The Screen Scotland Hardship Fund will re-open for applications at 12noon, Tuesday 10 November 2020.
The fund initially opened on Tuesday 22 September and closed on Friday 2 October.
From 12noon on Tuesday 10 November, freelancers applying through Screen Scotland – including photographers – will be asked to complete their application through the online portal, which will be accessed via the Screen Scotland Hardship Fund page.
The Screen Scotland Hardship Fund is part of The Scottish Government’s £5m Hardship Fund for Creative and Screen Freelancers.
The Fund is designed to support creative freelancers working in the arts, creative and screen sectors who are experiencing immediate financial hardship due to the loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This includes the £4.3million element being delivered by Creative Scotland and partners BECTU, Crafts Council & Craft Scotland, Help Musicians, Society of Authors and Visual Arts Scotland; as well as the £700K being delivered through Screen Scotland.
Background information
The £5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers is one of a series of Scottish Government emergency funds for creativity and culture being administered through Creative Scotland.
These funds have been put in place to help mitigate the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural sector. There are five new emergency funds which were announced by the First Minister on Friday 28 August and which are being delivered through Creative Scotland as follows:
- £15million Culture Organisation and Venues Recovery Fund which opened for applications on Thursday 17 September with a deadline of Thursday 24 September. 348 applications have been received totalling over £22million. Application assessments are continuing to take place and decisions will be communicated in early November.
- £3.5million Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund, which opened for applications on Monday 14 September with a deadline of Monday 5 October. 27 applications have been received totalling £3.55million. Recipients will be announced on Monday 2 November.
- £3.5million additional funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund which is open for applications to individuals and organisations now. The application threshold has recently been increased from £50K to £100K.
- £3million Youth Arts funding package comprises of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund which will be open to applications until Thursday 12 November; the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme which launched on Thursday 24 September and were open to applications until Monday 2 November; £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund, and an additional £1,050,000 allocated to support a number of targeted national and local area youth music and wider youth arts organisations. Assessments of applications to the targeted strand of the fund are underway and decisions will be communicated on Thursday 5 November.
- £1.5million for the Culture Collective programme (part of the £5million Sustaining Creative Practice Fund, referred to in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government), supporting organisations employing freelance artists to work in and with communities across Scotland. The programme is due to launch on Tuesday 3 November.
Previously announced funds from the Scottish Government are:
- £12.5million Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund which has reached 79 venues across Scotland. Recipients were published on Thursday 24 September and full information on awards made can be read in our news.
- £2.2million Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund which has reached 72 venues across Scotland. Recipients were published on Tuesday 22 September and full information on awards made is available in this news release.
Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on the Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland websites and social media channels.
Media Contact: Eilidh Walker, Media Relations & PR Officer- Screen, [email protected]
Funding Enquiries: [email protected]