Question reference: S6W-24798
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 25 January 2024
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Current status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 5 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Shetland Folk Festival Society since 2019.
Answer
The Shetland Folk Festival Society has not received any direct funding from Scottish Government since 2019.
The Shetland Folk Festival Society has received two awards through the Creative Scotland (CS) National Lottery Open Fund since 2019, totalling £24,000.
The CS Open Fund has had three iterations since Shetland Folk Festival Society’s award in 2019 and the criteria for the fund has evolved in-line with CS’ strategic and funding priorities. Full details on these funding programmes are available on Creative Scotland's website.
The Shetland Folk Festival Society also received £21,000 from EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme in 2022. The KPIs agreed in the funding contract were as follows:
1. Attract at least 8 bands to Shetland to perform at the event
2. Attract an audience of around 6,000 visitors to the event
3. Attract 32% of visitors from outwith the event region
4. Carry out a scaled back community / rural programme in line with local opinion
5. Demonstrate how the event has helped boost community confidence to attend events