Arts / Creative Scotland funding would ‘greatly enhance’ arts agency can do, chief executive says
SHETLAND Arts chief executive Graeme Howell says a potential funding boost from Creative Scotland would “greatly enhance” the scale of what the organisation is able to do in the future.
The arts charity is awaiting the response to a multi-year funding application from government agency Creative Scotland, which is expected this month.
Alongside main funder Shetland Charitable Trust, Creative Scotland has regularly given cash to Shetland Arts.
It comes not long after the charitable trust confirmed a significant hike in funding of more than one third for Shetland Arts in 2025/26.
Writing in a year-end blog, Howell said it was “amazing” to receive this support from the charitable trust.
“This is a real recognition of the importance they place on the impact that we have and the difference we make against their priorities,” he said.
“It means the organisation is secure, though the scale of what we can do will be greatly enhanced if we receive further investment from Creative Scotland.”
Although there are few details released publicly yet, Howell said the programme for 2025 is “shaping up nicely with a good variety of celebrating our home-grown talent alongside some inspirational visiting artists”.
The blog post also said Howell had spoken to Scottish composer Jim Sutherland about potentially bringing a film event to Mareel – while the arts chief was “hoping to agree a date for an exciting celebration of Scottish poetry”.
There will also be another round of commissions for artists based in or connected to Shetland.
Full details of this will be released on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the recording studio space in Mareel is being repurposed to create a rehearsal room, which will be able to be booked out.
The recording studio’s control room is being relocated to the back of the auditorium.
An update included in papers given to the Shetland Arts board in December said it is anticipated the rehearsal facility will be launched this month (January).
Meanwhile tickets for a rare standing concert at Mareel are now on sale.
Tribute act The AC/DC Experience is playing the auditorium on Saturday 15 November.
The event is not being organised by Shetland Arts, with the promoter being mainland-based GLK which has brought up a number of tribute acts in the past.
Standing concerts at Mareel have effectively been at a standstill since before the Covid pandemic, with a shortage of SIA-certified staff in Shetland cited as a reason.
With all places on the training taken up, there is a hope that it will result in a new pool of available local security staff.
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