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Funding support for Edinburgh International Festival
02/04/2008
Scottish Opera's new production of Smetana's opera 'The Two Widows' will be funded by the Scottish Government after the Edinburgh International Festival successfully bid for £277,000 from the Government's new Expo Fund.
The 'Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund', launched last week, aims to support new productions, events or exhibitions involving Scottish-based participants that premiere at any of the Edinburgh Festivals. The fund can also be used to support touring of events or performances after their premiere at the festival and allow successful work to reach new audiences.
Speaking from Washington DC where she is taking part in a number of events to promote Scotland Week, Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:
"Scotland's diverse and vibrant cultural life is a defining feature of our successful and confident nation. It is the energy, commitment and creativity of Edinburgh's Festivals which together make Edinburgh the world's pre-eminent festival city, attracting tourists and showcasing Scottish talent on the international stage.
"Our Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund, launched last week, will help to ensure that the global competitive edge of the Festivals is maintained. One of our key priorities is to ensure that we get more Scottish-based artists involved in the Edinburgh festivals and that's why I am delighted that the Edinburgh International Festival has successfully bid for Expo Funding for Scottish Opera's new production of Smetana's opera 'The Two Widows'. I am sure this will prove to be a great opening to this year's Festival."
Director of Edinburgh International Festival Jonathan Mills said:
"The Scottish Government Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund helps to enable an ambitious and exciting new collaboration between the Edinburgh International Festival and Scottish Opera. Smetana's delightful, life affirming opera, The Two Widows is an ideal showcase for the talents of two wonderful Scottish based performers - Kate Valentine and Jane Irwin.
"It is also an ideal contribution to the thematic journey of Festival 08, with its focus on the borders of new Europe. We are very grateful to Linda Fabiani, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Arts Council for the establishment of the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund."
The planned expenditure for the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund is £6 million over three years (2008-2009 to 2011-2012).
Resources of £1.308 million have been allocated in 2008-09. The assessment process and funding is administered by the Scottish Arts Council.
The Expo Fund is available to all 12 Festivals in Edinburgh to support the development of Scottish-based work.
The main role for co-ordinating and delivering the portfolio of Expo projects falls to Festivals Edinburgh, led by Faith Liddell. A panel comprising members of the Thundering Hooves steering group and Festivals Forum has recommended the projects for funding in 2008-09. Remaining successful projects will be announced shortly.