festival Society £6,952,000
Enterprise Music Scotland £675,000
Fèis Rois £690,000


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Fèisean nan Gàidheal £1,400,000
Gaelic Books Council £620,000
Hands Up for Trad £400,000
Horsecross Arts £1,600,000
Macrobert Arts Centre £950,000
National Piping Centre £450,000
National Youth Choir of Scotland £600,000
National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (NYOS) £650,000
North East Arts Touring £250,000
North Lands Creative Glass £650,000
Paragon Ensemble £315,000
Pitlochry Festival Theatre £1,275,000
Playwrights Studio, Scotland £575,806
Red Note Ensemble £645,000
Royal Lyceum Theatre Company £3,630,000
Scottish Book Trust £2,579,792
Scottish Ensemble £1,000,000
Scottish Music Centre £570,000


Scottish Music Industry Association £500,000
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra £650,000
Scottish Poetry Library £902,500
Scottish Sculpture Workshop £585,000
Shetland Arts Development Agency £750,000
St Magnus International Festival £500,000
Theatre Gu Leòr £420,000
Touring Network (Highlands & Islands) £360,000
Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland £940,000
Traverse Theatre £2,600,000
Tron Theatre £2,540,050
Voluntary Arts Scotland £390,000
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland £400,000
The editor comments: ‘Good luck to the Piping Centre on their latest tranche of cash from the Scottish Government. They should be supported by the public purse. But when you look down the list of some of the other arts endeavours (the wackier ones are not included above) you are astonished that the likes of the College of Piping and the RSPBA get absolutely nothing, zilch, nada.
‘Given that the Association, with the World Pipe Band Championships, bring in upwards of £20m every year to the Scottish economy  – with a beneficial spin-off to the Piping Live Festival – it really beggars belief that the politicians ignore pipe bands when it comes to mainstream funding. Think what the RSPBA could do for Novice and Juvenile bands if they had, say, a mere £200,000.
‘The College of Piping is another deserving body which, year after frustrating year, continues to miss out too. I hit a brick wall when I repeatedly tried for funding in my 15 years as Principal there and it may be that the current management at Otago Street are having the same problems.
‘Of course before you get this money you have to apply and be prepared to go through the lengthy application process. The Centre has clearly got this down to a fine art so well done to them.’


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2 thoughts on “Scottish Government Announce Cash Boost for the National Piping Centre

  1. I continue to be amazed that the National Piping Centre and the College of Piping have not put aside egos and differences and joined as one – the centre of EXCELLENCE for piping.
    Imagine the centre it could be for the piping world! The talent, resources (monitary and other) and possibility of greater outreach across Scotland and the world – staggering!
    There is plenty of demand so no reasons for people losing their positions. It would be a win for Scotland and the greater piping world.
    So much talent between these two organizations. Joining these two entities and building a support relatiinship with the RSPBA – imagine the combined resources. Oh, the possibilities!

  2. I am amazed at some of the recipients of funding from Creative Scotland (i.e. taxpayers money). Some of the amounts involved are quite staggering. It seems that if your organisation has a whacky name that no-one has heard of you are guaranteed funding. I totally concur with the comments about the RSPBA not receiving any money given the impact it has on piping/pipe bands in general and the Glasgow economy in particular

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