Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding Announcement

We are delighted that Dance Base has been included in Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year Funding portfolio with an uplift in core funding.

This will allow us to maintain our commitment to providing the highest quality training and opportunities for professional dance artists, supporting them to build sustainable careers, as well as expand access to the creative, physical and emotional benefits of dance for the people of Edinburgh through our public dance programme.

Dance Base’s Artistic Director, Tony Mills said: “It is good news overall for the sector and perhaps folk can finally breathe a little and look forward. At Dance Base we now look forward to how we evolve and continue to nurture and support Scottish dance talent at all stages of their careers, and to working more intentionally with our partners, finally with a little room 2 manoeuvre.”

This funding will also allow Dance Base to continue its globally recognised health, wellbeing and engagement programmes – including Dance for Parkinson’s – and to develop evidence based advocacy that makes the case for, and increases awareness of, professional dance in Scotland and the social, health and wellbeing benefits of dance participation for all. And, after almost a decade of standstill funding, can also start to plan and prepare for much-needed maintenance of our landmark building, including working towards Net Zero targets.

CEO of Dance Base, Jeanie Scott said: “Today’s recognition of Dance Base’s track record and global reputation as Scotland’s national centre for dance is extremely welcome. We’ve received an stepped increase on standstill over the next three years which gives us both short term security and the capacity for long term planning.”

We are very happy to see so many new organisations join the Multi-Year Funding programme. We also recognise that not all those who applied were successful and there are those among our network of partners who have been impacted. Investment in culture provides huge benefits to our society and we will continue to advocate for it on behalf of our arts ecology.