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Inverness’s Eden Court Theatre hails ‘transformative’ £2.5m funding boost from Creative Scotland thanks to Scottish Government arts budget increase





YDance performing at Eden Court.
YDance performing at Eden Court.

A "transformative" £2.5 million cash injection will help Eden Court "expand access to the arts", its delighted boss believes.

The Inverness arts venue secured the funding package, which will be spread across three years, from Creative Scotland after the body announced £200m in support for 251 separate organisations.

The money, which Creative Scotland said was made possible by a “significant budget commitment” by the Scottish Government, will be split into £760,000 for the coming financial year and £893,000 apiece for the years 2026/27 and 2027/28.

Eden Court chief executive Rebecca Holt believes the money will help it pus forward with an “ambitious plan” to expand access to the arts, nurture talent and bring “world-class cultural experiences” to communities across the Highlands.

“This funding will be transformative for our organisation. With this investment, we are committed to developing opportunities for everyone across the Highlands to engage with and realise their creative potential. We will champion inclusivity, open up new routes to participation, and deliver a rich and eclectic programme of live performances, film screenings and cultural activities that reflect the diversity and spirit of the region.

“We are excited to expand our support for artists and creative professionals, where we intend to provide meaningful support and investment at the early stages of artists’ creative process. From commissioning new work that highlights Highland stories to nurturing emerging talent, this funding will allow us to strengthen a thriving creative ecosystem.

“With the support of Creative Scotland - alongside our wonderful community of audiences and artists - we will drive economic growth, attract new investment, and ensure creativity flourishes across Inverness and communities throughout the Highlands. We are very excited to get to work in realising our vision for a thriving Highlands powered by creativity and culture.”

The funding comes just weeks after Eden Court confirmed that changes to employer National Insurance contributions would cost the theatre £100,000 a year in extra spending.

Rebecca Holt, Chief Executive of Eden Court.
Rebecca Holt, Chief Executive of Eden Court.

Although Ms Holt stressed it was well-place to absorb those extra costs she did warn at the time that this risked diverting money away from its arts output and leaving talented Highlanders’ ambitions “unrealised” without additional funding.

In December Eden Court also reported an annual loss of £670,000, despite income rising by almost £200,000 to £6.8 million.

So Thursday’s announcement of this £2.5 million funding from Creative Scotland will be even more of a boost.

Eden Court has now “extended its heartfelt thanks” to Creative Scotland for “recognising the value of its work and supporting its vision for a thriving region powered by creativity”.

Creative Scotland’s chairman, Robert Wilson, believes the announcement of more than £200 million in funding for hundreds of organisations will “bring with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector”.

He added: “Stable, long-term funding for as many organisations as possible is the underlying principle of this multi-year funding programme, and we are delighted to be able to bring it to fruition.

Inside the La Scala screen at Eden Court Theatre.
Inside the La Scala screen at Eden Court Theatre.

“This funding means that we are able to bring so many new, community focused organisations into the portfolio, while also providing significant increases to those more established organisations which have been on standstill, regular funding for so many years.”

He continued: “This signals a significant moment of positive change for Scotland’s cultural community, and I hope that, after the deeply challenging time of the pandemic, and the difficulties that have faced the sector in the subsequent years, that now is the time that we can look forward with confidence and the Scottish culture sector can get on with what it does best, producing outstanding art and creativity for everyone to enjoy.”

Scottish Government culture minister Angus Robertson said: “This is a foundational moment for culture and the arts in Scotland. More organisations than ever, in more parts of the country will benefit from the stability of multi-year funding with the number of funded organisations more than doubling, from 119 to 251.”

He added that the funding was made possible, in part, due to a “record £34 million increase for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget”.

Eden COurt THeatre.
Eden COurt THeatre.

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