Media release – 25 January 2018
An Lanntair receives £1.21m funding from Creative Scotland for the next three years
Creative Scotland announced today that An Lanntair, the major arts centre and creative hub for the Isles of Lewis and Harris, will receive £1.21m funding from its Regular Funding Programme for 2018-2021.
Three-year Regular Funding awarded to 116 organisations
The award recognises the significance and diversity of An Lanntair’s performing arts, cinema, exhibitions and music programme.
An Lanntair’s Chief Executive, Elly Fletcher, said: “This is fabulous news. The team and I are delighted that Creative Scotland has recognised the importance of An Lanntair as a centre and hub for the arts, locally and nationally, and has made this crucial investment in our future. This award belongs to each and every staff and board member who has worked so hard to achieve this recognition, every audience member who has engaged with and supported our programme, and all the incredible, talented artists out there who continuously create, produce and challenge us all through their work. The next three years are going to be quite something and I, for one, cannot wait!”
Audiences can expect to see An Lanntair continue to grow its many world-class festivals and events, such as its annual Book Festival, Faclan, and its Between Islands project, celebrating and sharing cultural and heritage connections between artists across Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. With new funding, the organisation will also embed its role as a go-to support space for new and emerging artists and creative businesses, offering structured programmes of mentoring and opportunities for creative practitioners to develop their practice, share and network amongst each other, and create opportunities for showcasing the work of Hebridean artists far and wide. A great example is this coming Sunday at the RSA in Edinburgh, where An Lanntair will launch its new co-curated show with the Scottish Society of Artists: http://www.open2018.art/lagraverach.html – giving local Outer Hebridean artists the opportunity to platform their work and talent on a national stage.
An Lanntair will focus significant efforts on developing its role as a lead organisation for the Gaelic arts in the islands, supporting the growth of both contemporary and traditional Gaelic performing and visual arts and artists. A major Gaelic project announced this week will see two new world-class Gaelic music commissions produced and premiered at An Lanntair in winter 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the Iolaire disaster: http://lanntaircom/17306/.
And there’s so much more to come – LGBT History Month kicks off again at An Lanntair this coming February, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities across the Outer Hebrides. With a new theme this year of ‘island life – community and identity’, artists are invited to get involved in a PechaKucha event: http://lanntair.com/events/event/pechakucha-island-life-community-identity/. An Lanntair’s Year of Young People take-over festival, ‘Las!/Ignite!’, is set to create an unprecedented opportunity for young people to find their feet and explore real careers in the creative industries here on Lewis in their arts centre: http://lanntair.com/lanntair-ignites-young-creative-talent-new-festival-year-young-people-2018/. And big news will be coming soon on the future for An Lanntair’s award-winning arts project engaging with people living with dementia!
This is a great start to the year for An Lanntair, and with many more exciting projects still to be announced, 2018 is shaping up to be one of the best!
David Green, An Lanntair’s Chairman, said: “The award of regular funding for the next three years is fantastic news for An Lanntair, especially when funding for the arts in Scotland is under such pressure. We now look forward with great enthusiasm to delivering on our aspirations to make An Lanntair one of the best arts organisations in the country, offering an exceptional, challenging and exciting programme, and meeting the needs of audiences across the range of art forms and media. Creative Scotland has shown faith in us, based on our achievements to date and the commitments we made in our application and business plan. Our brilliant team of staff will justify that faith, and An Lanntair will grow and flourish as never before.”
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For more information on An Lannair please contact Kathryn Lamont Smith, Head of Marketing at 01851708480 or kathryn@lanntair.com
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Notes to Editor
• An Lanntair is a multi-disciplinary Arts Centre in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
• An Lanntair is a registered charity – SC003287
• An Lanntair is supported by Creative Scotland, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Point & Sandwick Trust.