Dumfries and Galloway festival funding fates revealed
- Published
The council supports a wide range of festivals and events across Dumfries and Galloway
Levels of proposed council funding for a string of festivals across Dumfries and Galloway have been revealed.
The local authority will give out a total of £275,000 towards a variety of events in 2017/18.
The biggest single grants go to the Wigtown Book Festival and the Big Burns Supper in Dumfries.
However, they both face a reduction in their funding along with two other "signature events" - Spring Fling and Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.
Signature events
The Big Burns Supper looks set to see funding cut as it becomes more self-sufficient
A package of £94,000 has been recommended for four major events to be shared as follows:
£31,000 - Big Burns Supper (previously £45,000 per year)
£31,000 - Wigtown Book Festival (previously £34,333 per year)
£18,000 - Spring Fling (previously £36,333 per year)
£14,000 - Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival (previously £25,000 per year)
A council panel agreed they could all see a reduction in funding after previous support had helped them to reach "much greater self-sufficiency".
It said backing should be directed at supporting a "new portfolio of growth events".
Delighted dozen
The Eden Festival is among a dozen events also set for council funding
Funding for a further 12 events has been recommended with the full breakdown:
£30,000 World Championship Ice Hockey
£18,000 Eden Festival
£18,000 Electric Fields Festival
£15,000 Moffat World Gold Panning Championships
£15,000 Kirkcudbright International Festival
£8,500 Muckle Toon Adventure Festival
£8,000 Wild Winter Film Festival
£7,000 Newton Stewart and Minnigaff Traditional Music Festival
£6,500 Stranraer Oyster Festival
£6,000 Lockerbie Jazz Festival
£4,000 Knockengorroch World Ceilidh
£4,000 Trophy D'Ecosse skating
Rallying cry
Both the Scottish Rally and the Galloway Hills Rally are to receive funding under the proposals.
The former will maintain its £21,000 support but the latter will have its financial backing cut from £9,000 to £6,000.
A total of £14,000 has also been allocated towards developing the overall festivals sector.
Thumbs down
The Nithraid event in Dumfries has not been recommended to receive funding
However, four events appear to have failed in their bids for council support.
No contribution has been recommended to the Challenger Series curling at Dumfries Ice Bowl, the Nithraid River Festival, the Sanctuary public art event in the Galloway Forest Park and the Ukulele Festival of Scotland.