Celtic Connections secures £100,000 funding
Celtic Connections has secured £100,000 of funding from the Scottish government for 2020.
The Expo Fund grant was announced by Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism, and External Affairs.
Ms Hyslop said: “Celtic Connections presented an excellent application for next year’s festival, which will build on the huge success of previous years, therefore I’m pleased we can continue our support.
“Over the past 26 years, Celtic Connections has gone from strength to strength, developing a vibrant programme that lights up Glasgow’s dark winter months and attracts festival goers and talent from around the world.
“It is now one of the world’s largest winter music festivals and boosts Scotland’s culture, tourism and economy.”
The Expo fund was established to enable the delivery and expansion of Scotland’s major festivals by investing £21 million since 2008.
The funding will be used as commission for eight new works from Scottish composers.
These will further be developed into a single symphonic piece by Greg Lawson to be performed by the GRIT Orchestra.
Donald Shaw, Artistic Director at Celtic Connections said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government Expo Fund has been opened up to us again, for Celtic Connections 2020.
“When programming this year’s festival, we were able to use this invaluable funding to further consolidate the vibrant new music strands that are evolving from an emerging generation of musicians.
“Thanks to the extra financial backing we were able to programme a diverse mix of concerts that showcased music that defies any specific genre category and allowed the musicians to explore the role of folk music as a universal language.”
The festival ended 2019 on a high on Sunday with 2000 artists performing in 300 events across Glasgow.
Each year, Celtic Connections establishes a partner country to further international links and establish opportunities for the musicians involved.
The Expo Fund’s £1.8 million budget for festivals also granted £200,000 to Festivals Edinburgh to back the title of “world’s leading festival city”.
By Tom Jarvis
