Book Week Society named among events funding awards

Dumfries and Galloway Council has announced £270,000 of funding for more than 35 festivals and events across its area, including Kirkcudbright Book Week.

Event organiser Kirkcudbright Book Week Society has been awarded £1,995 towards the annual event, which is held in the first week of March.

The Society has welcomed the award, which it says will help it to develop its programme for Book Week 2025, which will be staged in the town between March 3-9 and for which planning is already well advanced.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has made awards to organisations across its area, which it says is developing as a renowned events destination.

The council says that it is committed to supporting events organisers as they take forward their projects and the funding is believed to be the most any rural council in Scotland is committing to developing their events sector this year. The funding was awarded at the Communities Committee of the local authority.

The £270,000 will support major events in 2024 such as the Wigtown Book Festival, the Stranraer Oyster Festival, Spring Fling, the Arts Festival and many other initiatives. The Wild Goose Festival in October and Music at the Multiverse in September, both of which have grown sustainably in recent years and developed their profiles, have seen an increase in their grant awards.

Twenty four grant awards are being made to applicant organisations to the council’s Regional Events Growth Fund, a new Fund set up to support festivals and events with the potential to grow and attract visitors from across Dumfries and Galloway.

Councillor Ian Blake, Chair of the Council’s Communities Committee said, “The Council is making a significant investment in our region’s festivals and events due to their contribution to the community, cultural and sporting life of our region.

“Across Dumfries and Galloway there are superb events that are working closely with businesses and tourism agencies to bring in thousands of visitors to our region and delighting local people with their programmes. The council’s Events Strategy 2023-2027 is being fully delivered and creating tangible results for the regional economy.”

Councillor Jackie McCamon, the Vice Chair of the Communities Committee, said, “There will be something for everyone in the festivals funding we are providing this year.”