In response to the designation of 2002 as the Year of Cultural Diversity, the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) has pledged over £300,000 to projects which promote cultural diversity in Scotland.
The money will be distributed through two new schemes. Diversity 2002, is offering grants from £2,000 to £30,000 to raise the status of arts for and with black and minority ethnic communities throughout Scotland. The fund will encourage a wide range of activity, such as artists residencies within community groups and new theatre productions examining minority ethnic issues. Recognising that Glasgow and Edinburgh are home to the greatest concentration of minority ethnic communities in Scotland, SAC is working in partnership with the local authorities in these cities. To help generate a wide range of small-scale projects, the respective local authorities will be the first point of contact for small grant applications between £2,000 and £5,000 in their areas.
The other new scheme, the Strategic Development Fund, aims to support new partnerships which pursue artistic excellence and create new work in the area of minority ethnic arts. Funding will be made available for projects involving two or more organisations which seek to further their own skills and understanding through a collaborative project. Contact the SAC Help Desk t: 0131 240 2443/ 2444 e: help.desk@scottisharts.org.uk