This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for Edinburgh Festival
08/02/2007
The Scottish Executive and the Scottish Arts Council have pledged £350,000 funding support for The Edinburgh International Festival.
Scottish Arts Council (SAC) will contribute £200,000, while the Scottish Executive will contribute a further £150,000 to the Festival's 2007 programme.
Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson said:
"This funding for the 2007 Festival recognises our commitment to the event and also reflects its contribution to the cultural life of the whole economy.
"It is important that we consider the Festival's longer term financial stability with the Director and other key stakeholders, as recently recommended in the 'Thundering Hooves' report.
"We are closely examining the report's recommendations about future support for all of Edinburgh's festivals to ensure their longer term survival and international competitiveness."
Graham Berry, Chief Executive, Scottish Arts Council, said:
"The Scottish Arts Council has always expressed its desire to share the exceptional work shown in Edinburgh during August with a wider Scottish audience and we believe that this proposal from the Edinburgh International Festival serves that need.
"There is also an incentive in the proposal for Scottish artists to develop work which aims for the high standard for which the International Festival is world-renowned.
"Partnerships are central to the success of this type of initiative and we welcome the City of Edinburgh's commitment to considering the proposal, alongside the Scottish Executive's agreement that the plan merits our additional support from the Scottish Arts Council."