Funding helps Hebridean Celtic Festival stage event 13/2/13
● The main high profile headline act for this summer’s Hebridean Celtic Festival will be revealed on Hebrides News at midnight tonight.
The Hebridean Celtic Festival is to get nearly £106,000 in grants to help stage this year’s event.
Creative Scotland is awarding £60,000 while a further £20,000 will come from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
The Comhairle has earmarked £25,650 for the event. Councillors are expected to ratify the funding tomorrow providing there are no last minute cash shortages arising from the annual final budget meeting.
A council report says the festival continues to be reliant on Comhairle funding to lever other public and private sector support.
Annual attendance figures for the 2012 festival were 14,095, a 5% reduction on 2011.
The report highlights the event generates significant economic impact and the involvement of the local crafts sector is a welcomed boost.
The Comhairle says the festival has “enlivened the local artistic and cultural community and brought significant social and economic benefits to the Outer Hebrides for the past 17 years.
“It continues to provide value for money on a number of levels. It is a valuable driver for the local economy; it plays a role in the showcasing and development of our culture.”
In addition it “supports local musicians and it demonstrates some of the best attributes of the Outer Hebrides by winning awards and attracting visitors from around the world.
It also delivers a “high quality, diverse and vibrant programme of cultural and creative activity.
“This increases national and international recognition of the Outer Hebrides as a creative place.”