A new fund has been launched to provide crucial support for freelance musicians working with young people during the pandemic.
The Youth Small Grants Scheme is part of a Scottish Government Covid funding package to support the arts and is administered by Creative Scotland.
Highland arts organisation Fèis Rois will help distribute the £40,000 fund for folk and traditional musicians, artists and creative practitioners living in Scotland.
Awards of between £500 and £5,000 are available to individuals.
Organisations, local authorities, groups or clubs cannot apply.
Fèis Rois chief executive Fiona Dalgetty said: “At Fèis Rois we enable people of all ages to access, participate in, enjoy and benefit from the traditional arts, across Scotland and even further afield.
“This new fund will allow many of Scotland’s top traditional musicians and creatives to continue their work with young people, at a time when it has been severely impacted by the pandemic.
“Many of them have had to drastically adapt their ways of teaching and working and having the additional support to continue their important work is crucial to ensure our young people don’t miss out on the huge benefits that being involved in traditional music projects can bring.”
She said the musicians’ fund is particularly aimed at activities with young people most affected by the pandemic and lockdown restrictions.
Priority groups include young people living in areas of social and economic deprivation, young carers, young people with disabilities and those experiencing mental ill health.
The funding panel consists of Ms Dalgetty and Siobhan Anderson, music officer at Creative Scotland, together with award-winning Gaelic singer and multi-instrumentalist Julie Fowlis and Ruairidh Gollan, a freelance musician and Fèis Rois board member.
The deadline for applications to the fund is March 14 and the panel will meet later that month to review them.
Successful applicants will be able to start projects from the end of April and will also receive two training and networking sessions.
