The Lighthouse

2016 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A YEAR IN WHICH SCOTLAND’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN INOVATION, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN WILL BE SHOWCASED AND CELEBRATED WITH A PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITY AIMED AT SUPPORTING AND DRIVING THE NATION’S TOURISM AND EVENTS SECTOR.

Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design in 2016 will be led by VisitScotland and partners including Architecture + Design Scotland, National Museums Scotland, Festival of Architecture 2016 and V&A Museum of Design Dundee.From cutting-edge technology to textiles, architecture and craft, Scotland boasts an outstanding heritage and contemporary practice which continues to inspire audiences across the globe. Funding has not yet opened for event support.

Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design in 2016 will be led by VisitScotland and partners including Architecture + Design Scotland, National Museums Scotland, Festival of Architecture 2016 and V&A Museum of Design Dundee.

From cutting-edge technology to textiles, architecture and craft, Scotland boasts an outstanding heritage and contemporary practice which continues to inspire audiences across the globe.

Photo: Clements Ribeiro at Edinburgh International Fashion Festival 2013, Philip Stanley Dickson.

YEAR OF INNOVATION, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN EVENT FUND

An events fund to develop activity to celebrate Scotland's achievements in innovation, architecture and design is now open and accepting applications for support.

Supporting events from a minimum award of £4,000 up to a maximum of £20,000, the funding will be awarded to enhance existing event programmes or create new event activity with supports the objectives of the year, encouraging participation and boosting tourism.

Minister for Tourism Fergus Ewing said: “From our first Year of Homecoming in 2009 to our current Year of Food and Drink, the people of Scotland and our visitors have had the opportunity to enjoy our most valuable and celebrated assets. To build on this momentum, the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund will be used to deliver a series of events that take place across the country and throughout the year to celebrate all that is great about Scotland.”

2016 is already shaping up to be an exciting year. The planned Festival of Architecture will connect Scottish communities and visitors with architecture through events and exhibitions Scotland-wide. The National Museum of Scotland turns 150 years old and will reopen ten new galleries showcasing Scotland's internationally important collections of decorative art, design, fashion, science and technology.

Arts organisation NVA's plans to resuscitate Kilmahew woodland and modernist icon St Peter's seminary will commence with the Festival of Architecture launch in 2016, the creation of the new V&A Dundee will gain pace, and the new Queensferry Crossing - set to be the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world - will officially open.

There is only one round of funding for this Themed Year. The deadline is Friday 24 July 2015, supporting events which will take place from 1 January - 31 December 2016. Application packs can be downloaded via this link