18 Youth Music and Youth Arts organisations have received a total of £1,053,000 to help the recovery of Youth Arts across Scotland and ensure creative opportunities for children and young people continue despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Through this funding, organisations like Engage Scotland, Film Access Scotland, Starcatchers, YDance, Drake Music Scotland and Feisean nan Gaidheal - see full list of recipients, in table below - will deliver a range of local and national projects, all of which target priority groups of children and young people and provide important work for freelance artists.

Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop said: “Youth music and youth arts organisations across Scotland are playing an important role in the lives of young people during these difficult times.

“This funding will support these organisations to expand their work and provide creative opportunities to young people as well as work and income for the artists and practitioners working with them through these projects.”

Sarah Yearsley, Engage Scotland Coordinator said: “At this challenging time this funding will enable Engage Scotland to support youth arts infrastructure and activity in the visual arts and gallery education sector in Scotland.

“We are looking forward to working with young people aged 16-25, freelance artists and partners in the sector to co-produce a collaborative and responsive programme with a particular focus on demonstrating new, innovative and creative models of engaging with young people and the visual arts.”

Natalie Usher, Chief Executive, Film Access Scotland said: “Film Access Scotland and its members are delighted to be one of the recipients of this Youth Arts funding and to contribute towards ensuring that creative opportunities continue to exist for young people across Scotland at this critical time through our Making Sense of a Changing World project.”

Thursa Sanderson, Chief Executive, Drake Music said: “This funding will enable us to forge ahead with Sound Explorers, a new programme of online activity. It responds positively to the changed learning landscape for young people with additional support needs - offering an interactive and fun way to make music.

“It will directly tackle the lack of access to music making for young people with disabilities and additional support needs caused by the Covid pandemic removing the barriers for those isolating at home and those in the classroom."

These awards are the first to be announced from the Scottish Government’s £3million funding package for Youth Arts.  Further announcements will follow regarding recipients of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund, the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme and £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund.

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “All the emergency funds currently being delivered by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government are vital in addressing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. I’m particularly pleased that we are able to announce today the first recipients of this Youth Arts funding which will reach some of the children and young people most adversely affected by the pandemic and provide important work for freelance artists whose opportunities have been so severely impacted by Covid-19.”

The full list of recipients of these funds are: