2020 has been designated Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters
1 April 2019
Including its many islands, Scotland boasts a hugely varied coastline and a rich offering of inland waters in both rural and urban settings. Our coasts and waters are vital elements of our landscape and are greatly valued by communities and visitors alike. Scotland’s diverse coastal scenery, ranging from dramatic cliffs and sea stacks to gleaming white beaches, offers an unparalleled range of experiences from water sports to whale watching and island hopping. Our lochs, rivers and canals also play an important part in the visitor experience, offering boat trips, fishing opportunities and activity holidays, while the many nature reserves across the country are home to a tremendous variety of flora, fauna and wildlife. Scotland’s coasts and waters have shaped our history: from fishing and textiles to whisky and wave power, they have influenced our culture, our stories, our way of life.
Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 Events Programme Open Fund
Scotland’s annual events portfolio offers a wide range of events and festivals that provide a variety of opportunities to engage with our coasts and waters.
To add to this already rich and diverse programme of existing events, the dedicated Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 (YCW2020) Events Programme Open Fund has been designed to create new, high profile opportunities to celebrate our coasts and waters whilst adding value to the existing calendar of events. The funded events programme will create new opportunities for responsible participation, celebration and promotion of the key themes.
The four programme strands that we invite events to respond to and celebrate are:
- Our Natural Environment and Wildlife
- Our Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage
- Activities and Adventure
- Food and Drink
A total Open Fund of £600,000 has been made available across two funding rounds.
Applications for grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 are invited.
Round 1 was for events that are already in design and development where applicants were in a position to be part of the first programme announcement planned for Spring 2019.The deadline for receipt of applications for Round 1 has now passed.
Round 2 applicants should be in a position to be part of the Autumn 2019 programme announcement. The deadline for receipt of applications for Round 2 is 5pm Friday 7 June 2019.
The YCW2020 Events Programme Open Fund is now OPEN and receiving applications from the events and festivals sector across Scotland.
Events interested in applying for support should first familiarise themselves with the Guidance and Criteria document below.
Potential applicants must contact EventScotland on 0131 472 2313 / information@eventscotland.org to discuss their proposal in advance of preparing an application. If you are currently supported by EventScotland, please speak to your allocated Event Manager in the first instance for advice.