£1million cultural funding confirmed

Renfrewshire is continuing its cultural regeneration journey after councillors approved £1million investment in cultural funding grants over the next three years.

The decision to approve the additional funds, which will support local creatives and cultural organisations, was made by members of Renfrewshire Council’s Leadership Board on 19 February.

The money will be split between two funding schemes the Culture, Heritage and Events Fund (CHEF) and the newly formed Cultural Organisation Fund (COF).

CHEF was introduced in 2016 to support the development and delivery of cultural and heritage projects and events across Renfrewshire. While COF, which replaces the Cultural Organisations Development Fund, is a multi-year funding programme that will provide support across both revenue and programming costs to establish cultural organisations in Renfrewshire.

To help inform how the £1million investment should be allocated an in-person workshop took place in December last year, followed by a survey distributed to previous recipients of cultural grants in January 2025 to help understand how best to respond to their needs and priorities for the coming years.

There was a clear response from the sector that CHEF remains crucial for the sector as it allows both individual artists as well as organisations to apply for funding to pursue innovative and ambitious cultural programming. It also attracts organisations from outside Renfrewshire to apply, attracting creative talent to the area for the benefit of local communities.

It was also clear that a multi-year cultural fund that would offer the opportunity to cover both revenue and programming costs for cultural organisations was a key priority – this informed the creation of COF.

Convener of the Leadership Board and Leader of Renfrewshire Council, Cllr Iain Nicolson said: “Renfrewshire’s cultural regeneration journey has now moved into a new phase following the end of the successful Future Paisley partnership programme. We have always championed culture and the positive impact it can have on people’s lives – this is why we have continued to dedicate support to cultural activity at a time when funds are being cut elsewhere.

“Cultural grants have enabled local artists and cultural organisations to develop new work in the area and supported the growth of the sector – all working towards positioning Renfrewshire as a creative place to be.

“The additional £1million which will be invested in the sector over the next three years recognises our continued commitment to achieving our cultural regeneration ambitions and helping to grow the local creative sector.”  

Under the Future Paisley programme which came to a close last year, more than £2.6m had been awarded to local artists, creative organisations and community groups through cultural funding grants helping to support the growth of local talent and allow more cultural activity to be programmed in the area.

Senior Coordinator of Kairos Women+ and previous CHEF funding recipient, Katy Wilson-Scott, said: “CHEF funding has given us the opportunity to try something new, experimenting with what works for women+. The funding has given us the opportunity to work with artists and makers across the area, increasing women’s access to creative activities and developing their skills.

“Women+ tell us how much creative activity supports their mental health, and connecting with others in inclusive spaces reduces loneliness and isolation. In our current printmaking workshops, one woman+ said, ‘everyone I’ve met here gives off a good energy, it feels inclusive’ and another said ‘there is lots of laughter and conversations around neurodiversity’. The funding has also given us the financial support to increase staff hours and support the self-employed creatives who have led the workshops.”

COF will be open for applications in April 2025, with awards expected to be announced in July 2025.CHEF will open for applications later in 2025/2026. Both funds will be completed by March 2028.

To find out more about cultural grants in Renfrewshire visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/funding-communities-culture.