Arts Match Funding Extended

2nd September 2012

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

An additional £150,000 has been allocated to the New Arts Sponsorship Grants scheme by Fiona Hyslop, bringing the total level of Government support this financial year to £450,000.

The popular 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 £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 45 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."

For more information about Arts and Business Scotland see -
www.aandbscotland.org.uk/