Edinburgh councillors asked to approve £250k funding for local events
Edinburgh councillors are set to approve £246,000 in funding for 18 local groups through the Local Events Open Fund, supporting initiatives like Forecast, a new biennial arts festival in Portobello, and the Edinburgh Art Festival. The funding aims to expand cultural access across the city, with allocations ranging from £3,320 to £20,000 for various community-led events and exhibitions.
Edinburgh’s Culture and Communities Committee will decide on £246,000 in funding to support 18 local arts and community groups for 2026/27. The allocation comes from 83 applications totaling nearly £840,000 submitted for the Local Events Open Fund, which offers three funding tiers: up to £5,000 for Tier 3, £12,000 for Tier 2, and £20,000 for Tier 1. Among the recommended recipients is Art Walk Projects in Portobello, which will receive £12,000 to establish Forecast, a new biennial arts festival on the coast. Beetroots Collective CIC in West Crosscauseway is set to get £20,000 for its Festival of Light, a family-friendly community celebration. Other approved projects include CAPS Independent Advocacy’s Out of Sight Out of Mind Exhibition at Summerhall, receiving £12,000, and the Edinburgh Art Festival, which will get the maximum £20,000 for its citywide visual art festival running over 18 days in August. The funding also supports smaller initiatives like the Community Wellbeing Collective’s art carnival in Wester Hailes (£4,326) and the Creative Edinburgh Awards in Tolcross (£5,000). Dance Base’s Grassmarket street dance competition and Edinburgh Deaf Festival will each receive £12,000. The Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust will get £3,320 for its Restore the Burn event, while Edinburgh Open Workshop will receive £5,000 for the Leith Creative Trail. The council’s report highlights the goal of increasing the spread of local events to ensure all residents have access to meaningful culture. Successful organizations will work with Culture for Climate Scotland to monitor and reduce the environmental impact of their events. Funding agreements will be issued upon approval, with multi-year recipients required to meet sustainability targets. The approved projects reflect Edinburgh’s commitment to fostering arts and community engagement across diverse neighborhoods, from Portobello to Bruntsfield, where Pianodrome CIC will host a five-day celebration of DIY culture.
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