Dumfries and Galloway Council has made fourteen grant awards to cultural and heritage projects across the region, totalling more than £62,000, with the beneficiaries including Kirkcudbright Book Week Society.
The funding is from the new Regional Cultural Fund 2024/25, and the grants programme has been made possible after the Council secured £96,000 from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund earlier this year. The Council is managing the Fund on behalf of the Steering Group for the Cultural Partnership in Dumfries and Galloway.
A total of £1,500 will go to the Book Week Society’s A Good Read initiative, which will fund a series of author visits to bookshops across Dumfries and Galloway in February 2025 as a way of promoting Kirkcudbright Book Week, which takes place the following month, between March 3-9 2025.
The initiative will also celebrate the important role that bookshops play in communities and thank them for their support of Book Week over the years. More details of the February programme will be announced in due course.
Society Chair Chris Walker said: “The aim of Book Week is to celebrate the power of words and this award allows us to pay homage to the vital work that bookshops do in encouraging people of all areas to read and listen to the work of authors. We thank the Council for supporting us.”
The funding will enhance cultural and heritage development across the region, for the benefit of local people and visitors. The renowned music organisation Absolute Classics are to plan and introduce a new Jazz Festival in the Spring of 2025, the Whithorn Trust will produce an in-depth new visitor guide that includes information on cycling and walking routes in the Machars, and the Henry Duncan Savings Museum in Ruthwell is being funded to modernise their displays and interpretation boards.
Among other projects being supported is a series of events at Rosefield Mills in Dumfries to create public awareness of the Mill’s history and restoration and detailed community engagement work to take forward the Annan History Town initiative.
Gail McGregor, the Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council said, “There was a superb response to the Regional Cultural Fund, with thirty five eligible applications received, and the Council and its partners are delighted to be able to announce the funding for 14 excellent projects across Dumfries and Galloway. It is clear that dozens of organisations which are active in our region hold our culture and heritage dear and work tirelessly to support and promote it.”
Tabi Mudalier, Director of DG Unlimited said, “”DG Unlimited was delighted by the high number of excellent responses and high quality projects from all applicants. The successful projects will further enhance the cultural sector in our region, and is proving to be a positive way to share the prosperity of the funding received from the UK Government. We look forward to seeing the results of the projects in the coming months. Congratulations to all the awardees. Our thanks to Dumfries and Galloway Council for the opportunity to assist with the delivery of this funding round”
Judith Hewitt, Chair of D&G Museums and Heritage Network said, “I’m so pleased that the Regional Cultural Fund has been able to support heritage projects from across our region. There hasn’t been a regional fund that heritage organisations can apply to for some time and there is clear demand. I look forward to see how these exciting and diverse projects develop to help sustain the work of our sector in Dumfries and Galloway.”
The Regional Cultural Fund is fully funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Dumfries and Galloway Council will manage all aspects of the Fund with assistance from DGU – DG Unlimited
Kirkcudbright Book Week 