The new Community Stories Fund, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund and worth a total of £300,000, will award grants ranging from £500 to £5,000 to facilitate in-person, virtual or hybrid events and activities.
Successful applicants will align their plans to one of five Year of Stories 2022 programme strands: Iconic Stories & Storytellers; New Stories; Scotland’s People and Places; Local Tales and Legends; and Inspired by Nature.
“The Year of Stories 2022 is a real opportunity for communities to celebrate their part in telling the rich and varied stories that make Scotland,” says Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland.
“This funding will enable groups to engage with audiences in creative ways across the country to highlight community stories and work with community spaces, museums and galleries, heritage sites, and visitor attractions.”
Integral to the fund’s creation is the goal of contributing to the culture sector’s recovery from the pandemic, with local attractions, museums, venues, artists, creatives and heritage networks all set to benefit.
“I urge community groups and organisations to apply for this funding, as it plays an important part in our collective recovery from the significant challenges we have faced since the beginning of the pandemic,” states culture minister Jenny Gilruth.
Caroline Clark, National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Scotland director, adds that the programme spotlighting the nation’s “fascinating heritage” is a “great way of bringing people together and creating a sense of pride of place, that in turn can deliver wider economic and wellbeing benefits”.
Groups and organisations can apply for funding for public facing events that will take place throughout 2022.
The first round of funding is now open, with the deadline for applications on 1st October 2021. A further round of funding will open on 24th January 2022.
More information on eligibility and the application process can be found here.
