Businesses such as Belmont Filmhouse and Aberdeen Arts Centre set to receive crucial funding
by Amy Smith
Courtesy of Colin Farquhar
On November 10th, the Aberdeen City Council announced that more than £500,000 is to be invested in community and cultural assets.
This funding is to come from the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) Fund, which is a five-year programme which has invested £275 million of capital funding to “support community led regeneration, town centre revitalisation and community wealth building”.
It is reported that Aberdeen City Council will receive an allocation of £975,000 for the annual year of 2021/22, and up to £430,000 of that fund was allocated for the Union Terrace Gardens Play Park Project in August.
Whilst the entire distribution list of the remaining £545,000 has not been shared, the Aberdeen City Council did reveal a few of the businesses that would be receiving funds.
Belmont Filmhouse will receive £44,014 for the Accessibility Programme of Works project; Aberdeen Arts Centre will receive £32,750 for the Children’s Theatre project; and Aberdeen Performing Arts will receive £164,680 for the Repair, Rebuild, Revitalise project.
“We’ll be using the money to do further lighting conversions for sustainability and work on our lift to improve access. Both long overdue. Funding will also contribute and further our Community Engagement work” tweeted Colin Farquhar, the Head of Cinema Operations at Belmont Filmhouse, about his delight of receiving funds from the City Council.
Speaking to The Gaudie, Farquhar added that
“screen lighting has been a job that’s been on the to do list for quite a while. Raising large amounts of capital can be really difficult in the arts so it’s fab to have been awarded the grants knowing that they can go toward something that can make a real difference to the business.”
Further funding will be allocated for 2022/23 by the Scottish Government in due course. Any funds that remain uncommitted by the end of March 2022 will be returned to the Scottish Government.
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