Organisers of a popular book and arts festival in Nairn have just four weeks to plug a £15,000 funding gap after losing a crucial backer.
An urgent public fundraising campaign has now been launched to save this year’s Nairn Book and Arts Festival and to safeguard it for future years.
The move comes after national arts development agency Creative Scotland confirmed that it would not be offering the festival a grant this year.
A Creative Scotland spokeswoman said that its open project fund, to which the Nairn festival applied, is currently only able to support about 30% of applications received, and that “difficult decisions need to be made”.
Grants of £9,600 have been awarded for the past two years, but this year the festival organisers applied for a £20,000 grant which was turned down.
Nairn Book and Arts Festival chairman David Godden said: “Losing Creative Scotland support this year has been massive blow to the festival, leaving a £15,000 gap in our finances and threatening not only this year’s festival but its entire future.
“We have almost 100 events planned for this year’s festival – literary talks, music, poetry and visual art, writing and art competitions, and free children’s events. In addition to what it brings to the cultural life of the area, the festival plays a vital part in the local economy, boosts tourism in the region, and provides opportunities and support to local arts groups, volunteers and venues. The knock-on effect of losing it would be extremely damaging.
“With tickets due to go on sale in June, timing is extremely tight for us. If we fail to raise the necessary funds by May 1, then we will be forced to cancel this year’s festival, and future festivals will hang in the balance.
“We are asking the public for their support – any donation, however small, will make a difference.”
Nairn Book and Arts Festival – now in its 14th year – has played host to some stellar names in literature, including Iain Banks, William Dalrymple, James Kelman, Liz Lochhead, Carol Ann Duffy, Chris Brookmyre and Denise Mina.
Recent speakers have also included Kate Adie, Kirsty Wark, Ann Widdecombe, Simon Calder and James Naughtie.
The festival attracts audiences of more than 5,000 during six days of events.
Members of the public can donate to the festival via www.crowdfunder.co.uk/nairn-book-and-arts-festival
They can also send a cheque payable to ‘Nairn Book and Arts Festival’, to Nairn Book and Arts Festival, Nairn Community and Arts Centre, King St. Nairn IV12 4BQ, or donate in person at Nairn Community and Arts Centre and Nairn Bookshop.