TRACS launches Traditional Arts and Culture Fund 2026

In the Scottish cultural sector, the media spotlight often drifts toward the six-figure sums aimed at flagship national companies. We discuss the operas, the grand theatres, and the national orchestras. Yet, ask any working artist where the foundations of the scene are actually laid, and they will point you to the grassroots. It is here, in village halls and local workshops, that culture actually lives and breathes.

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It is welcome news, therefore, that as of yesterday (19 January), a practical avenue of support for these practitioners has been renewed. The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund is now officially open for applications. Previously known as Tasgadh, the fund has undergone a rebrand following TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) winning the tender to administer it last October.

Nimble funding for tradition bearers

While the name has changed, the mission remains vital: providing nimble, accessible funding to the “tradition bearers” of Scotland. The pot for 2026 sits at £43,000, with successful applicants eligible for awards of up to £1,200.

Ok, so £1,200 only goes so far, but . However, this figure represents a 20% increase on previous years. That is to say, it is a necessary, if modest, recognition that the cost of keeping tradition alive—like everything else in this economy—is rising.

Steve Byrne, CEO of TRACS, is keen to emphasise the strategic value of these smaller, faster injections of cash.

“Experience shows that a nimble small grants programme like this can make a huge difference to grassroots activity,” Byrne says. “Being able to provide support to artists and organisations at all stages of their development is essential to ensuring that Scotland has a buoyant traditional arts community.”

Crafts added to the remit

Perhaps the most sensible shift in this iteration of the fund is the inclusion of traditional crafts. Previously, the remit covered music, song, storytelling, and dance. Now, the makers—those keeping ancient skills from thatching to caman-making alive—are finally being invited to the table.

This is a logical expansion of the fund’s scope. Helen Voce, a panellist representing Traditional Craft, points to the specific utility of this support.

“The Fund’s recognition of traditional crafts for the first time is welcomed and timely,” Voce notes. “It arrives following a year that saw a number of traditional crafts practised in Scotland listed as endangered… on the Red List of Heritage Crafts 2025.”

It serves as a reminder that the physical side of tradition—the instruments, the buildings, the tools—requires just as much maintenance as the songs and stories.

Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland, believes the new structure effectively widens the net.

“The newly redeveloped Traditional Arts and Culture Fund will directly benefit the tradition-bearers and communities upholding Scotland’s many traditions,” she says. “TRACS are expertly placed as a custodian of this crucial funding… with their invaluable knowledge and networks.”

The Nitty Gritty

For those looking to apply, the parameters are refreshingly broad. Funding is available for creation, performance, touring, showcasing, and—crucially—professional development. In the past, this money has supported everything from the Sangstream Scots Folk Choir to puirt à beul workshops in Dundee.

Applications can be submitted in Gaelic, Scots, or English, with the first round closing on Monday, 16 February. For those who miss this window, a second round of funding is due to open in April.

In the end, £1,200 may not make headlines, but it buys the materials, the travel tickets, or the workshop time needed to keep a project moving. It is a solid, practical contribution to the sector.

Featured Image: Coppice Wood, ICH Conference credit Aly Wight

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For more information and to apply, visit tracscotland.org.

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