Nicola Benedetti 'greatly relieved' over arts funding shake-up after 'many years of stagnation'

Nicola Benedetti has revealed she is "greatly relieved" at the outcome of Scotland's long-awaited arts funding shake-up - after being given a double boost from Creative Scotland.

The violinist, festival director and campaigner hailed the £208m announcement on Scottish Government funding as "hugely encouraging and symbolically powerful."

She said the new programme, which will support 251 events, venues and arts centres over the next three years, would "finally" allow organisations to plan ahead with certainty and confidence.

The Grammy Award winner suggested the cultural sector would be able to move on from an era of "stagnation" which has been "destablising and damaging" for the country's cultural eco-system.

Benedetti, who has been director of the Edinburgh International Festival for more than two years, said it had finally secured its first increase in public funding since 2008.

She has been one of the most outspoken critics of levels of culture funding in Scotland since she took up the role.

She revealed in November that the festival had been forced to scale back its 2025 programme due to uncertainty over its future government funding, including dropping its opening event and cutting back the number of Usher Hall concerts.

She spoke out weeks after Creative Scotland was forced to delay its long-awaited decisions on its next three-year funding programme.

However this week's announcement will see the EIF's core funding increase from its current annual grant of around £2.3m to £3.25m this year and £4.25m from next year.

The violinist's own music education charity, The Benedetti Foundation, has secured separate support to the tune of £62,400 this year and £81,6000 from next year.

Benedetti said: "I am greatly relieved to see such positive news on Creative Scotland's funding. It is hugely encouraging, and symbolically powerful, to see a record number of organisations awarded and a significant uplift after so many years of stagnation, which has been destabilising and damaging for our entire ecosystem. Now, finally, we can plan with certainty and newfound confidence.

The Benedetti Foundation, which plans to work directly with 75,000 people over the next three years, has received its first multi-year grant allowing us to continue to deliver high quality transformative experiences through mass-music events in Scotland, working with exceptional educators and inspiring music teachers from up and down the country.

"The Edinburgh International Festival has had its first increase in public funding since 2008.

"This three-year grant will enable us to move towards delivering our ambitions, and continuing our mission of presenting the highest level of art and offering the deepest experience, for the broadest possible audience."