TWELVE of Edinburgh's festivals are being given the chance to share in a £6 million cash pot aimed at promoting more home-grown work at the capital's cultural showpieces.
The Scottish Government's new "expo fund" will be open to Scottish companies, producers, writers and event organisers, it was announced yesterday.
Grants will also be on offer to help stage major world premieres, get joint productions and initiati
ves between festivals off the ground and take successful festival shows on tour around the world.
The first major international marketing initiatives promoting Edinburgh as the "festivals capital of the world" are also to be partly funded through the initiative, promised by the SNP in its election manifesto.
The expo fund, which was opened for funding bids last autumn, is primarily aimed at getting new "Scottish-based" work off the ground. About £1.3 million is expected to be confirmed for a string of projects over the next few months, although details are being kept under wraps until festival programmes are unveiled.
Linda Fabiani, the culture minister, said she would have the final say on what projects receive funding, with the scheme "administered" via the Scottish Arts Council. She added that broad criteria would be applied during the application process so that all projects with a "significant Scottish element" would be considered.
Ms Fabiani said: "With Edinburgh as the pre-eminent festival capital of the world, we have a real platform to showcase the best of Scottish talent to international audiences.
"One of our key priorities is to ensure we get more Scottish-based artists involved in the Edinburgh festivals and touring within and outwith Scotland thereafter."
Faith Liddell, head of Festivals Edinburgh, the umbrella group for the city's major events, said most festivals were co-ordinating their efforts to secure funding through the new initiative.
She added: "We'll see the first work staged this summer in most of the festivals.
"The Tattoo was the only one not to apply for funding in the first year, and because the Fringe is not responsible for programming shows, it will be announcing its own initiative later in the summer.
"There was a pretty tight timescale to work to for projects to secure funding during the first year, but it was effectively over-subscribed."
Jon Morgan, the director of the Festival Fringe, said: "Funding should hopefully be available to help bring new work to the Fringe in 2009 (and] also take shows on tour afterwards."
A study produced by Festivals Edinburgh last year found that up to £80 million in new funding will be required over the next three years if the city is to stay ahead of major rivals.
Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle/Gateshead are all battling to take Edinburgh's crown as the world's "festivals capital".
However, there are also fears over the global threats from the likes of Barcelona, Montreal, Singapore and Adelaide.
CALL FOR MORE COVERAGETHE culture minister has demanded that broadcasters step up coverage of Edinburgh's major festivals.
Linda Fabiani called for a series of flagship programmes showcasing the likes of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe to be screened this year, describing the exposure for Edinburgh's festivals on the BBC as tiny compared with the coverage devoted to the annual Proms season.
"Broadcasters do not do nearly enough," she said. "There is no reflection that Edinburgh is the world's leading festivals city."
There has been previous criticism of the BBC's festival coverage in Edinburgh.
Jonathan Mills, the director of the Edinburgh International Festival, has condemned the BBC for one of last year's flagship programmes, entitled 10 Things To Hate About The Edinburgh Festival. STV broadcast just one dedicated show last year, offering highlights of the fireworks concert.
Neither the BBC or STV was able to say how much they spent last year covering Edinburgh's festivals.
The full article contains 645 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
